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  • A Combined Safari in Virunga and Rwenzori Mountains

    A Combined Safari in Virunga and Rwenzori Mountains

    Are you planning your visit to the African continent and still stuck on where to go? The Pearl of Africa – Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo have got you covered with its two-amazing destinations – Virunga national park and Rwenzori mountains that favor a combined safari in a few days of about 7 to 10 days. Combining a safari in Virunga National Park with a trek in the Rwenzori Mountains offers a diverse and enriching experience, showcasing the natural beauty and wildlife of both regions.

    Virunga is a national park in the Albertine rift valley in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo. With an area coverage of 7,768.93 square kilometers, the park ranges from 680 m in the Semliki Valley to 5,109m in the Rwenzori mountains. It is known for hosting two active volcanoes – Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira and then the endangered species including the eastern gorillas and the golden monkeys. Virunga national park is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its rich diversity of habitats, exceptional biodiversity and endemism. Also, since 1994, the park has been listed in the List of World Heritage in Danger because of civil unrest and the increase of human presence in the region.

    Though commonly visited for mountaineering safaris, Virunga is also known for hosting the endangered mountain gorillas that can be sight during gorilla trekking safari. During the experience, expect to spot other numerous primates like common chimpanzee, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboon, grey cheeked mangabey and others. Also, the perk protects some mammals like African bush elephants, hippos, African buffalo, blue duiker and others.

    Also known as the Mountains of the Moon, Rwenzori mountains are a range of mountains in the eastern equatorial Africa straddling on the border between Uganda and DR Congo. The mountains are protected by Rwenzori Mountains National Park which stretches on an area of approximately 998 square kilometers in the districts of Bundibugyo, Kabarole, and Kasese. Though commonly visited to mountaineering safaris, the park is also a home to other species like reptiles, insects, small mammals and many others.

    When embarking on a combined Virunga gorilla and Rwenzori hike, it’s essential to be aware of and abide by the rules and regulations in place to protect the environment, wildlife, and ensure the safety of visitors. Here are some general guidelines that apply to both activities:

    Virunga Gorilla Trekking experience

    1. Permit Requirement: Gorilla trekking requires a permit, which must be obtained in advance and allows one visitor per day. It’s important to secure your permit through the appropriate authorities or a reputable tour operator. Gorilla trekking permits cost US$400 per person per day and these can be got from Virunga park offices in Goma town or a registered tour company.
    2. Health Requirements: Prior to gorilla trekking, you’ll be required to undergo a health screening to ensure you are free from any contagious diseases that could be transmitted to the gorillas. If you are feeling unwell, it’s best to reschedule your trek. Since mountain gorillas share a DNA with humans, they can easily get infected with different disease like flue, cough and others and thus every trekker should go under a health check-up before going encountering the species.
    3. Group Size and Time with Gorillas: Gorilla groups are visited by a limited number of people each day to minimize stress on the animals. Typically, a trekkers group consists a maximum of 8 visitors who trail through the park rain forests and once you locate assigned gorilla group, you will spend a maximum of one hour observing and photographing them.
    4. Safety and Respect: Maintain a minimum distance of 7 meters (21 feet) from the gorillas to minimize the risk of disease transmission and to respect their personal space. Follow the instructions of your guide, speak softly, and avoid sudden movements or direct eye contact with the endangered mountain gorillas. Also, you are not allowed to eat or drink during the experience since the species may cause injury to you.
    5. No Flash Photography: Flash photography is prohibited during gorilla trekking as it may startle or distress the gorillas. Use only natural light or available light for photography.

    Rwenzori Hiking experience

    • Permits and Guides: Hiking in the Rwenzori Mountains requires permits, and it’s mandatory to be accompanied by an experienced guide. Obtain the necessary permits in advance and arrange for a guide through the national park authorities or a reputable tour operator. The cost of the hiking permit depends on the package of your choice and the route you are willing to use.
    • Respect the Environment: The Rwenzori Mountains are a fragile ecosystem. Follow the principle of “Leave No Trace” and ensure that you do not disturb or damage the flora and fauna. Stay on designated trails and avoid littering since there are some animal species in the forests that may end up getting damages.
    • Group Size: Hiking groups in the Rwenzori Mountains are usually limited to a certain number of participants. This helps in minimizing the impact on the environment and ensures a better experience for all. Respect the group size limits set by the authorities.
    • Altitude and Physical Fitness: The Rwenzori Mountains are known for their high altitude and challenging terrain especially those going for the summit challenge (5,109m). Ensure you are physically fit and acclimatize properly to prevent altitude sickness. Follow the guidance of your guide and communicate any health concerns promptly.
    • Equipment and Safety: Carry appropriate gear and equipment suitable for the hike, including sturdy hiking boots, warm clothing, rain gear, and other essentials. It’s important to prioritize safety and be prepared for changing weather conditions

  • Can We Protect Hippos from Poaching in Virunga?

    Major causes of declines in wildlife in developing countries witnessed during the recent decades have been population growth, habitat fragmentation, inadequate land use practices and management, lack of economic alternatives, and unsustainable use of resources. In a conflict region like the Easternof the Democratic Republic of Congo, the fauna has been targeted by different armed groups and local people for meat and illegal wildlife and wildlife product trafficking. Among species that have been most poached is the common hippopotamus.

    In Virunga National Park for example, numbers dropped by 98% from 30,000 in the 1970s to 629 individuals in 2006. With increased patrolling and transboundary cooperation between the DR Congo and Uganda park authorities, there is hope that hippopotamuses will still exist in Virunga National as the Ishasha river still inhabit a bit of hippopotamus population.

    The patrolling efforts along the hippopotamus habitats are still low and there is need of closer monitoring to protect them from poaching for bushmeat.

    Thanks to Robert J., Anna, Jessica, Emmerentiane and Antonio for their support to our activities!

  • Elephant and Rangers’ Harmony in Virunga

    Through our Elephant monitoring program in collaboration with ICCN rangers in Kabaraza station, we have been able to protect three different herds of elephants.

    Through daily monitoring  of elephants, rangers are able to monitor and locate elephants for their protection from poaching.

    On 29th, I visited the forest and met up with more than 50 elephants. I was surprised that elephants sighted us before we could and we were scared. As we were moving making some noises, the elephants were scared and took off. I was told by rangers: “they must be around our camp by now as they feel safe around there”. Fifteen minutes later, we were at road (barrier) and met with more than fifty elephants in three different groups.

    It is unbelievable that, although elephants have been poached for the last decade in Virunga,  you can get closer to this herd of elephants thanks to the devotion of rangers.

    There is need to continue supporting this activity as we hope this herd can restore elephant population in Virunga Park. In 2008, we estimated more than 280 individuals in three different groups.

    Field gears and ranger rations are needed by ranger and further support for monitoring.

    Thanks to those who are supporting my work in Virunga.

  • Lessons for Conservation Related Conflict Resolution Projects in War Situation

    The Eastern DRC has been under fire and armed conflict since 90s. The fauna and flora of Virunga National Park are intensely impacted because armed groups target rangers and local communities work for armed groups to use illegally resources. In some areas, local communities are allowed to extract resources (fishing villages) but they don’t comply with regulations.

    This creates conflict between park staff and communities over resources. More armed conflicts weaken law enforcement.Through a conflict resolution process, a participatory framework was developed, agreed and implemented in Nyakakoma (one of the three fishing villages in Virunga Park) to reduce illegal fishing. All stakeholders (park managers, fisheries and civil society, army and police) were involved and the decrease of illegal fishing was about 50%.

    In October 08; with the clash of the war between rebels and legal army, it was impossible to enforce anything as armed people relied on fishing to survive. We kept contact with stakeholders and make sure that the situation is known and monitored.

    After five months, with political negotiations, stakeholders wished to restart the process and implement the framework. The success of any conflict resolution project in conservation relies on collaboration between stakeholders which improves relationship and communication among them and built trust. But to get to that level; there is need of commitment and willingness from conservation organizations, support and regular contact with stakeholders and monitoring of the situation. Your support to this blog will strengthen the ongoing conflict and community activities!

  • Conflict over Natural Resources

    Virunga National Park is one of the remaining forest in the East North Kivu province and is surrounded by lots of villages with high demographic density.

    These villages are living near the Park by using resources close to them in different ways with real impact on habitat and wildlife.

    Protection of the Park becomes then complex and violent as park managers and their partners face different threats towards their lives.

    Managing these conflicts need commitment and good willing of different actors after understanding these conflicts and different parameters.

    Through the process of conflict analysis, mapping and strategy development, we’ve been able to start looking at different opportunities that can help reducing some of the conflicts starting with fishing villages as it can lead to other complex conflicts.

    Needs from different stakeholders are increasing towards conflict resolution that we need to put more efforts even though some conflicts need political decisions.

    Help Virunga to survive!!!

  • Virunga Elephant to Be Protected

    Virunga National Park as first National Park in Africa is facing several threats despite the efforts from rangers and conservationist to protect its resources.

    One of its resources is African elephant (Loxodonta africana) inhabiting different ecosystems of the park from the forested areas to the savanna areas.

    Elephants in Virunga have been killed in Virunga for the trophy. Due to the occupancy of the park by armed groups, elephants have moved to areas closed to ranger posts with limited movement. Once they want to move, they are killed and forced to stay in limited area.

    In order to protect them form this daily threats, rangers have been trying to plan for daily patrols and observations. Three groups of rangers have been monitoring about 300 elephants in Kabaraza ranger station with limited food ration and basic field equipment.

    Any help for these elephants is an input to Virunga conservation

  • Natural Resource Use in Virunga Neighboring Villages

    Virunga National park located in Eastern DRC is among the richest protected area in terms of animals and plants. Some of these species cannot be found every where apart from the Virunga surrounding regions (e.g. Gorillas).

    Covering about 8,000sqkm, Virunga Park is surrounded by a populated region which might be among the highest in DRC – up to 350 habitat/km². In these different areas, natural resources are the most used as about 80% of rural areas in DRC depend on agriculture and use firewood as source of energy.

    In order to get firewood, local communities are obliged to get into the park –in most of the surrounding areas – and get some trees cut down for survival purposes. Besides firewood, charcoal is also the main forest killer in the area as the Park is surrounded by 3 big towns (Goma, Butembo and Beni) and others cities (Kiwanja, Rutshuru, Kasindi, etc.) where charcoal is the most used in different households for cooking.

    In other areas where there are still some patches of forest, people are cutting down forests for timber, charcoal and firewood.

    Surrounding communities as future threats to protected forests

    Protecting Parks and forests is seen as a management purpose than a common benefit in Africa and especially in DRC. The forest on community lands is reducing every day and year leaving behind the protected areas as lonely and isolated forested areas.

    Even if the forest on community lands is finished, local communities and surrounding towns’ population will still need charcoal, firewood and timber and the only place to get these will be into the protected areas. That’s the future threat towards natural resource exploitation in the Virunga region.

    And this is more serious when you consider the birth rates of the areas and their economic status! More threats towards conservationist than how it is now!

    Actions to be taken for both sides
    In order to get this threat reduced, there is need of working on both sides – developing incentives in the community areas and actions for resources sharing with neighboring communities on the community side and protection of resource with community on the other side.

    Among solutions, get networks organized for community and individual plantations for timber products for communities.

    To manage to get people committed to such activities, there is need of technical and financial supports.

  • How Communities can Help to Protect Wildlife

    During this two weeks, we’ve been conducting biological surveys in Semuliki area (Virunga National park). I got to look for cutters and trackers who coils help us to get into the forest to find our lines.

    Later on, I discovered that the people we were using are organised into a local association called OAN (Organisation des Amis de la Nature = Organisation for friends of nature). Among the activities they are conducting:

    chimpanzee monitoring

    local communities of Mwenda have been able to protect a patch of forest closed to Mt Ruwenzori (DRC) where occur chimpanzees. They have been following these cousins of human without any support (technical or financial). They are kin monitoring chimps even if they don’t have any field equipment, field ration during monitoring or data sheet, etc.

    If supported, they can help to save these threatened species of which their numbers is going down everyday.

    They have field staff moving in the field everyday hiking the base of Ruwenzori.

    Wildlife protection is the key of their activities but they add in some other activities that can support the wildlife related activities. They’ve got some farm to grow vegetables at small scale. It’s known that the small scale agricultural activities is enough to fulfil all the food needs for the household. But when it comes to diversifying economic activities, you need to increase and improve your techniques of growing food. Thus, this local organisation needs to get different agricultural inputs to make their activity important for conservation.

    Our country (DRC) is among countries where citizen still depend more than 95% on natural timber resources for different options without alternatives or suitable techniques. For cooking or building, the main product to use is still timber. People have to look for trees to cut to fulfil these needs. In order to reduce and make people aware of the future danger, OAN has been trying to put in place some areas to make available trees for plantation in the village. Still, the area covered and the target is still not enough.

    This has been made possible in combination with public awareness and sensitisation.

    information gathering about wildlife killing

    protect wildlife doesn’t rely only on rangers or again on patrols. There is need of information gathering in order to get some targeted places chosen by poachers. This information can be made available through different channels. In this specific area (Mwenda), this local organisation is helping to provide information about different actors involved in illegal exploitation of natural resources within the Park. They collect information from different villagers and get information to managers through different ways, depending on how the manager is confident to them and dedicated to the protection of the Park.

    So, it’s possible to protect protected areas and community forests with local organisations within the village by providing them capacity!

  • Looking Into Animal Eyes

    Wildlife is more interesting when people try to look into their eyes. When you try to look into wildlife eyes, you think about their needs in terms of habitat, food, shelter, movement. When people kill wildlife, they don’t look into their eyes; they look on their bodies, shape and trophies, etc.

    The Virunga NP is facing poaching for both commercial and domestic needs in bushmeat. In order to discourage this process which can lead to species depletion, rangers carry out patrols in the Park with support from NGOs working in Conservation. This action is done also during any monitoring of wildlife in the park.

    This has been one of the toughest missions of rangers during these two decades in Virunga Park and ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature) has lost over 100 rangers on duty. As a consequence, there are widows and orphans without assistance.
    But also, rangers are working under pressure in need of field equipments and shelter. Some of the ranger posts have been rehabilitated with partners’ support; others are still in traditional status and makes rangers vulnerable to any armed attacks as they face it frequently.

    Helping rangers, saves the most biodiverse and the oldest Park of Africa!

    We are proud of individual donors who have donated to this project and specially Robert J.G.

  • Protected Area Managers Learn Lessons From Animals

    Virunga National Park is one of the most famous and rich parks in Africa when you look at its biodiversity. It’s inhabitants are 196 species of large mammals and some of them are only found the Central Albertine Rift (where Virunga is part of the region), 706 species of birds and 106 reptiles, etc.

    As part of the region, Virunga NP which is located in the Eastern part of the DRC neighbors mainly five (5) national parks; Mgahinga National Park, Semuliki and Rwenzori in Uganda and the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

    Because of its continuous nature, it’s absolutely important that managers open their doors to their neighbors in order to work hand in hand to protect this biodiversity which is shared between countries.

    The trans-boundary mechanism is a process where protected area authorities agree to work together to tackle regional-conservation related problems. E.g.: By law, rangers from one country are not allowed to cross the border with guns while the wildlife under their control is moving freely! Then poachers as smugglers were using different routes to cross from one side to another knowing that rangers could not break the law. They could be living in Uganda and poach in DRC and vice versa.

    Managers have to work together not to minimize or break the law but to develop strategies which are compatible with the law. Managers have agreed to carry on coordinated patrols where rangers from one side are patrolling on their side at the same time and place the other side is doing the same.

    To enable this work on going, there is need of field equipment such as tents, raincoats, GPS units, batteries, etc. and ranger rations to enable them to cover long distances where they spend 3 to 5 days.

    Coordinated patrols, as field surveillance can not perform all the work needed to reduce illegal activities thus there is need of information gathering and sharing between managers. Most of the wildlife products are trafficked under panya panya roads (smuggling ways) from one country to another.

    Confiscated Items Under Intelligence

    The smugglers are not crossing boarders and they fear security and custom services as they know most of these products are not allowed for sale or there are several requirements to fulfill and they may not manage.

    Managers have created intelligence networks from the surrounding villages up to the regional wardens’ forum and institutions to collect and use information gathered by local informers. In order to get this activity ongoing there is need of more supports to local informers and wardens by providing them communication equipments such as telephone and airtime.

    Conservation is a worldwide interest as it contributes to the life of the world. Then it becomes difficult to handle conservation related activities without involving other stakeholders who are important in the whole process: custom, security services, police, army and magistrate are key stakeholders in the trans-boundary work.

    It has been a success having these stakeholders in different forums where they learn about conservation, value and importance of the central Albertine rift region. There is a confident environment which has been established between conservation actors and law enforcement services. This cooperation needs to be strengthened if we want this most important part of world to survive: We have Gorillas, Elephants, Hippopotamus, etc.

    The trans-boundary natural resource management has moved from the field level (protected area managers) to the Countries authorities (Heads of conservation institutions and Ministers) to the top level (presidential level – Uganda and DRC).