Upemba National Park

{{Short description|National park in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Upemba National Park<br />''Parc national d'Upemba'' | iucn_category = II | image = Upemba National Park.jpg | image_caption = | location = Haut-Lomami, Lualaba Province, Haut-Katanga Province; Democratic Republic of the Congo | nearest_city = | map = Democratic Republic of the Congo | relief = 1 | coordinates = {{coord|9|1|S|26|35|E|display=inline, title}} | area_km2 = 11,730 | established = 1939 | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature }}

'''Upemba National Park''' (French: ''Parc national d'Upemba'') is a large national park in Haut-Lomami, Lualaba Province & Haut-Katanga Province (formerly in Katanga Province) of the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire.

==Geography== At the time of the creation of Upemba National Park, on 15 May 1939, the park had a surface area of {{convert|17,730|km2|sqmi}}. It was the largest park in Africa. In July 1975, the limits were revised and today the integral park has an area of {{convert|10000|km2|sqmi}} with an annex of a further {{convert|3000|km2|sqmi}}.<ref>Upemba National Park is located between Latitude 9°5’ and 8°45’ South and Longitude 25°50’ and 27°10’ East</ref>

Its lower section is located in the Upemba Depression, a lush area of lakes and marshes including the eponymous Lake Upemba, and bordered by the Lualaba River. Its higher section is in the dryer Kibara Plateau mountains.

==History== Upemba National Park was first established in 1939. As with much of the wildlife of the region, in contemporary times the park continues to be threatened by the activities of poachers, pollution, and the activities of refugees and militia.<ref name=cia/>

There are also a handful of villages in the park. In recent years, the park has come under considerable attack from poachers and local militias. On 28 May 2004, for instance, the park headquarters in Lusinga came under attack by the Mai Mai militia. Several wardens and their families were killed, the headquarters were burned down, and the family of the chief warden was taken hostage.<ref name="cia">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/congo-democratic-republic-of-the/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109223451/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/congo-democratic-republic-of-the|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 January 2021|title=The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-09-17}}</ref>

The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), who had been involved with the park, decided that they did not want to be involved anymore. Robert Muir who was a program director with FZS created an NGO called ''Forgotten Parks''. This NGO signed a fifteen year deal in 2017 to partner with the government agency to Upemba.<ref name=forget/>

In January 2023, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo launched an operation against Mai Mai Kata Katanga rebels who were hiding in the Kundelungu and Upemba National Parks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.cd/encontinu/2023/01/05/haut-katanga-refugies-dans-les-parcs-kundelungu-et-upemba-larmee-pourchasse-les-mai-mai-bakata-katanga.html/125481/ |title=Haut-Katanga : Réfugiés dans les parcs Kundelungu et Upemba, l'armée pourchasse les maï-maï Bakata-Katanga |work=politico.cd |date=5 January 2023 |access-date=23 April 2023 |archive-date=23 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423122714/https://www.politico.cd/encontinu/2023/01/05/haut-katanga-refugies-dans-les-parcs-kundelungu-et-upemba-larmee-pourchasse-les-mai-mai-bakata-katanga.html/125481/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2024 they had their worst year, to date, when two rangers and two community trackers were killed. Christine Lain leads the partnership between ''Forgotten Parks'' and the government to run the park. She blames illegal groups who do not want the park's managers to get too friendly with the local community.<ref name=forget>{{Cite web |last=Gyuse |first=Terna |date=2026-02-06 |title=Partnering up to run a DRC reserve: Interview with Forgotten Parks' Christine Lain |url=https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/partnering-up-to-run-a-drc-reserve-interview-with-forgotten-parks-christine-lain/ |access-date=2026-03-22 |website=Conservation news |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2026 there was a raid on the rangers at Lusinga. About twelve of the 256 employed rangers were having a meeting on the morning of 3 March 2026 and they were surrounded by about 80 armed fighters. Seven people were killed. Foreigners were sparred as the fighters plundered the site as they searched for those on their kill list. The vet, Dr Ruth Osodu, was killed because the fighters thought she was from the same heritage as the President. She wasn't.<ref name=atak>{{Cite news |last=Livingstone |first=Emmet |date=2026-03-22 |title='She gave her life to protect the richness of Congo': inside the deadly assault on Upemba wildlife park |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/22/upemba-national-park-drc-militia-assault-rangers-killed-aoe |access-date=2026-03-22 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==Habitat==

The habitat of the park varies from Afromontane grasslands and forests at higher altitudes in the Kibara Mountains; through Miombo woodlands and tropical rainforests; to marshes, wetlands, lakes, and streams with riparian zones at the lower altitudes.<ref name="birdlife.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=6073|title=BirdLife Data Zone|website=www.birdlife.org|access-date=2017-09-17}}</ref> It is home to some 1,800 different species, some of them discovered as late as 2003.

Lake Upemba has a maximum depth reported to be only {{convert|3.2|m|ft}} and it is a site of intense algae growth. The watercourses of the region fluctuate according to the season and the water level in the lakes is high from March to June, and low from October to January. Many of the bodies of the water in the area are characterized by extensive swamps, with papyrus, Nile lettuce and water caltrop among other species.<ref name="feow.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.feow.org/ecoregion_details.php?eco=545 |title=Freshwater Ecoregions of the World |access-date=2010-11-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005204143/http://www.feow.org/ecoregion_details.php?eco=545 |archive-date=5 October 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Fauna=== thumb|An example of the local fauna The country's last herd of zebras roams the park as do the last elephants in the southern part of the DRC.<ref name=atak/>

The system of lakes, rivers, swamps and wetlands supports a variety of fish fauna. This includes over 30 species of Cyprinidae, Mormyridae (also known as freshwater elephant fish), ''Barbus'', Alestidae, Mochokidae and Cichlidae.<ref name="feow.org"/>

Bird species include several threatened or endangered species, such as the shoebill, wattled crane and spotted ground-thrush.<ref name="birdlife.org"/>

Schmidt's snouted frog is only known from the park.<ref>{{cite journal | author = IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group | title = ''Mertensophryne schmidti'' | journal = IUCN Red List of Threatened Species | volume= 2014 | page = e.T54754A18367164 | year = 2014 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T54754A18367164.en | doi-access = free }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Upemba National Park Category:Central Zambezian miombo woodlands Category:Haut-Lomami Category:Lualaba Province Category:Haut-Katanga Province Category:Miombo Category:Protected areas established in 1939 Category:1939 establishments in the Belgian Congo