Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The park, located in south-eastern DR Congo, comprises two parts. The original, eastern, part (213,000 ha) is situated on a plateau between 1,200 m to 1,700 m, characteristic of the Katanga region, on which the habitat consists of grassland and open woodland, with some gallery forest along the drainage lines. The slopes are covered in dense
Brachystegia woodland. The western limit is formed by cliffs of up to 400 m high which fall perpendicularly to the Lufira river valley. The waterfalls of the Lofoi river, a tributary of the Lufira in the north of the park, are said to be the highest in Africa, with a 342 m drop. The western section of the park, west and north-west of the Kiéngé road, encompasses a large swampy area.
See Box and Table 3 for key species. There is no recent information. There are old records of
Falco naumanni and
Crex crex. The site may be expected to contain a good selection of species of the Zambezian biome.
Grus carunculatus is frequent. In addition, one species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome is likely to occur (see Table 3).
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals of global conservation concern include Acinonyx jubatus (VU), Loxodonta africana (EN) and Tragelaphus derbianus (LR/nt).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The park was established in 1970 and is managed by ICCN. With the breakdown of surveillance in recent years, poaching and encroachment by farmers and pastoralists is occurring.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kundelungu National Park (Congo, The Democratic Republic of the). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kundelungu-national-park-iba-congo-the-democratic-republic-of-the on 23/12/2024.
