Salonga National Park

national park, Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Article History

Salonga National Park, largest reserve in Congo (Kinshasa), Africa, covering more than 14,000 square miles (36,000 square km) and located midway between Kinshasa, the national capital, and Kisangani, 720 miles (1,160 km) to the northeast. The administrative headquarters at Monkoto (Équateur province), on the Luilaka River southeast of Mbandaka, is accessible only by boat from the Congo River. The park was established in 1970 and has two separate sections, one north and one south of Monkoto; dense equatorial forest provides habitats for parrots, elephants, antelope, and a variety of monkeys and apes—including pygmy chimpanzees, unique to this part of the world. Park visitors observe the animals from motorized river boats, and hunting is prohibited. The park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Levy.