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Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Parc de Kahuzi-Biega) is situated 50 km west of Bukavu town; adjacent to the western side of Lake Kivu in Kivu region in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Park is most known for its dominant rolling landscape in the west that forms a belt between the lowland and highland altitude forests. The park was established to protect 200-300 Eastern Lowland gorillas that reside mostly in the dense forests at 2,100m-2,400m, as well as in the lower rain forest.
Kahuzi-Biega National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1980 and takes its name from the two dominant extinct volcanoes of Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biéga (at 2,790m) (Mount Kahuzi is also the highest peak). The Park spans over an area of 6,000 sq km into the Kivu Region.
Pygmies are the nearest occupants of the forest. Seven other primitive tribal groups also live around the park namely the Twa, the Barega and the Bashi peoples. These people still living in the park continue to exploit the park in their traditional ways of shifting agriculture, subsistence hunting, and mining of precious metals.
The most threats to the park were poaching and the political instability in the region during the period 1996-1999. This park played host to the main base-camps for Rwandan rebels fighting against Rwanda and Congolese Mai-Mai militia fighting against Rwandans in the Congo. It has been estimated that during this period, perhaps 100 of the 250 eastern lowland gorillas in the park’s highlands were killed, along with three-quarters of the 400 forest elephants alive before the war. Poaching also affected most species.
Despite all the destruction threats, Kahuzi-Biega National Park remains one major safari attractions of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It holds an amazing diversity of flora and fauna. It is also in this exact location where nature enthusiasts can experience a tropical climate best.
Kahuzi-Biega National Park is extensively forested with two distinctive regions; a range of Rift Valley Volcanoes; and the rolling lower highlands of the Congo Basin. The park encompasses an exceptionally high diversity of different plant species. In the high eastern mountains, there are six primary vegetation types varying with elevation: mountain rain forest, high-altitude rain forest, bamboo forest, swamp forest, sub-alpine heather and peat bog. The western mountains is lowland equatorial rain forest between 700 and 1,200m, with transitional forests between 1,250 and 1,550m
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It is estimated that there are only 600 gorillas remaining throughout the park, earning it a place in the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Apart from the gorillas, the Park is a natural habitat to several other species of animals including 13 species of monkeys, 49 chimpanzees as well as Baboons and Antelopes. Other mammals found here include Forest Elephants, Hippotamus Hippopotamus, Forest Buffalo, Leopard, Bongo and seven species of Duiker. Endemic mammals include the East-Central African Red Colobus, Mountain Tree Squirrel, Eastern Needle-Clawed, Aquatic Civet, Giant Genet, Forest Hog, Alexander’s Bush Squirrel, Owl-Faced Monkey, Rwenzori Black & White Colobus, Rwenzori Least Otter-Shrew, Mount Kahuzi Climbing Mouse and Maclaud’s Horseshoe Bat.
Since Kahuzi-Biega National Park lies in one of the world’s Endemic Bird Areas, is an important stopover for migratory birds. A Distinctive bird list shows over 200 unique bird species are found in the park including 42 endemics. Some of the birds that are easily spotted are the Congo Peacock, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Rwenzori Tauraco, Kivu Ground-Thrush, African Green Broadbill, Albertine Owlet, Bedford’s Paradise Flycatcher, Grauer’s Cuckoo-Shrike, Chapin’s Mountain Babbler, Dwarf Honeyguide, Sassi’s Olive, Rockefeller’s Sunbird and Grauer’s Warbler.
The best way to reach the park is via Bukavu, which is the capital city of Southern Kivu. There are flights and sails and bus trip available to Bukavu from other Congo towns. The Park entrance is at Tshivanga in the east. The boundary is unmarked in many places.
As measures to protect the park, armed guards patrol the key visitor areas regularly and ensure that all staff are kept up-to-date on the latest security information. Our advice to any intending visitor is to make safari reservations well in advance and where possible to contact management at; info@kahuzi-biega.org.
