Kahuzi Biega National park

Kahuzi  Biega national park  is a home to the Lowland Gorillas found in Democratic Republic of Congo, the park is located near the town of Bukavu and the Rwandan Border next to Lake Kivu.

Kahuzi – Biega national park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s last remaining stronghold of the eastern lowland gorillas.

At the size of 6,000 square kilometers, Kahuzi – Biega national park is one of the largest national parks in Congo established in 1970 by Belgian Wildlife Conservationists and photographer Adrien Deschryver.

Kahuzi – Biega national park is managed by the Congolese Institute of Conservation of the Nature (ICCN) in collaboration with the Congolese government and with support from International Wildlife Conservation organization such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Kahuzi – Biega national park is a home to the rare Eastern lowland gorillas (Grauer’s gorillas) which has been declared endangered by the IUCN, the Grauer’s gorillas are the largest sub-species of the gorillas. By 2015, the estimated number of lowland gorillas in Congo were 3,800 individuals found in 2 national parks – Kahuzi Biega national park and Salonga National park found in Central Africa.

Kahuzi – Biega national park’s terrain features primary tropical forest and is dominated by two extinct volcanoes that is Kahuzi and Biega which the park gets its name and offer some of the spectacular hiking opportunities and provide panoramic views of the park.

WILDLIFE IN KAHUZI-BIEGA NATIONAL PARK

 The park hosts over 250 individuals offering an unforgettable gorilla trekking experience, other animals found in the park include bush buffalo, eastern needle-clawed Galago, Maclaud’s horseshoe bat, alexander’s bush squirrel and the mount kahuzi climbing mouse, the elusive forest elephant and a number of primates such as Bosman’s potto, red tailed monkey and Angolan Balck monkeys.

BIRDLIFE IN KAHUZI – BIEGE NATIONAL PARK

Kahuzi Biega national park is a home to over 342 bird species with 42 species that are considered to be endemic to the park, these birds include  ongo, peafowl, yellow crested helmet shike, hornbill, trogons, Ruwenzori Turacos, sunbirds, African broadbill, Rockefellers sunbirds, helmet-shike among others.

Top activities to do at Kahuzi – Biega national park

LowLand Gorilla trekking

Kahuzi- Biega national park is a home to the largest gorilla specie – the Eastern lowland gorillas and they are the top attraction in the park, the park has two eastern lowland gorillas families that have been habituated and open for trekking offering visitors a life time experience.

Note: These gorillas are the closest relatives of human being sharing 98.8% human genes making the susceptible to human sickness.

Lowland Gorilla trekking starts early in the morning with briefing at the park’s headquarters then hike into the tropical rainforests following different trails depending on where the family spend the previous. Trekking takes approximately 30 minutes to 6 hours in the jungle with one hour of interacting with gorillas, during your stay in the presence of the gorillas you will learn how gorillas play different roles in their respective families. The silverback are the leaders of the family and has a responsibility to protect the entire family, adult females nurse the babies and you will see the juveniles playing and entertaining the whole family.

Volcano Hiking

Volcano hiking is another adventurous activity to do in Kahuzi – Biega national park providing visitors with stunning views of the park and on clear days you can the two peaks of the volcanic peaks of Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega.

These two mountains are inactive and are situated within the heart of the park, Mount Kahuzi stands at an elevation of 3,308 meters above the sea level and Mount Biega at 2,790 meters, hiking on these volcanoes offers you magnificent views of the entire park, its wildlife and the neighboring communities and countries. The bamboo and the sub-alpine vegetation covering these volcanoes hosts owl faced monkeys and a variety of birds which you will be able to see.

Nature Walks in Kahuzi-Biega National Park

Nature walks in Kahuzi – Biega national park are done of different trails in running through the tropical forest, these trails lead to various sites such as the Chibati waterfalls and other three waterfalls found in the park. Nature walks are done in presence experienced guides providing you a chance to spot various types of wildlife and vegetation in the park, nature in the park is pristine and during the hike you hear the sweet sounds of the singing birds up the trees and feel the cool air which will freshen you mind.

Bird watching and Forest walks

 Kahuzi – Biega national park is a birder’s paradise hosting over 342 bird species including 42 species endemic species to the park which you will enjoy spotting during bird watching experience in the deep forests of the park.

Some of the birds you should lookout for during the bird watching in Kahuzi- Biega nationl include Congo, peafowl, yellow crested helmet shike, hornbill, trogons, Ruwenzori Turacos, sunbirds, African broadbill, Rockefellers sunbirds, helmet-shike among others.

Birds watching is best done in the morning and evening hours and the whole experience takes you on a hike through the rainforests using several trails.

How to get to Kahuzi- Biega national park

The best route to use to get to Kahuzi – Beiga national park is from Kigali to Congo using the border of Cyangungu and then to the Bukavi, most visitors of the park land at Kigali International Airport then head to Bukavu, travelers/ visitors from Burundi can use the Uvira Border and those arriving through Goma can use the Lake Kivu road.

Traveling to Kahuzi Biega national park from Uganda route, involves entering at the Cyanika border, spend a night in Musanze then head to Bukavu in the next day. The entrance to Kahuzi- Biega national park is Tshivanga.

Where to stay in Kahuzi- Biega national park

There are good accommodation options (hotels and lodges) for visitors of Kahuzi- Biega national park found in Bukavu Town, these hotels and lodges include

• L’Orchids Safari Club
• Coco Lodge Bukavu
• Hotel Begonias Bukavu
• Lake Side Hotel Bukavu
• Exodus Bukavu