Size of Kahuzi Biega National Park: Kahuzi-Biega is one of the country’s largest national parks, covering an area of 6,000 square kilometers which approximately 2,300 square miles. It is one of the remaining refuges for the uncommon species of Eastern lowland gorilla, also known as Gorilla Beringei Graueri, which is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List. The park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 for its unique variety of rainforest environment and eastern lowland gorillas.

Because of the region’s political instability, an inflow of refugees, and increased animal exploitation, it was added to the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1997. The park is divided into two sections: one in the Mitumba Mountain range of the Albertine Rift in the Great Rift Valley, and the other in lowland terrain, Size of Kahuzi Biega National Park.

A 7.4 km wide corridor connects the highland and lowland areas in Kahuzi Biega national park. The eastern half of the park is a minor hilly section of 600 square kilometers; the greater part spans 5,400 km2 and comprises primarily of lowland spanning from Bukavu to Kisangani, drained by the Luka and Lugulu rivers, which feed into the Lualaba River.

Within the park’s boundaries, two inactive volcanoes offer their names: Kahuzi (3,308 m) and Biéga 2,790 m. The park receives an average of 1,800 mm of precipitation each year (71 in). The area’s maximum temperature is 18 °C, while the minimum is 10.4 °C.

The park is home to a diverse range of vegetation and wildlife. According to a Wildlife Conservation Society assessment done in 2003, it protects about 349 species of birds and 136 species of animals. Over 1,178 plant species have been identified in the park’s highland sections alone. Kahuzi-Biega National Park is also a hotspot of plant and vertebrate endemism due to its various terrain and habitat types.

Wildlife in Kahuzi Biega National Park.

The Albertine Rift National Park has the greatest diversity of animal species of any national park in the Albertine Rift.  The eastern lowland gorilla is the most visible of the 136 species of animals discovered in the park.

According to a 2008 status assessment from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the park has 125 lowland gorillas, a significant decrease from the pre-1990s war figure of 600 gorillas, and as a result, the species has been categorized as endangered.

The park is the final safe haven for this endangered species. According to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s census study of eastern lowland gorillas conducted in April 2011, at least 181 gorillas were documented in the park.

The eastern chimpanzee, as well as the Cercopithecinae, Colobinae, and owl-faced monkeys, are among the other primates. The bush elephant, bush buffalo, hylochere and bongo, eastern needle-clawed galago, Maclaud’s horseshoe bat, Ruwenzori least otter shrew, and Alexander’s bush squirrel are among the animals.  The park’s two genet animal species are exclusive to the Congo Basin: the water genet and the gigantic forest genet, Size of Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Birdlife in Kahuzi Biega National Park.

At least 42 of the 349 bird species discovered inside the park are indigenous to the region, including the endangered Albertine owlet. The Yellow-crested Helmet-shrike, the Congo peafowl, the African green broadbill, and the Rockefeller’s sunbird are among the other local bird species.

Activities Offered in Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Gorilla Trekking

In Kahuzi Biega national park, visitors have the opportunity to track eastern lowland gorillas. Gorilla trekking in the park can be done by visitors aged 15 years and above at a fee of USD 400 per person. The national park has 12 gorilla groups and 5 of these are available to tourists for tracking.

Visit Lwiro Sanctuary.

Tourists in Kahuzi-Biega National Park may witness habituated Chimpanzees in the Lwiro Sanctuary for about US$ 40 per person. Tourists that visit the primate rehabilitation center are given a tour of the facility’s history and conservation efforts.

Cultural/Community Tours.

Cultural or Community trips in Kahuzi-Biega National Park allow tourists to interact with residents living in communities surrounding the park. Cultural exchanges in the park are an excellent method for tourists to learn more about the various ethnic groups in Congo and how the locals go about their daily lives.

Watch local dancing troupes perform dance and singing, and put your imagination to the test by crafting local arts and crafts such as baskets, beads, necklaces, earrings, and clothing out of locally produced materials like as recycled paper, sisal, papyrus, and Kinteges. Visitors may also learn how to prepare traditional Congolese dishes and have a supper with a local family.

Getting to Kahuzi Biega National Park.

The majority of journeys to Kahuzi-Biega National Park begin in Rwanda, with pick-ups in Kigali or Gisenyi. Other travelers may decide to fly into Goma International Airport, where our company guide will be waiting for you. The Rusizi I route takes around 6-7 hours to get from Kigali City to Kamembe in Cyangugu town. Travelers will need to drive for around 112 hours to reach the national park after passing the borders at Goma and Bukavu.

Alternatively, travellers can take a flight from Kigali Airport to Goma Airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is a highly handy means of transportation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Travelers may reach the national park by driving 230 kilometers from Goma.