A vast area of primary tropical forest dominated by two spectacular extinct volcanoes, Kahuzi and Biega, the park has a diverse and abundant fauna. One of the last groups of eastern lowland (graueri) gorillas (consisting of only some 250 individuals) lives at between 2,100 and 2,400 m above sea-level.
Straddling the Albertine Rift and the Congo Basin, Kahuzi Biega National Park is an exceptional habitat for the protection of the rainforest and the eastern lowland gorillas, Gorilla berengei graueri. Extending over 600,000 ha, are dense lowland rainforests as well as Afro-montane forests, with bamboo forests and some small areas of sub-alpine prairies and heather on Mounts Kahuzi (3,308 m) and Biega (2,790 m).
Kahuzi Biega National Park contains a flora and fauna of exceptional diversity, making it one of the most important sites in the Rift Albertine Valley, it is also one of the ecologically richest regions of Africa and worldwide. In particular, the most important world population of eastern lowland gorillas (or de Grauer), sub-species endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and listed under the endangered category on the IUCN Red Data Book, uses the mosaic of habitats found in the property.
The Kahuzi Biega National Park is the new destination of choice in central and eastern Africa, offering visitors the chance to admire the worlds’ largest species of primate, the Grauer’s gorillas, in a true sanctuary for biodiversity. Mounts Kahuzi and Biega, the two extinct volcanoes that have given their names to the national park, are symbols of the conservation of humid tropical mountain forests and of the species living there, including forest elephants and chimpanzees.
Visitors can choose to climb these summits to enjoy extraordinary views of the vast tracts of surrounding forest, mountains and Lake Kivu, or enjoy the network of trails taking in a stunning diversity of landscapes including tropical forests, bamboo forests, swamps and waterfalls. Spend a night camping in the park to soak up the sounds of the jungle and to truly immerse yourself in this natural paradise.
The park’s proximity to the picturesque city of Bukavu, located right on the border with Rwanda, enables visitors to pick and choose from a variety of hotels and restaurants, and to relax by the banks of Lake Kivu. The Park invites all visitors with a spirit of adventure to discover a region replete with natural, cultural and historic attractions and be welcomed by a people known for their warmth, vivacity and humour. Kahuzi Biega National Park was the world’s first park to offer gorilla trekking in the 1970s. Now it, along with the surrounding region, is transforming itself; come and be a part of the renaissance.
