Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) - Garamba and Chinko Protected Areas

USAID is supporting Garamba National Park (GNP) in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Chinko Nature Reserve in eastern Central African Republic (CAR), in partnership with African Parks and the governments of DRC and CAR.

BACKGROUND GNP is one of the oldest national parks in Africa and covers an area of 4,900 square kilometers, with a buffer zone of hunting reserves to the east, south and west as well as South Sudans Lantoto National Park to the north. GNP and the three hunting zones collectively comprise the 14,760 square kilometer Garamba Complex.

With both forest and savanna habitats, GNP is home to 165 species of mammals, 363 species of birds, 82 species of reptiles, and 42 species of amphibians.

The park lies on the transition zone between two centers of endemism: Guinea-Congolian forest and Guinean-Sudanese savannah, hosting species typical to both of these biogeographic zones. Garamba thus supports important populations of elephant, buffalo and hippo.

GNP also contains the last population of Kordofan giraffe in DRC, and is the last known area where the northern white rhino existed in the wild. Large populations of Uganda kob, Lelwels hartebeest, buffalo and lion also roam the park. Other important forest species found in the hunting areas include chimpanzees, bongo, giant forest hog and sitatunga.