The Democratic Republic of Congo is known to be one of the richest countries in Africa in terms of biodiversity. It is in this spirit of wildlife protection that the Garamba wildlife sanctuary, in the province of Haut-Uélé, has created infrastructures for wildlife tourism. This initiative allows visitors to peacefully encounter “wild” animals in their natural environment.
Since 1960, the population of white rhinos in Garamba had suffered a catastrophic drop from about 1,000 specimens to about 13 individuals in 1984. But in 2023, Garamba received from South Africa about ten white rhinos in the as part of a population restoration project.
The project, which was announced in 2022, is an initiative for the protection, promotion of biodiversity and conservation of wildlife advocated by the Kibali Gold Mine, a subsidiary of Barrick Gold, a Canadian company operating and developing mining sites, operating in the DRC in the territories of Watsa and Faradje. This company also funds the fitting of GPS collars on elephants and lions, satellite connection and veterinary care.
The reintroduction of these endangered animals to their new habitat was successfully carried out by animal experts this Friday, June 9, 2023. The white rhinos will be followed by others over the next three years. According to Mark Bristow, president and CEO of Barrick Gold Corporation, the goal is to create a new population group for this species to contribute to its long-term survival, while enhancing the attractiveness of the park.
The governor of Haut-Uélé, Christophe Nangaa, sees this initiative as an opportunity for tourism in his province, but he recalls that it must go hand in hand with the development of infrastructure. Garamba National Park, located near the border with South Sudan, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Covering around 5000 km2, it is considered to be one of the oldest national parks in Africa hosting other large mammals like elephant, northern giraffe, hippopotamus, buffalo and okapi.
The creation of infrastructures for visionary animal tourism in the province of Haut-Uélé will thus make it possible to strengthen the attractiveness of the park, while contributing to the conservation of biodiversity.