There are several national parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

KAHUZI-BIEGA NATIONAL PARK

The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is named after the mountains Kahuzi and Biega and is located in the south of Kivu.  A UNESCO World heritage site, Kahuzi-Biega is famous for habituated Lowland gorilla trekking. The Eastern Lowland Gorillas have been threatened by poaching for a while now but efforts by government, conservationists and other well-wishers have now increased their numbers. Unlike mountain gorillas, tracking eastern lowland gorilla is relatively easy. Gorilla Permits to Kahuzi Biega can be got on short notice and the need to trek long distances on steep mountain slopes is avoided. Apart from gorillas, visitors on Congo wildlife safari can go to spot elephants, chimpanzee and several species of antelope.

VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK

The Virunga national park is the oldest park in Africa and was formed in 1925 to protect the mountain gorillas.  Found near Congo’s border with Uganda and Rwanda, its stunning landscape and biological diversity found in Virunga National Park make it one of the most beautiful places to visit on earth.  The two main activities while on tour of the park are mountain gorilla trekking and hiking the Nyiragongo volcano. However, visitors on a Congo safari can also spot the endangered but elusive okapi – a cross between a giraffe and a zebra. Visitors can choose to marvel at the forests, valleys, plains, savanna and swamps or spot Lions, hippopotamus and over 400 bird species. After mountain gorilla trekking in the Virunga National Park, visitors on a Congo safari can pay a visit to the world’s only mountain gorilla orphanage – the Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage near the Mikeno Lodge.

GARAMBA NATIONAL PARK

Though less visited, this is one of Africa’s great national parks and a UNESCO World heritage site. Visitors on a tour of the park should expect stunning views of unending African savanna and grasslands. The park is home to giraffes, hippos, rhinoceros, antelope and several species of birds. Unfortunately, the stunning collection of large mammals found in the park is threatened by massive poaching. Caution should be taken while visiting the park on a safari as rebels and armed groups from neighboring countries have sometimes taken refuge in the deeper areas of the park.

Okapi Wildlife Reserve

Situated in the North-Eastern side of DRC is a wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Site created in 1992 to conserve the only population of the Endangered Okapi (only found in DRC). These giraffid artiodactyls mammal species look like Zebras but are actually the closest relative of the Giraffes. Besides these mammals that are well known in this Reserve, there are over 17 primate species, over 2000 Leopards, 4000 forest elephants, the Giant ground Pangolin, water chevrotain, African dwarf crocodiles and over 370 bird species. If you are interested in visiting a destination with few tourists, then make your next trip to DRC’s Okapi Wildlife Reserve and you will yearn to stay for more days.

Salonga National Park

At the heart of the Central basin of River Congo exists a UNESCO World Heritage Site (declared in 1984) that measures over 33,350 square kilometers making it DRC’s and Africa’s largest Tropical forest reserve/National Park and the world’s second largest Tropical Forest National park after Tumucumaque National Park in Brazil. This remarkable site was established in 1970 and is rich with biological diversity because it is a home to over 51 mammal species including several endemic endangered species.