Why is Virunga National Park in the DRC is considered an extreme environment?

Virunga National Park is unique with its active chain of volcanoes and rich diversity of habitats that surpass those of any other African park. The wide diversity of habitats produces exceptional biodiversity, notably endemic species and rare and globally threatened species such as the mountain gorilla.

What kind of gorillas are in the Congo?

About the Democratic Republic of the Congo Home to two types of gorillas: Mountain gorillas in the Virunga area, and Grauer’s gorillas in areas further west.

Why is Virunga important?

Because of its extraordinary landscapes and high level of biodiversity, Virunga National Park was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1979. The areas of Virunga National Park allocated as oil concessions cover around 85 per cent of its land, and the habitats of endangered chimpanzees, hippos, and forest elephants.

What was recently discovered underneath the Virunga National Park in the Congo?

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Virunga National Park have announced the birth of two mountain gorillas, a development further boosting the endangered species’ baby boom under way in the country.

How many mountain gorillas are in Virunga National Park?

Virunga National Park is home to around a third of those gorillas, which reside in the dense forests on the lush slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. The world population of mountain gorillas is currently estimated to be at around 1000 individuals.

How many gorillas are there in Virunga National Park?

Despite years of civil unrest in the region where mountain gorillas live, conservation efforts have found success. Findings show populations in the Virunga Massif have grown to 604 individuals, up from 480 individuals in 2010. This puts the total global wild gorilla population over 1,000 individuals.

How many gorillas are in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) estimates that more than 350 gorillas live in the protected areas of Virunga, Kahuzi-Biega and Maiko in the eastern DRC.

Why is WSB adopting gorillas?

Around 3,500 gorillas have been adopted by Reddit’s WallStreetBets (WSB) community in six days. The idea was that if enough Reddit users bought GameStop shares, they could drive up the price, hurting hedge funds which had bet against the company. Now the community has decided to help apes.

What animals live in Virunga Mountains?

The park is home to abundant wildlife, including elephants, whose numbers began decreasing in the late 20th century, and lions, which also face various threats. Hippopotamuses, rare mountain gorillas, okapis, antelope, warthogs, and pelicans all live in Virunga as well.

How many gorillas are killed each year?

Great Apes in Crisis: Thousands Poached and Stolen from the Wild Annually. Nearly 3,000 chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and orangutans are illegally killed or stolen from the wild each year, according to a new report from the United Nations Environmental Programme’s (UNEP) Great Apes Survival Partnership (GASP).

How many gorillas are in the World 2021?

A study led by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and published in May 2021 estimated the population of Grauer’s gorillas to be 6,800. This nearly doubles previous estimates, from 2016, of just 3,800 individuals.

What ape species lives in Virunga National Park?

Created in 1925, Virunga National Park is Africa’s oldest national park and the only protected area on Earth that is home to three taxa of great ape: Eastern Chimpanzees, Eastern Lowland Gorillas and — Virunga’s most famous residents — about one-third of all remaining Mountain Gorillas.

What is the Virunga National Park?

Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Back Arrow Created with Sketch. Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

How many mountain gorillas are there in the world?

Rangers Project We are so delighted to share the news that the mountain gorilla population has surpassed 1000! A total of 68 widows and 190 children of fallen Rangers, are now, thanks to the Fallen Rangers Fund, being offered financial support, education, and meaningful employment.

What is the Virunga Alliance?

To tackle this social justice issue, with the support of the EU, Virunga National Park founded the Virunga Alliance — an initiative to foster a locally-led green economy through ecotourism, sustainable agriculture and energy, which could be worth more than $1 Billion annually.

Why should we protect Virunga?

The fertile lands in and around Virunga are prime for agricultural exploitation. By preserving them for conservation and the essential ecosystem services they provide, we are asking many of the world’s poorest to make some of the greatest sacrifices.