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Okapi Widlife Preserve

The Okapi Wildlife Preserve is located within the Ituri Forest, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the most biologically diverse country in Africa. The Okapi Wildlife Preserve breeding and research station is located near the village of Epulu. This Preserve covers over 8,500 square miles of the forest. The Ituri Forest consists of the canopied rainforest and the lowland tropical rainforest where certain species of flora and fauna are found, which are not found anywhere else in the world. The Okapi Wildlife Preserve contains the most important center of plants and animals diversity in the lowland Ituri Forest. The Okapi Wildlife preserve is home of the Okapi and many other species of animals and plants that are in danger of extinction and destruction. Due to the many dangers face by the species and to the area, the devastation by the civil war, the frequent invasions of by miners and the militants, the destruction of the wildlife for bush meat and the hunting of elephants for their ivory, the preserve was listed as World Heritage in Danger in 1998.
The diversity of species in the Ituri Forest is large; the forest is home to numerous species of animals and plants. Some of the endemic animals found within the preserve are the okapi, the white rhino, the Congo peafowl, the fishing genet, the eastern lowland gorilla, bonono chimpanzees, water chevrotain, and the forest elephant. Other animals found in the area are; the African golden cat, leopard, giant ground pangolin, aardvark, forest buffalo, bush pig, giant forest hog, great cane rat and one of the highest number of tuiker species. There is a large amount of different bird species is found in the forest like; long-tailed hawk, olive ibis, spot-breasted ibis, black guinea fowl, sandy scopes owl, white napped pigeon and black-colored lovebird. There are also several types of birds that are endemic to this forest like; the yellow-legged weaver, golden-napped weaver, Sissies...