Salonga National Park, D.R.C.

Inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1984, the Salonga National Park encompasses the largest tract of protected tropical rain forest in the world (approximately 14,000 mi² or 36,000 km²). As one of the most remote regions in Central Africa, it also supports a diversity of forest habitats and many endangered species of animals. Due to its lack of road access, rivers serve as both transportation and communication networks in the region. Although the park was first established in 1970, until recently there has been little infrastructure set up for research and no official management plan for conservation. The park is divided into two sectors of approximately equal size.

Salonga National Park is remote & has high ecological integrity (Regional land-cover map adapted from Laporte et al. 1998)

Through mapping, we are working with various partners to support the conservation of the Salonga National Park. Our collaborators include the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), the University of Kinshasa (ERAIFT), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM).