The Itombwe Nature Reserve is a protected area in the Itombwe Mountains of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reserve covers 6,009.10 square kilometres (2,320.13 sq mi).[1] It is part of a Lion Conservation Unit.[2] The reserve is home to the critically endangered eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri).[3]
| Itombwe Nature Reserve | |
|---|---|
  Location of Itombwe Nature Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Location | South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Coordinates | 3°39′57″S 28°01′03″E / 3.66583°S 28.01750°E |
| Area | 6,009.1 km2 (2,320.1 sq mi) |
| Designation | Nature reserve |
| Designated | 2006 |
The national government declared the reserve in 2006, but its boundaries and the uses permitted within the park were not defined in the declaration. After consultations with local people, the boundaries and use zones within the park were formalized in June 2016. The park is divided into three zones: a conservation zone for wildlife with no human use; a multiple-use zone which allows limited human use and sustainable resource extraction; and a development zone which includes villages where sustainable development projects are encouraged.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area Profile for Itombwe from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed 19 March 2022. [1]
- ^ IUCN Cat Specialist Group (2006). Conservation Strategy for the Lion Panthera leo in Eastern and Southern Africa. Pretoria, South Africa: IUCN.
- ^ "New era for conservation and communities in Itombwe, DRC". World Wildlife Fund. Posted 29 June 2016. Accessed 22 June 2020. [2]
- ^ D. Kujirakwinja, et al (2019) "Establishing the Itombwe Natural Reserve: science, participatory consultations and zoning". Oryx, Volume 53, Issue 1 January 2019, pp. 49-57.
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