What are the threats to eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park?

What are the threats to eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park? Threats to Eastern Lowland Gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park: There are quite a number of threats to the survival of eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega national park like civil unrest, habitat loss due to encroachment and deforestation, and illegal mining.

Threats to the survival of Eastern Lowland Gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park.

Civil Unrest/Political Instability

Years of political insecurity and violence in the Democratic of Congo have resulted in the Congolese gorilla national parks falling into disrepair. Humans have been able to infiltrate Kahuzi-Biega National Park in order to hunt gorillas and set up illicit mines. Furthermore, military activities and the deployment of heavy armament have led to regional turmoil, making conservation efforts harder.

Poaching and Illegal Gorilla Trade

As the demand for bush meat grows, gorillas face the prospect of extinction. Because their production rate is modest, even a minor reduction in their number can be seen for a long time. Most bush meet enthusiasts believe that it is prestigious to taste the flesh of a gorilla, which increases the degree of poaching since poachers target the easily available market. Aside from being targeted for bush meat, poachers sell various parts of gorillas to traditional healers who think they may be used to make medicine and magical charms.

Illegal mining for tin, gold, diamonds, and, in particular, coltan (an alloy used in mobile phones) is rampant in the eastern lowland gorillas area. This mining has contributed to the region’s social turmoil and attracted migrants who kill the animals for bushmeat, medicine, and the capture and trading of new-born gorillas.

Habitat Loss and Encroachment

Eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega national park have faced the difficulty of habitat loss, most likely as a result of rising population, as residents encroached on the forest and removed part of their habitats for agriculture, road construction, building, commercial lumber, and other activities. This, in turn, presents a threat to the endangered mountain gorillas, since some of the gorillas end up isolating themselves, decreasing the mating rate of these uncommon primates, resulting in the gorillas’ extinction. Only a tiny fraction of the gorilla’s territory is protected, including Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Even still, park officials frequently struggle to maintain the borders and preserve the gorillas.

How much is Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park?

Eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park has been considered the top tourist activity done in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lowland gorilla trekking permits in Kahuzi Biega national park costs $400 per person during the peak season and $200 during the low season.

How to book your permit for Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park?

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, lowland gorilla trekking permits are issued by Kahuzi Biega Park Management. The park has a permit issuing office in Goma at the Grande Barrier border. Alternatively, tourists interested in eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park, can book their permits through a trusted tour operator company like Explore Rwanda Tours.

Rules and Regulations to be followed when doing lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park.

• Lowering your voice to avoid upsetting gorillas in their natural habitats.
• Not dumping trash in the park.
• Maintaining a social distance of about 7 meters from gorillas.
• No smoking, eating, or drinking in the company of gorillas.
• No trekking gorillas if suffering from flu-like symptoms.
• No utilizing flash lights when taking pictures, and in the event of a gorilla charge, obey the ranger guides’ instructions.

As previously said, Eastern lowland gorillas are a subspecies of Eastern gorillas that are larger in stature than mountain gorillas and also live in larger clans, making trekking them more interesting. These Eastern Lowland Gorillas can only be trekked in Congo’s Kahuzi Beiga National Park, as opposed to Mountain Gorillas, which may be found in three countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo.

Eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Congo is limited to the Kahuzi Beiga national park in the country’s south, in the Bukavu area. The 6,000-square-kilometer Kahuzi Beiga national park is the biggest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congo is blessed to have both of the two subspecies of Eastern Gorillas, the Eastern lowland gorillas that thrill in Kahuzi Beiga national park and the Mountain Gorillas that thrill in Virunga national park, making it possible to trek both Mountain Gorillas and Eastern lowland gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Other Activities to do in Kahuzi Biega national park

Aside from being the best site for Eastern lowland gorilla trekking, Kahuzi Beiga national park also provides other breathtaking tourist activities that may be combined with the gorilla trek, which include:

• Bird Watching in Kahuzi Biega national park is another popular activity offered in the national park because it is home to over 350 species of birds, including the Handsome Francolin, Martial Eagle, Bee-eaters, woodpecker, Black Cuckoo, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Red-eyed Dove, Elliot’s Yellow-billed Barbet, Black Cuckoo shrike, African pipit, White-tipped Crested-flycatcher, Albertine Sooty Boubou, and Eastern Mountain Greenbul among others.
• Hiking and nature walks are additional exciting activities in Kahuzi Beiga National Park, since the park has well-defined hiking paths to Mount Kahuzi at 3308 Meters and Mount Beiga at 2790 Meters above sea level. There are also additional routes that lead to various sights inside the park, including as waterfalls, Lake Kivu, Mount Bugulumiza, and many more breathtaking vistas.