Virunga National Park

Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Information related to national parks are covered under the environment, ecology and geography section of the UPSC Prelims. 

Why in the News?

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has announced it will auction oil and gas permits in critically endangered gorilla habitat and the world’s largest tropical peatlands. The sale raises concerns about the credibility of a forest protection deal signed with the country at Cop26.

Virunga National Park – Facts

1. Virunga National Park was formerly known as Albert National Park. 
2. Established in 1925, it is Africa’s first national park, which is famous for its mountain gorillas.
3. It is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated World Heritage Site since 1979. Read more about the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.
4. Virunga National Park stretches from the Virunga mountains in the south, to the Rwenzori mountains in the north.
5. The park has a varying altitude of 680 m in the Semliki River valley to 5,109 m in the Rwenzori Mountains.
6. Covering an area of 8,090 km2, the park extends along the international borders with Uganda and Rwanda in the east.
7. It has been listed in the World Heritage in Danger list since 1994.
8. Elevations, climates, and habitats vary notably in Virunga National Park. 
9. The Park’s 3,000 square miles (7,800 square kilometers) comprises four sectors – northern, central,  southern and lake sector – each with an unrivaled diversity of landscapes and ecosystems.
10. The central sector is based around Lake Edward, the Ishasha river valley and the Rwindi plains.
11. The property includes the spectacular massifs of Rwenzori and Virunga Mountains containing the two most active volcanoes of Africa namely the Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. These volcanoes have significantly shaped the diverse habitats and wildlife of the national park.

Find the list of National Parks in India by visiting the linked article.

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Virunga National Park Flora and Fauna

1. 218 species of Virunga’s most prominent mammals include forest and savanna elephants, buffaloes, Thomas cobs, the largest concentration of hippopotamus in Africa, okapis, lions, antelope, warthogs, pelicans and mountain gorillas all live in Virunga.
2. The okapi, also known as the forest giraffe, a species endemic to the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo resides in the park.
3. About 706 bird species have their home in Virunga.
4. Virunga’s recorded 109 reptile species makes it the richest of the protected areas in Africa.
5. The national park has the highest number of amphibian species (about 98) in the Albertine Rift, an area which encompasses parts of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.
6. With respect to 22 primate species, Virunga is the only site on earth to have three types of great apes – the mountain gorilla, eastern lowland gorilla, and eastern chimpanzee.
7. Conservation efforts have helped the rarest of the three taxa to recover from IUCN critically endangered status to endangered.
8. Eastern Lowland gorillas population is proportionately more depleted, leading the sub-species to be classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.
9. The endangered chimpanzee, one of five species of great ape, inhabits the tropical savannas and forests of central and west Africa.
10. The southern sector of Virunga National Park is best known for its montane tropical forests, active volcanoes, and the mountain gorillas that live on the flanks of the dormant Mikeno volcano. Candidates can read about the Tropical Evergreen Forest in India on the given link. 
11. The Virunga park encompasses savannas, peat bogs, marshes, lava plains, eastern steppe vegetation, and various types of forests, including tropical rainforest and bamboo.
12. More than 2,000 premier plant species have been identified, of which 10% are endemic to the Albertine Rift. The afro-montane forests represent about 15% of the vegetation.

Know the Difference Between National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserve, by visiting the linked article.

Candidates preparing for UPSC 2023 must go through the given link for comprehensive preparation: