Okapi Wildlife Reserve occupies about one-fifth of the Ituri forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Congo River basin, of which the reserve and forest are a part, is one of the largest drainage systems in Africa. This Wildlife Reserve was established in 1992 and listed as a World Heritage Site in 1996. This reserve has majorly helped in protecting the habitat of the okapi and preserve rare plant and animal life, as well as the lifestyle and culture of indigenous people.

The reserve contains threatened species of primates and birds and about 5,000 of the estimated 30,000 Okapi surviving in the wild. It also has some dramatic scenery, including waterfalls on the Ituri and Epulu rivers.

The reserve is inhabited by traditional nomadic pygmy Mbuti and Efe hunters.

Okapi Conservation Project

The Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) was founded in 1987 for the protection of the okapis and their habitat. The okapi is only found in DRC and is seen as the major flagship species of the Ituri Forest. The OCP has about one hundred staff members and one hundred and ten government rangers under the direction of the Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature. The Okapi Conservation Project is partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Network. In 1992 the project helped create the Okapi Wildlife Reserve encompassing 13,700 square kilometers of the Ituri Forest and in 1996, it was designated as a United Nations World Heritage Site.

Wildlife species of Okapi Wildlife Reserve

The Reserve contains 101 mammal species and 376 species of documented birds. The population of the endemic species of Okapi, a forest giraffe, is estimated at 5,000 individuals. Among the endemic mammals of the forest in the north-east of the DRC identified in the Reserve, are the aquatic genetic and the giant genetic. The Reserve provides refuge to 17 species of primates, the highest number for an African forest, including 7,500 chimpanzees.

This reserve is home and habitat to the Okapi, chimpanzees, and over 13 species of other primates. It also houses other forest animals like elephants, leopard, forest buffalo, bongo antelope, water chevrotain, and a wide variety of birds and insects are among the wildlife harbored in the Reserve.

The Ituri forest is not only a habitat for animals and primates but also the cultural center of the Mbuti and Efe pygmies who are true hunter-gatherers and deep forest-dwellers living traditional lifestyles as they have for centuries. Their activities generally enrich the overall composition of the forest by providing pockets of secondary vegetation a source of plants on which the okapi feed.

This reserve has a lot of projects that strive to see that it is not encroached upon and ill utilized which include the Okapi Conservation Project whose presence in the region and its role as a coordinator and supporter of the Reserve has helped to provide stability for the Mbuti and Efe pygmies to continue to live off the bounty of the forest as they have for thousands of years.

Size and Location of Okapi Wildlife Reserve

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a World Heritage Site in the Ituri Forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the borders with South Sudan and Uganda. At approximately 14,000 km², it covers approximately one-fifth of the area of the forest

How to get to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve

To get to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve from Kinshasa, fly to Bunia, and then head to Epulu, where the Okapi Wildlife Reserve can be reached by especially MAF flight. It may cost anywhere between $500-700 one-way for the whole charter, which is why it is best to travel in a small group who can split the bill. You may also fly from Kinshasa to Kisangani, rent a 4×4 and drive to the town of Epulu for 8 hours, and trek to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.

Traveling clients to Okapi wildlife reserve can secure their transport to okapi through Entebbe international Park and seek an Overnight stay before embarking on-road transfer to Okapi via Rwanda using a 4×4 Safari Jeep take a note.

Things to do in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve

The national park is under the protection of the okapi wildlife project and clients will experience the area which supports an exceptionally diverse present-day flora and fauna due to its very long term ecological stability and persistence as an area of the humid tropical forest during the Pleistocene era,. The reserve encompasses a variety of specific habitat types over an altitudinal range of 600 m to 1,200 m including swamp forest, mixed evergreen forest, mono-dominant forest (characterized by stands of a single tree, Gilbertiodendron deweveri), forest clearings (locally known as edos) and giant granite rock outcrops (inselbergs) protruding above the tree canopy. The reserve (and adjoining parts of the Ituri Forest) is best known internationally as the home of the endemic okapi (Okapia johnstoni, a forest giraffe) as well as other endemics such as the aquatic genet (Osbornictis piscivora) and giant genet (Genetta victoriae). Inselbergs provide a unique microclimate for specially adapted plant species including the endemic giant cycad Encepholarcus ituriensis. The recorded fauna includes 101 mammal species (of which 17 are primates) as well as 376 species of birds (including two endemic species of weaver bird).

Habitat for important populations of rare and endangered species

The reserve’s most iconic animal is the okapi which is endemic to DR Congo and adopted as the national symbol. At the time of inscription as a World Heritage Site the reserve’s okapi population was estimated at 5,000 but a survey in 2006 suggests that it probably halved during the following decade as a result of poaching associated with civil unrest. Amongst the reserve’s other rare and endangered species, was an estimated 4,000 forest elephants in 1995 (although this population has also been significantly reduced by poaching in subsequent years), as well as some 7,500 chimpanzees.

Where to stay at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve

In Okapi wildlife reserve, there are no modern Safari lodges or hotels but there are basic camping facilities situated on the Epulu River and where safaris for okapi start from, select the best Okapi Safari holiday in the Democratic Republic of Congo with destination experts.

When to visit Okapi game reserve, DR Congo

Traveling to okapi wildlife reserve is all year adventure activity but due to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s less developed services it’s highly recommended that you travel to Okapi wildlife reserve in the dry months of July- August, and January- February.