Wildlife of Congo
Wildlife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Wikipedia
The rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo contain great biodiversity, including many rare and endemic species, such as both species of chimpanzee: the common chimpanzee and the bonobo (also known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee), mountain gorilla, okapi and white rhino. Five of the country’s national parks are listed as World Heritage Sites: the Garumba, Kahuzi-Biega, Salonga and VirungaOkapi Wildlife Reserve. The civil war and resultant poor economic conditions have endangered much of this biodiversity. Many park wardens were either killed or could not afford to continue their work. All five sites are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage In Danger. National Parks, and the
Western Conglolian swamp forests (World Wildlife Fund)
This ecoregion, combined with the neighboring Eastern Congolian Swamp Forests [14], contains one of the largest continuous areas of swamp forest in the world. Although relatively few species have been recorded, it remains largely intact and contains large populations of western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Poaching is thought to have reduced populations of forest elephants (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) along the navigable waterways. Little research has focused on this region, and further efforts are necessary to better understand these forests and their species composition. There are no protected areas.
From famous forest elephants to the obscure Charaxes butterflies, the Congo River Basin has earned a global reputation for the variety of wildlife found inside its forests.
These contain a major share of the African continent’s biodiversity: more than 60% of butterflies and passereaux birds, and more than 80% of African primates.1
Some of the world’s most spectacular and endangered wildlife lives in Central Africa, including one-half of the remaining elephants on the continent. Ten thousand species of plants (of which 3,000 are found nowhere else), 1,000 species of birds, and 400 species of mammals , 216 species of amphibians, 280 species of reptiles and more than 900 species of butterflies are found here.
But while these forests are rich in the numbers of species by world standards, they actually have smaller numbers than other tropical rainforests throughout the planet.
The rivers of the Congo River Basin are especially rich in aquatic biodiversity, with most species unique to the region (endemic).
A blog on bonobo research in Congo - great photos
For the past 17 years WCS-Congo has been assisting the Ministry of Forestry Economy (MEF) in managing wildlife and its habitat in national parks, reserves, and buffer zones in the Republic of Congo.
Wildlife in Democratic Republic of Congo - Lonely Planet
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC; formerly Zaire) occupies a vast swathe of land in the centre of the African continent. The same size as Western Europe, the country is home to the mighty Congo River, some of the last remaining unexplored wildernesses on the planet, and a whole slew of primates from chimpanzees and bonobos to lowland and mountain gorillas.
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With breathtaking views of the Himalayas, you can soar alongside Egyptian Vultures and Black Kites who will approach to take food out of your hand. They are specially trained rescue birds who can’t be returned to the wild. Among them is Kevin the young Egyptian Vulture, famous for his scrapes with Steppe Eagles. The ultimate aim of the venture is to draw attention to the serious decline of Asian vultures, being poisoned to extinction by vet-prescribed drug Diclofenac. Visit 
This year breeding conditions have been exceptionally good for budgerigars in Queensland, Australia. Heavy rain and river flooding revived the land, providing plenty of grass seeds for the birds to feast on. When all the available trees with the best nesting sites had been taken, budgerigars were laying their eggs on the ground. And now local people are marvelling at the unprecedented size of the flocks, turning the sky green. 
Customs officials first suspected the 22-year old Norwegian, who’d just stepped off a ferry from Denmark, when they spotted a tarantula scuttling inside his bag. They then noticed “his whole body was in constant motion”. The wriggling movement was due to the 14 baby royal pythons tucked away in socks strapped to the man’s torso. That wasn’t all: when the officials made him drop his trousers they found 10 cans taped to his legs, each containing an albino leopard gecko. As Norway bans the import of reptiles, including unendangered species like these, he has been fined 12,500 Norwegian crowns (£1,800). 
