The Virunga National Park, formerly known as Albert National Park lies from the Virunga Mountains, to the Rwenzori Mountains, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda. Covering 7,800 km² it was established in 1925 as Africa's first national park. It was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1979. In later years it has become known for its mountain gorillas, although poaching and the Congo Civil War have seriously damaged its wildlife population.
Virunga National Park, covering an area of 790,000 ha. comprises an outstanding diversity of habitats, ranging from swamps and steppes to the snowfields of Rwenzori at an altitude of over 5,000 m, and from lava plains to the savannahs on the slopes of volcanoes. Mountain gorillas are found in the park, some 20,000 hippopotamuses live in the rivers and birds from Siberia spend the winter there. The Ruwenzori Mountains lie on the Ugandan border and rise to alpine meadows and a glacier, while Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira are both active volcanoes with substantial associated lava plains.
Mountain Gorillas and other species in the Virunga National Park
Currently, mountain gorillas are now extremely rare, successful conservation work has secured the remaining populations. In fact, they increased during the years of political upheaval in the region (1994-2004). The neighbouring Mount Hoyo area was managed with the park and is home to a population of Bambuti Pygmy people, caves and waterfalls, but since the civil wars, the park has suffered somewhat. It is believed that both savanna and forest elephants and chimpanzees can still be found in Virunga, along with Okapi, giraffes, buffaloes and many endemic birds. Land invasions and intense poaching have challenged the park authorities to the limit, but most rangers have remained active. Since 1994, about 120 rangers have been killed in the line of duty protecting the park from illegal poaching and land acquisition.
 Virunga National Park Management
The Park is managed by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature with several international and national NGO partners. There has been intermittent support since 1959, but in 2001 WCS launched a long-term program, as part of the larger Greater Virunga Landscape, and is providing equipment and technical support to the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature. WCS first worked in Virunga National Park in 1959 when George Schaller started his pioneering study of the mountain gorilla.
Human Aspect
Virunga National Park is located in an area of high human population density in Democratic Republic of Congo. Balancing the needs of the local population and the needs for conservation is tricky as at present many resources have been over-harvested because controls couldn’t be enforced during Democratic Republic of Congo’s civil wars. Lake Edward which is within this Park has one of the most productive fisheries in Africa and many people rely on the protein coming from its tilapia fish. Poverty is very high in the region and use of natural resources from the Park which include fuel wood, charcoal, grass thatch and others is common.
Threats within the Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park has been affected by civil war and its consequences since the early 1990s. The main threats include: traditional and commercial poaching by local people; rebel groups and the military inside of the Park; illegal fishing, settlement, and encroachment; grazing; uncontrolled bushfires; and recently, targeting of rangers by various armed groups because they have been trying to stop these illegal activities.
Transboundary in Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park is part of a larger landscape of contiguous protected areas: the Greater Virunga Landscape. It plays a key role in this landscape by linking the other sites in Uganda and Rwanda. Because of the transboundary nature of the Park, the objectives are focused on transboundary collaboration between Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The following activities are currently being implemented in the Park:
- Rehabilitation of patrol posts destroyed by the war; field rations for patrol teams; and basic equipment such as uniforms for all the Park staff, GPS units, radios, and outboard engines for patrols on the lake.
- Transboundary management between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature to support field activities to tackle regional and transboundary threats: coordinated patrols by the two institutions; regional warden’s and technical meetings; intelligence information gathering; and public awareness.
- Biodiversity surveys of the Virunga Volcanoes within the locality where the mountain gorilla is found and plan to undertake more surveys when security improves elsewhere in the Park.
 Development of a ranger-based monitoring system for the Park by providing training, equipment, and basic supplies to ensure data collection and analysis by Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature staff.
Future Steps to be undertaken
- Better understanding the management needs of landscape species in the Park. These are species that range widely, are usually large bodied, live at low density and are affected by man. Lions, golden cat, elephants, chimpanzees, buffalo, hippos, crowned eagles, and leopards are species that have been identified amongst others as needing specific management actions.
- Building the capacity of Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature to undertake adaptive management of the Park using the monitoring data they are collecting.
- Working with Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature and its partners to develop a management plan for the Park.
- Strengthening the transboundary collaboration with UWA and to develop a sustainable mechanism so that the process doesn’t rely on NGOs.
Niche Africa Holidays, being a tour operator based in this region offers safaris in a 4x4 land cruisers to Virunga National Park from Brazzaville.
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