Established in 1939 and later set as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 1980’s, Kahuzi Biega National Park still stands a refuge of the endangered Eastern Lowland gorillas, which make up about 250 members with only three habituated groups.
Primarily covered by two massive distinct volcano mountains (Kahuzi and Biega), a prime tropical rain forest that makes the park the most stunning heritage site with most amazing rolling hills and intense jungles. The forest trails are at times frequented by the forest elephants and also refuge to astonishingly a large population of Apes including Bosman’s potto, red tailed monkey and Angolan black monkeys among others. Also form an exceptional birding site and amazingly easy to spot most of the resident birds including the popular Congo peacock.
Kahuzi Biega National Park is one of the last refuges of the rare Eastern lowland gorilla. Kahuzi Biega National Park is among the biggest national parks in the Eastern part of the DR Congo. It is located in the western part of the Rift Albertine region with 6,000 sq km and bears the special status of World Heritage Site.
The Park is named after two extinct volcanoes, Mount Kahuzi (3,308 m) and Mount Biéga (2,790 m). Mount Kahuzi is the highest in this part of Kivu. A vast area of primary tropical forest, the park has a diverse and abundant fauna.
The rain forest extends between 600m and 3308m above sea level, with six different primary vegetation types harboring an extremely rich plant biodiversity with many endemic woody plant species. The natural habitats support the survival of the Eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla graueri), a flagship species of the Congo, and an effective target for much of the current conservation investment in the area. They live at between 2,100 and 2,400 m above sea-level and number only 250.
Apart from the Eastern Lowland Gorilla, there are other mammal species such as forest elephant, chimpanzee, antelope, genet and serval, bush hog and also a variety of birds, reptiles and amphibians.
For adventure enthusiasts, they are also not left out of choice, there is a breathtaking hike towards Mount Bulugumisa though shorter but it rewards with life time experiences especially from the stunning Tshibati waterfalls before catching a glimpse of the unforgettable view at the summit.
When to visit Kahuzi Biega National Park
Many travelers wonder about the best time to Kahuzi Biega National Park . Most tourists visit Kahuzi Biega within the months of January to March and June to October.
About the vegetation cover of Kahuzi Biega National Park
Exciting activities to enjoy in Kahuzi Biega National Park
The park is mainly covered by marshlands, blogs, swamps, tropical rain forest and riparian’s that all support its incredible biodiversity. For safaris at Kahuzi Biega National Park, the following activities are worth exploiting;
Accommodation Facilities
There are accommodation facilities that offer quality food and bed services to visitors who come to the park. They include Lodge Coco and L’Orchids Safari Club. These are all high and low budget facilities.
In conclusion, tours to Kahuzi Biega National Park make up a complete package for Democratic Republic of Congo. The park has natural, historical, cultural and man made attractions for visitors to catch a glimpse while in their safaris in DR Congo.