Congo (Democratic Republic)

Okapi Wildlife Reserve

WHS Score 0.0 Votes 0

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve protects a rainforest that is home to about 5,000 of the estimated 30,000 okapi (forest giraffes) surviving in the wild.

The reserve lies in the Congo Basin and covers part of the Ituri rainforest. It has numerous species that are absent from surrounding areas. This includes endemic and threatened species of primates and birds, such as large numbers of chimpanzees and forest elephants.

Community Perspective: this site has been unreviewed so far.

>

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Okapi Wildlife Reserve (ID: 718)
Country
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Status
Inscribed 1996 Site history
History of Okapi Wildlife Reserve
WHS Type
Natural
Criteria
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • Dec. 11, 2024 apnews.com — Chinese gold mining threatens a protected UN heritage site in Congo
  • June 3, 2021 news.mongabay.com — Deforestation intensifies in northern DRC protected areas
  • July 16, 2017 reuters.com — Gunmen attack Congo wildlife reserve, U.S. journalist, three guards missing
  • Nov. 20, 2015 whc.unesco.org — UNESCO Director-General condemns the murder of a guard at Okapi Wildlife Reserve
  • Dec. 1, 2013 — Elusive okapi classified as 'Endangered'
  • March 4, 2013 wildlifenews.co.uk — Okapi WHS loses 37% of elephants in 5 years
  • June 26, 2012 okapiconservation.org — Guards killed at Okapi Wildlife Reserve on 24 June

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Wildlife habitat: Fauna
Travel Information
One thousand visitors or fewer
One thousand visitors or fewer
DD : “The Reserve has a small guest house which …
Recent Connections
View all (22) .
Connections of Okapi Wildlife Reserve
Geography
Trivia
Ecology
  • Over 100 mammal species
    The Reserve contains 101 mammal species (Crit X OUV)
  • Elephants
    African elephant (forest elephant)
  • Inselbergs
    "The inselbergs of the region are a unique habitat which harbor an endemic flora"

    See (www.unep-wcmc.org

  • Bovines
    Forest buffalo
  • Swamps and Marshes
    "combined with swamp forests that grow alongside the waterways" (OUV)
  • High-Biodiversity Wilderness Area
    Congo Basin
  • Rainforests
  • Refugium
    "As a Pleistocene refugium, the forest contains dense evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, dominated by Mbau trees (Gilbertiodendron dewevrei). The Nepoko, Ituri, and Epulu rivers flow through the reserve, surrounded by swamp forests. The granite outcrops in the north of the reserve protect critical habitat for Encephalartos ituriensis, a threatened species of cycad. Because of its relatively stable climate during the repeated ice ages, the wildlife reserve, and the Ituri Forest as a whole, protects a unique biological community." (Wiki)
  • Chimpanzee habitat
  • Strepsirrhini
    dwarf bushbaby, potto
Damaged
  • Poaching
    Forest elephants are under intense pressure from ivory poachers. Many players are involved including uncontrolled elements of the Congolese army (FARDC) and armed militia. Hunting for the commercial bushmeat trade is also intense, and has increased significantly since the rehabilitation of the national road RN4 was completed in 2008
World Heritage Process
  • Inscribed on a single criterion only
    x. to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
Human Activity
  • Pygmy Peoples
    Some 4000 people live inside the reserve, mostly Mbuti pygmies." and " although not a factor in the criteria for natural sites, the OFR is of special interest for its cultural values as it is inhabited by traditional nomadic pygmy Mbuti and Efe hunters" (AB).

    See www.msnbc.msn.com

  • Natural sites with indigenous human population
    "The reserve is inhabited by traditional nomadic pygmy Mbuti and Efe hunters"
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Pliocene
    "The end of the Pliocene epoch (2.5-6 million years ago) saw a number of long necked giraffids evolve, but largely unsuccessfully with only 2 surving to this day"

    See www.giraffeconservation.org

Visiting conditions
WHS Names
  • Protection of a single named species
    Okapi: "Okapi Wildlife Reserve contains flora of outstanding diversity and provides refuge to numerous endemic and threatened species, including one-sixth of the existing Okapi population." (OUV)
News
apnews.com 12/11/2024
Chinese gold mining threatens a pr…
news.mongabay.com 06/03/2021
Deforestation intensifies in north…
reuters.com 07/16/2017
Gunmen attack Congo wildlife reser…
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.

Community Reviews

No reviews yet. If you have visited, write one!