The Kahuzi Biega National Park (KBNP) is located in South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It was established in 1970 primarily to conserve the Eastern Lowland Gorilla (also known as Grauer’s gorilla). An IUCN Category II National Park, KBNP is considered the most important single site for the species. It remains the only place in the world where visitors can see these gorillas in the wild.
Originally 600 km2, the park size was increased to 6,000km2 in 1975. The name Kahuzi Biega comes from the two spectacular extinct volcanoes which dominate its high altitude sector, Mont Kahuzi (3,308m) and Mont Biega (2,790m).
This blog documents the efforts being made to rebuild a park that in the 1970s and 80s received thousands of visitors every year. In addition to conservation, planned initiatives include product development and diversification, both within the park and in its neighbouring communities, training of park staff, habituation of new gorilla families and eventually of chimpanzees, a new pricing strategy, and coordination of private sector activities in order to facilitate all visits to the region.
Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) 