The Virunga Mountains | Congo Safari Tours | Explore Congo It includes the Rwindi plains and the Ishasha River valley, and is contiguous with Ugandas Queen Elizabeth National Park to the east. Only one mountain of the 8 is an active volcano that is Mount Nyiragongo found in DRCongo. The Virunga Mountains are home of the critically endangered mountain gorilla, listed on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species due to habitat loss, poaching, disease, and war (Butynski et al. [10][11] To improve the country's economic situation the government undermined that very protection by auctioning oil exploration blocks inside the park by the end of July 2022. Photo credit: Greg Homel/Natural Encounters Birding, Photo credit: Brad Clement/Spindrift Adventures, Virungas Rangers are awarded National Geographic Explorer of the Year, The mountain gorilla population is no longer critically endangered, All militia groups removed from Central Sector. They are solitary creatures who remain isolated except when threatened or breeding. When Albert National Park was established in April 1925 as the Congo's first national park, it was conceived as a science-oriented nature reserve with the aim of studying and preserving wildlife and so-called "primitive" hunter-gatherer African Pygmies. In 2007, the mass killing of the Rugendo family of gorillas catapulted the parks plight onto the world stage, and the global attention spurned increased funding and conservation measures. Like humans, chimps communicate with facial expressions, gestures, and sounds. The habituation process is done by researchers and rangers who visit the gorillas on a daily basis for between two and three years until the gorillas are comfortable having people near them. More than 3,000 faunal and floral species have been recorded, of which more than 300 are endemic to the Albertine Rift including eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei) and golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti). The Karisoke Research Center, founded by Dian Fossey to observe gorillas in their native habitat, is located between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke. Farther north are the Rutshuru Falls and the Mai ya Moto sulfur springs. Some biologists even believe that a fifth subspecies, called the mountain or Virunga buffalo, should be recognised. The Virunga Mountains are all volcanic mountains but most of them are dormant. Focussing on three key areas: hydropower, sustainable agriculture and fisheries, and tourism, Virunga National Park is working to economically transform the region creating jobs and reducing poverty rates. The First and Second Congo Wars further destabilised the region. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Virunga Mountains in Congo were formed as a result of volcanic activity from the past. Some biologists even believe that a fifth subspecies, called the mountain or Virunga buffalo, should be recognised. The best way to establish the state of affairs and what activities are on offer is to chat to the Africa Geographic travel team, who are in constant communication with Virungas park authorities and regularly send intrepid travelers to the area when it is safe to do so.

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