Okapi Wildlife Reserve
Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a unique natural park of national importance, located in Congo near the border with Uganda and Sudan. The reserve covers an area of almost 14 thousand square kilometers stretching along the Ituri River. This is about 20% of the total forest wealth of the Congo’s right tributary basin.
Video: Okapi Reserve
History of Okapi Preserve
The reserve was established in 1950 to conserve the okapi population and other endangered fauna of the region. The Okapi Reserve was granted the status of a valuable natural site by the UNESCO commission in 1992. Over the past 20 years, the territory has been in serious danger several times. For example, in 1997 the animals were on the verge of total extermination due to commercial poaching and slash-and-burn farming practiced by local residents. Much damage was done in 2005 as a result of large-scale military operations, during which some of the reserve’s scientific staff were evacuated.
.Features of the national park
The Okapi Reserve is home to rare and endangered flora and fauna. These include the forest elephant, about 13 species of monkeys. The main attraction of the park are Okapi giraffes. These are little-studied animals whose height is not much more than 1.2 meters. They are distinguished by their short chocolate-colored fur and stripes on their hind limbs. The reserve is also the ancestral home of Mbuti hunters and nomadic tribes of the Efe people.
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Tourists
To visit the Democratic Republic of Congo, in particular the Okapi Reserve, you must obtain a visa. Malaria and yellow fever vaccinations should be obtained before departure. It is necessary to contact the reserve administration in advance to obtain a permit, which is mandatory for legal stay in the reserve. The best time to travel is between June and August, when there is minimal rainfall.
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