Season 2, Episode 45 - Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo)doc

This episode of Global Treasures covers Virunga National Park, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Virunga is one of the most biologically diverse places in the world, serving as the home for mountain gorillas. Come learn about the history, travel tips and more.

Support our sponsors and affiliate links at no extra cost to you (though we may earn a small commission):

SIM options: Airalo: https://airalo.tpk.mx/W0A5aWFu

https://drimsim.tpk.mx/hr1BvzVH 

Apple AirTags for Tracking Luggage: https://amzn.to/4exZTqe 

Barvita (Code ABIGAILVACCA gets you 15% off your first order): https://barvita.co/?ref=ABIGAILVACCA

 

Connect with us on Social Media!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093258132336

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@globaltreasurespodcast?lang=en

Episode Transcript

Abigail (00:00):
Imagine a place that tells a story spanning centuries, where
culture and nature intertwine tocreate something truly extraordinary.
That's the beauty of UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.
I'm Abigail, and this is GlobalTreasures, the podcast that covers

(00:21):
the history, travel, tips, andlegends surrounding one of the 1,223
World Heritage sites each episode.
These places have been identifiedas having universal, cultural or
natural significance that is soexceptional that it transcends national

(00:41):
boundaries and is of importanceto present and future generations.
Welcome to the finale of seasontwo, where we explored the 45 sites
that UNESCO added in 1979 together.
Thank you for listening to the podcast.
We appreciate all of your supportand you can continue to support us by

(01:05):
subscribing at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,podbean and other major platforms.
You can also follow uson TikTok and Facebook.
If you like what you hear, please sharethis podcast with friends and family.
Word of mouth is how wereach the most people.

(01:25):
Virunga National Park is located in theAlbertine Rift Valley of the Eastern
part of the Democratic Republic of theCongo, also known as DRC for short.
Recognized as Africa's first NationalPark, it's one of the most ecologically
diverse areas on the planet, stretchingapproximately 186 square miles.

(01:51):
It encompasses vast landscapes thatspan in elevation from the Semliki River
Valley at 2,230 feet to the snow cappedRwenzori Mountain range with Mount Stanley
standing at an astounding 16,762 feet.

(02:12):
This makes it the third highestmountain in Africa, just behind
Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya.
This park, situated along the bordersof Uganda and Rwanda is a biologically
rich ecosystem housing rainforests,wetlands, lava plains and Alpine regions.

(02:36):
Virunga is known for its incredibleprofusion of wildlife, flora, fauna,
and a rich cultural heritage from thevarious ethnic groups that reside in
the areas surrounding the park, suchas the Hutu, Tutsi and Kumu peoples.
Virunga also features two activevolcanoes; Mount Nyiragongo

(03:01):
and Mount Nyamuragira.
These volcanoes have periodiceruptions that have dramatically
reshaped the landscape and also play asignificant role in enriching the soil.
The park is home to more than 2000documented species of flora and fauna.
In regards to the animal life, thepark includes 196 types of mammals,

(03:27):
706 bird species, 109 reptilesand 65 varieties of amphibians.
Primates include the endangeredmountain gorilla, chimpanzees,
golden and red-tailed monkeys,wart hogs, hippos, and okapi.
The mountain gorilla is worthan extra mention as they're

(03:51):
rare and incredibly intelligent.
When you look at them,their eyes speak volumes.
However, it's actually a park rule thatvisitors must stay at least 22 feet away.
This is to keep the gorillas safe becausethey have immune systems that haven't
evolved to cope with human diseases.

(04:13):
You can also see the occasionalNile crocodile near Lake
Edwards or African elephants.
Here's a fun fact.
The spread and transport of seedsfrom which the various plant life
grows is often through the dung ofanimals such as African elephants.

(04:33):
The area of the park nestled next toQueen Elizabeth National Park forms a
lion conservation unit meant to helpprotect the animals and prevent poaching.
If you're a bird watcher, you'llhave a field day in this park.
Amongst the hundreds of birds,the Regal Sunbird is absolutely

(04:55):
stunning and a true standout withits iridescent green, yellow, and
red colors that reflect in the sun.
Virunga also includes TchegeraIsland, a volcanic Caldera
near the shores of Lake Kivu.
Let's take a step back anddive into the parks origins.

(05:17):
They can be traced back to the 1920swhen European conservationists champion
the creation of a protected area in whatwas then the Northeastern Belgian Congo.
In April of 1925, Albert NationalPark was founded, originally
covering just 193 miles.

(05:40):
This reserve was meant to encouragethe preservation and study of wildlife,
flora and fauna, as well as the Pygmycommunities which were once regarded
through a colonial lens as inferior.
In 1929, the park was expandedto include the Virunga mountains,

(06:01):
the Rutshuru territory, and thesouthern plains of Lake Edward.
This expansion negatively impactedcommunities as many indigenous peoples
were removed from their ancestral lands.
To manage the protected lands, Belgiumfunded scientific missions to conduct

(06:21):
zoological, ethnographic, and geologicalresearch within the park, which greatly
enhanced European understanding of howrich the Congo's biodiversity truly is.
In 1969, Albert National Park andother protected areas were unified
and renamed Virunga National Park.

(06:45):
Virunga received further recognition in1996 when it was designated as a Ramsar
wetland of international importance due toits importance for global water ecology.
But its conservation effortshave faced obstacles because
of political instability.

(07:06):
After the Rwandan genocide in 1994,it's estimated that around 850,000
refugees fled to the parks borders,and entered the park in search of
firewood, which caused deforestationthat stemmed from desperation.
The first and second CongoWars caused the area to further

(07:29):
destabilize leading to poaching andviolence against park employees.
Despite being nominated as a WorldHeritage Site all the way back in 1979, it
has also been listed as a World HeritageSite in danger since 1994 due to regional
conflict and increased human invasion,which has threatened its character.

(07:53):
From 1996 to 2003, 80 park rangerswere killed and an assassination
attempt was made against one of thechief wardens of the park in 2014.
Armed groups used the park as a strategicstronghold, and unfortunately, occasional

(08:13):
violence and instability persists,making Virunga one of the most dangerous
conservation zones on the planet.
In 2005, the European Commissionsuggested a public-private management
model and since 2010, the BritishNGO African Conservation Fund

(08:34):
has been in charge of management.
Efforts taken to protect Virunga includesparamilitary training for park rangers
and park operations developing a workingrelationship with national security.
This strategy has helped preventpoaching, but indigenous peoples
state they've been banned fromtheir ancestral lands as a result.

(08:58):
Simultaneously, the exploitationof natural resources such as oil
has remained a point of contention.
In 2011, the British Oil Company,SoCo International, was awarded
permission to explore for crudeoil within the parks boundaries.
This was vehemently objected to byconservationists and the public alike.

(09:23):
Outcry eventually led the companyto stop operations and agree not to
work within the boundaries of UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites moving forward.
Despite the friction, attempts to growsustainable tourism have continued.
In 2015, the Congolese Ministry ofTourism initiated plans to develop

(09:46):
Tchegera Island into a tourist destinationand improve the quality of the roads.
By 2016, 4 hydroelectric dams hadbeen built, which served to provide
electricity to over 200,000 people.
Unfortunately, armed conflict andviolence continues between 2017

(10:09):
and 2018, 11 Rangers were killed.
In one case, the Ranger wastrying to protect two tourists
who had been kidnapped.
These deaths resulted intemporarily closing, from
June 2018 to February of 2019.
There were further fatalities in Aprilof 2020 and January 2021, when 18 rangers

(10:36):
collectively died during ambushes.
February 22nd of 2021 brought one ofthe park's darkest days when Italy's
ambassador to the DRC, his securityguard and their driver were killed
after being kidnapped by militiaand taken to Virunga National Park.

(10:57):
Thankfully, Rangers were able torescue four other people, but the
deaths further emphasized the ongoingdanger to both locals and visitors.
If you want to continue to learnmore, there's a documentary
named Virunga that focuses on thehard work of the Park Rangers.
It was actually nominated for theOscar for best documentary feature.

(11:22):
So this is usually the part whereI transition to discussing how
to visit the site, includinglogistics and other travel tips.
However, at the time of recording,Virunga National Park is either closed
to tourists or offers very limited accesssince the violence I mentioned in 2021.

(11:44):
If the park reopens to fullcapacity, we'll be sure to share
on various social media pages.
However, I do wanna touch on some ofthe basics for visiting the DRC and
the park, assuming the process doesn'tchange upon reopening for treks and more.
Historically visitors can'tvisit Virunga independently.

(12:06):
You would usually book a tour onlinethrough Virunga directly, or a
trusted tour operator that goes toDemocratic Republic of the Congo.
You would fly into Goma InternationalAirport and take a private
transport, again, usually arrangedby the tour to get to the park.

(12:26):
Having a tour also ensures it'll beconducted in your native language
as Swahili and French are the mainlanguages spoken throughout the country.
If you're going to DRC, I recommendenrolling into the STEP program or
whatever similar program is offered fortravelers in countries outside of the US.

(12:48):
The Congolese Franc is the currency,but US dollar bills may be accepted.
However, within the park limits, therearen't ATMs, so having the local currency
is to your benefit either way, I wouldsuggest getting a Congolese SIM card
as well, because while you may be ableto get service throughout the country,

(13:11):
roaming charges could be extensive.
In order to enter the country, allinternational visitors need a visa and
must have a vaccine card showing they'vereceived the yellow fever vaccination.
I highly suggest keeping aphotocopy of your passport on
you at all times just in case.

(13:32):
I also suggest a device to help youlocate your luggage in case it gets
lost, such as an apple air tag, and takephotos of what you pack in your luggage
in case it's lost and never found.
So you can get at least partiallyreimbursed by the airline
in terms of what to pack.
Let's talk weather March to May andSeptember to November are the rainy

(13:56):
seasons, the lower altitudes range betweenthe seventies and 80 degrees in Fahrenheit
during the hottest part of the year.
You may want to bring mosquitorepellent and ask your medical provider
about bringing medicine to treatmalaria just to be on the safe side.
Also, you may want to arrange formedical evaluation insurance as well.

(14:22):
I think I should talk about thismore often because many don't
even realize that this existsand it can truly be a lifesaver.
There will be a host of linksin the show notes to help make
your trip planning a bit easier.
Finally, I want to wrap upby talking about one of the
richest parts of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo's heritage.

(14:45):
The food.
Muamba Nsusu is a truly deliciousCongolese stew with chicken,
peanut butter and tomato in thebase, along with a ton of spices.
It's usually topped with crushed peanuts.
It's the national dish and it's onlyfitting that such a unique country

(15:08):
be represented by cuisine that hasevery flavor profile reflected.
So despite all of thedifficulties, Virunga's
importance cannot be understated.
It's a sanctuary for remarkablebiodiversity and it plays an essential
role in protecting endangeredspecies like the mountain gorilla.

(15:31):
Today, Virunga National Park remainsan enigma, the heart of natural
beauty and ecological significance.
Yet, it's one that has been afflictedby strife, misuse, and loss.
It has become a destinationfrequently referenced in international

(15:52):
discussions regarding the ethicsand challenges of preservation in
areas of persistent insecurity.
However, let yourtakeaways be positive ones.
Despite all of the difficulties faced,Virunga National Park will forever serve
as a symbol of resilience and the enduringfaith that harmony can coexist between

(16:17):
the humans and wildlife that inhabitthis breathtaking land that they share.
Join us for our next episode andthe very first for season three.
Until then, keep exploring, keepwondering, and keep treasuring

(16:38):
the remarkable diversityof our world's heritage.