Upemba National Park

Haut-Lomami & Lualaba Provinces, DR Congo

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Upemba National Park, located across the Haut-Lomami and Lualaba Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is one of Africa’s oldest national parks, established in 1939. Covering a vast area of savannas, wetlands, forests, plateaus, rivers, and more than 80 interconnected lakes, it protects some of the most diverse ecosystems in central Africa. The park is centered around the remarkable Upemba Depression, a landscape of marshes, floodplains, and lakes that supports a rich variety of plant and animal life. Upemba National Park is known for its biodiversity, including savanna elephants, zebras, buffaloes, hippos, antelopes, crocodiles, and hundreds of bird species. Although decades of conflict and poaching reduced many wildlife populations, ongoing conservation efforts are helping to restore the park’s ecosystems and wildlife. Today, it remains one of the most important protected areas in the Congo Basin and a significant refuge for rare and endangered species.