Wildlife Monitoring | Conservation | Virunga National Park

The Monitoring of Virunga National Park

An immense effort is required to monitor Virunga National Park – an area spanning 3,000 square miles. Over 770 Rangers assist with these efforts through land patrols, air surveillance and the use of new technology, collecting essential data on the Park.

Objectives and Methods

The monitoring team analyse collected data in order to determine the impact of the Park and its projects, and to fulfill a number of key objectives. These objectives contribute towards the long-term goal of ensuring the Park’s survival and are key in overall strategic decision making.

Key Objectives

Monitor biodiversity and keystone species
Detect habitat changes and prevent deforestation
Tackle illicit resource trafficking
Avert human encroachment
Assess impact of the Park’s projects and Ranger deployment

Methods

Patrols

Ranger patrols also help maintain security within the Park by detecting and deterring the activity of armed militia groups. Without the protection Rangers provide, sustainable development, conservation and tourism within the Park would not be possible.

In 2021, Rangers conducted over 7,925 foot patrols, covering several tens of thousands of kilometers. Patrols were also carried out to a lesser extent using vehicles such as motorbikes and all terrain vehicles

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Patrols

Rangers carry out daily species monitoring patrols to assess the health and dispersal of gorillas, chimpanzees and other large mammals such as elephants, lions and hippos residing in the Park. Each patrol has around 8 Rangers.

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Camera Traps

Strategically placed camera traps are also known to dramatically improve monitoring results, increasing the percentage of identifiable populations. This makes the technology invaluable for the type of broad-spectrum biodiversity surveys that help define Virunga’s ecological value and underpin conservation efforts.

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Camera Traps

By the end of 2022, the monitoring team will have completed the installation of 65 camera traps within the Park. The camera trap is an evermore important tool for wildlife monitoring purposes. It allows for observation without the presence of humans, who too often disturb animals before there is a chance to detect them. This is especially important in detecting elusive species such as okapi, african bush elephants and nocturnal animals.

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Aerial Surveillance

Also in 2021 a project using unmanned aircraft was launched. In conjunction with the Bat Hawk’s, drone technology is now assisting monitoring efforts, helping Rangers to observe wildlife and detect illegal activities.

As well as by aircraft, habitat encroachment is monitored from above using a suite of improved satellite technology tools. The monitoring team is now able to access images with an accuracy of 3 m, a huge improvement on the previous 10 m resolution capability. This improvement allows for more accurate observation of changes within the Park.

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Aerial Surveillance

Increasingly, surveillance in Virunga National Park is being carried out through the use of aircraft. Having invested in three African-built Bat Hawks, the Park enrolled 5 local Rangers in an intensive training programme in 2021. Thanks to Virunga being the only place in the DRC with an aerial training school, the Rangers were able to complete part of their training locally. They are now qualified pilots and collect aerial observations and data essential to the monitoring team.

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Photo credit: Virunga National Park

Thanks to camera traps, monitoring teams were able to establish that apparent sightings of leopards in Mount Rwenzori were actually of golden African cats. Photographic traps also discovered the presence of okapi in the Park.

Jean de Dieu Ecological Monitoring Officer

Challenges

Inevitably, the monitoring team must contend with specific challenges depending on stability within the Park. One of the biggest and longest standing causes of instability is conflict which influences the Park’s day-to-day running and the work of the monitoring team.

Armed rebels have been present in the Park since 1994 following the rebellion in the DRC. They began camouflaging their encampments to avoid detection, meanwhile subsisting on the Park’s delicate resources, forced labor and extortion of the local populus. It is estimated that there 4,000 armed militia present in the Park, posing a constant risk to Rangers.

Despite their numbers, the militias clandestine behavior makes it difficult to track their movements and the illegal activities they engage in.

Through the tracking of militia movements and activities by Ranger patrols and air surveillance, the monitoring team can better understand the external factors which impact the Park’s resources.

Observations

Animal Species

These animals are not only vital for the health of ecosystems but are keystones for public engagement, helping to mobilize support for the preservation of the Park and promoting the protection of overall biodiversity.

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Animal Species

As well as identifying the presence of elusive species such as okapi and golden African cats, the monitoring team tracks the abundance, health and movements of mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, hippopotamus, buffalo, lions, cheetahs and warthogs, amongst other species.

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Monitoring Habitat Dynamics

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Monitoring Habitat Dynamics

The Park’s habitats are in constant flux, even without the impact of humans, making it extremely important to monitor their dynamics. Recent changes that present challenges include heavy deforestation in the southern and central sectors, illegal agriculture and trafficking of makala, exploitation of pastures and installation of villages in the Masisi region. The monitoring team formulates ongoing strategies to tackle these problems, working closely with the Virunga Alliance.

Positive Changes in the Park

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Positive Changes in the Park

A key aerial observation made by the monitoring team was the migration of 300 elephants into the Park from neighboring Uganda in 2019. This development simultaneously helped regenerate the overgrown savvanah into productive grassland and gained the Park recognition from donors. There are also extensive reforestation efforts taking place in and around the Park, implemented with the buy-in and assistance of local communities.

Encroachment

In 2021, encroachment was limited to around 14% of the Park’s total area.

Photo credit: Brent Stirton
Reforestation Projects

Extensive reforestation initiatives are being implemented with the buy-in and assistance of local people.

Photo credit: Brent Stirton
Mountain Gorilla Monitoring

Daily wild mountain gorilla monitoring has been ongoing since 1994. A total of 229 gorillas are currently habituated across ten families.

Photo credit: Bobby Neptune
IUCN reclassification

The proliferation of wild mountain gorillas in the Virungas has resulted in their reclassification from critically endangered to endangered by the IUCN.

Photo credit: Kristof Eyckmans
Okapi Confirmation

Okapi have been detected in the Park after decades of being considered locally extinct.

Photo credit: Brent Stirton
Return of Elephants

A key aerial observation made by the monitoring team was the migration of 300 elephants into the Park from neighboring Uganda in 2019.

Photo credit: Brent Stirton
Hippo Monitoring

A ground and aerial census organized by the monitoring team in August 2021 recorded 1,280 hippopotamus, assisting efforts in their conservation.

Photo credit: Adam Keifer