When the wildlife Ranger challenge was concluded recently in Virunga National Park, news hit our desk that there was sighting of an African golden cat and was sighted using the trap of camera that was set high in the Mountain Rwenzori ranges. The African golden cat is endemic central and West African species. Their presence is being threatened by high deforestation and poaching practices in the region. The IUCN listed African golden as vulnerable species. African golden is closely related to several cat and caracal and it is a carnivorous animal.

 The African golden cat is now on the list of the many wildlife sighted in the Virunga National Park of Congo. These species include endangered mountain gorillas, lions, chimpanzees, okapis, hippos in the Lulimbi wildlife sector, forest and savannah elephants are also spotted in the park. You can see all these once you book yourself a Congo safari to Virunga.

The wildlife ranger challenge in Virunga was mainly conducted to raise funds for the rangers and also for the conservation of wildlife for the park.  A team from Emmanuel and Virunga National Park hiked to the summit of mountain Rwenzori. The main aim for the wildlife ranger challenge was to raise enough funds that will help to make sure that the operation of the poachers of setting up snares is stopped completely since it had affected the gorillas for a long time. Just in September 2020, a young gorilla was found in the steel cable snare struggling to live after being caught by the poacher’s snare.

The good thing vet doctors and rangers were able to get there in time and saved it and was set free. But poachers in Virunga National Park stay setting up traps for game meat thus need to keep clearing the snares in the park premises until the poachers stop this selfish and bad habit.  Financial reports from the Scheinburg Relief Fund and European Union (EU) have promised to top up 25% of dollar which will be received in alignment to the cause which is 25,000USD.

Rangers across Africa have united so as to raise the money that will contribute to the cause. In October 2020 few activities took place especially like the ran for wildlife activities but Emmanuel and Alexi hiked up to Mountain Rwenzori’s highest peak known as Margherita and this marked the end of wildlife ranger challenge. Margherita peak is set as the highest point for the Virunga wildlife ranger challenge and it is at an altitude of 5,109 meters and this makes it the highest mountain in Congo and Uganda. The hiking up to Mountain Rwenzori always begins from Virunga National Park which is in Congo and mountain Rwenzori is at the border of both DR Congo and Uganda.

Virunga national park is famously known for the huge number of bird species that when added together, they are bigger than the number of birds found in the United Kingdom and United States of America. Come visit the gorillas in Congo on your Congo Safari in the Virunga national Park.

We will be excited to host you as you are making your DR Congo safari tour and enjoying the beautiful bird species in the park with good melody sounds in the sky.