Top Wildlife Attractions and Activities In Garamba National Park, DR Congo Safaris and Tours
Garamba, one of Africa’s oldest National Parks and a World Heritage Site, is the last stronghold for the largest population of elephants and the last remaining Kordofan giraffe in the DR Congo. The park's immense savannahs, grasslands, and woodlands, interspersed with gallery forests along the river banks and the swampy depressions, are home to four large mammals: the elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, and above all the white rhinoceros. Though much larger than the black rhino, it is harmless; only some 30 individuals remain. It’s rare to see so many different classifications of large mammals sharing the same space and that visits the park is an absolute must.
Garamba National Park also known in French as Parc National de la Garamba is a national located in the north-eastern DR Congo. Garamba National Park was established in 1938 and covers nearly 5,200 km2 (2,000 sq mi). It is among Africa's oldest parks and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980 for its protection of critical habitat for northern white rhinoceroses, African elephants, hippopotamuses, and giraffes. Garamba National Park has been managed by African Parks in partnership with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature since 2005.
Garamba National Park is located in the transition zone between the dense tropical forests of the Congo Basin and the Guinea-Sudano savannas. It contains the last worldwide population of the northern white rhinoceros, an endemic sub-species of Congolese giraffe, and a mixed population of elephants, combining forest elephants, bush elephants, and individuals demonstrating morphological characteristics common to the two elephant sub-species. It is also characterized by an exceptionally high level of biomass of great herbivores as a result of the vegetation productivity of the environment.
Wildlife in Garamba National Park:
Garamba is home to a variety of mammal species, including various species of antelope, as well as buffalo, elephants, hyenas, giant forest hogs, giraffes, hippopotamus, and lions. The park hosts the DR Congo's only remaining population of giraffes, the Kordofan subspecies, and one of the country's largest remaining populations of elephants. Garamba's elephants are considered a hybrid of the African savanna and African forest subspecies.
In addition, over 42 other mammal species, over 8,800 eastern chimpanzees were recently recorded for the area around the Ituri forest, Okapi, and Garamba reserves. There are also northern savanna giraffe Giraffa which occurs nowhere else in the DR Congo, and African wild buffalo. Lelwel hartebeest, kob, and roan antelope, olive baboon, western guereza monkey Colobus, green monkey, De Brazza’s monkey, and four other species of monkey, two species of otter, five species of mongoose, African golden cat, warthog, bushpig, waterbuck, and six other antelope species.
The Park is also a habitat for several birds with over 350 bird species, including the secretarybird recorded in the park, and these also include birds typical of the Sudan-Guinean savanna and Guinea-Congo forests such as raptors, eagles, vultures, white-backed vultures, egret and heron species, storks, bustards, plovers, doves, bee-eaters, kingfishers and sunbirds, and Grey crowned-crane among others.
Things to do in Garamba National Park:
Game drives:
These can be arranged in the park through the national park in search of wildlife and birdlife in the iconic national park.
Birding safaris:
The park is located right at the heart of the Congo basin attracting much of the African endemics into the area and the presence of Rivers is also a massive support to the wildlife and birdlife in the area.
Guided Nature walks:
Rangers can take you on guided walks to look for the abundant birdlife and some of the wildlife in the area
Community visits:
Clients can take guided walks to visit the nearby communities around the national park and interact with them on how they live their lives.
Access to Garamba National Park:
The park can be accessed by air or by road from Arua to Nagero, but tourists are highly recommended to always use air transport as it's convenient. Qwikflight offers flights from Kinshasa to Beni and to Dungu, which is not too far from Garamba. They also provide helicopter flights, for those looking to do aerial filming or who may wish to land even closer than an airstrip can provide.
Air Tropiques also offers regional and charter services within DR Congo.
You must find a domestic flight to Aru, at which point they will have to switch to a charter prop plane for a 50-minute ride to Nagero, the launch point for expeditions into the park. It’s theoretically possible to travel by land from Aru to Naguru. The territory is located at the northern edge of the province, on the border with Uganda to the east and South Sudan to the north), but you would have to be crazy to try, both due to the impassibility of the roads.
Garamba is also within driving distance of Juba, the capital of South Sudan. It is also possible to drive from Virunga to Garamba, but conditions are very rough, and the drive is estimated at over 10 hours.
Where to Stay:
There are several comfortable sleeping homes within and outside the park ranging from luxury, Mid-range, and Budget including; New Cosmos, Plaza Hotel, hotel Kisangani, La Trompette Hotel, and Flat Hotel Petit Zoo among many others.
Best time to visit Garamba:
The dry season from December to March is the best time to visit Garamba National Park as the shorter grass makes for optimum wildlife viewing. The longer wet season lasts from May to November.
Arrange and Book with Ultimate Wild Safaris for the Garamba National Park Safari tour in DR Congo.
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