The Garamba National Park in Congo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The last of the wild northern white rhinos are in the site.
Location
The park is situated close to the Sudanese border. It is at the northeast section of the country. The total area measures 4,920 km2.
What to See
The park is known for its rich and diverse landscape. There are woodlands, grasslands and savannahs all around. Aside from these, there are forests situated by the banks of the rivers. Its swampy depressions are known for the presence of the white rhinoceros, the hippopotamus, giraffe and elephant.
The formations have been classified into different types. There is marshland, forest clumps and gallery forests. The savannahs are diverse, ranging from treeless grassland to thick woodland.
The thick woodland, papyrus marshes and gallery forests are located on the north. At the center are the bush and open tree savannahs. There are plenty of valley grasslands and rivers in the site.
There are numerous types of animals in the park. There are more than half a dozen antelope species, a bush pig and warthog. The park is also home to the big cats like the lion, leopard and the golden cat.
There are five types of mongoose in the park. Other animals you will see are otter, monkeys, vervet, colobus, olive baboon, chimpanzee, buffalo and waterbuck.
History
The Garamba National Park was declared a national park in 1938. It is one of the oldest in Africa. Due to poaching, the population of the northern white rhinoceros have been threatened.
This prompted the addition of the park to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in danger in 1996. Besides the rhino, the park has become well known for its African elephant domestication program. Through this program, the elephants managed to be tamed.
Cost
Bus fares depend on the distance, but they rarely go over 5 USD. If you are cruising or plan to ride on VIP ferries, expect to pay around 15 to 25 USD.
Other Info
The biggest rivers are Garamba and Aka and Dungu. There is also a large plateau, separated by marshland depressions and inselbergs. This is situated by the watershed between the rivers Zaire and Nile.
The Garamba National Park landscape also fascinates scientists due to its diversity. Research has also shown there are more than 1,000 vascular plant species. Five percent of the species are endemic.
