Animals in Dem. Rep. Congo
Okapi
Okapia johnstoni
The okapi is the national animal of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lives nowhere else in the wild. It appears on Congolese coins and on the badge of the rangers who guard the parks, while a leopard head sits on the coat of arms. Endangered, it survives in the Ituri forest and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.
View details→Wildlife in Dem. Rep. Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo covers about 2.34 million square kilometers, which makes it the second largest country in Africa, and it is home to more than 100 million people. Kinshasa, on the Congo River, is one of the biggest cities on the continent, but most of the country is forest, river and savanna with few roads. The Congo River, the deepest in the world, curves through the heart of the country and its huge basin of rainforest, the second largest on Earth after the Amazon. Savannas spread to the north and south, and in the east the land rises into the Albertine Rift, with active volcanoes, the snowy Rwenzori Mountains and great lakes such as Tanganyika, Kivu and Edward. Near the equator it rains for much of the year, while the north and south each have a clearer dry season, the best time to travel.
The forest and the rivers shaped Congolese life. Many families farm, fish and gather in the forest, the rivers serve as roads, and the copper and cobalt of the southeast feed the world's batteries. Conservation started early: Virunga, created in 1925, was the first national park in Africa, and the country has five natural World Heritage Sites, including the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and Salonga, the largest tropical rainforest reserve in Africa, which left the list in danger in 2021. Conflict in the east has made the work dangerous, and more than 200 rangers have been killed in Virunga since the 1990s.
Visitors come for the gorillas and the volcanoes of Virunga when security allows, the forests of Kahuzi Biega near Bukavu, Garamba in the far northeast and the ape sanctuaries near Kinshasa. Wildlife follows these contrasts: apes, forest elephants and parrots in the rainforest, big cats, giraffes and antelopes on the savannas, hippos and crocodiles in the rivers and lakes, and storks, eagles and the shoebill in the wetlands.
Most Dangerous Animals in Dem. Rep. Congo
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the danger from wild animals falls mostly on the people who live from the rivers, lakes and forests, not on visitors. Hippos and Nile crocodiles are the most dangerous. Millions of Congolese fish from dugout canoes and wash, bathe and fetch water on the Congo River and its tributaries and on lakes such as Edward, where hippos can overturn a canoe and crocodiles take people at the water's edge. As the hippos of Lake Edward recover, more of them share the shore with fishing villages.
Elephants and buffalo can be dangerous at close range, and elephants raid crops in villages at the edge of the parks. Big cats are found in the savannas and forests, where they mainly take livestock and rarely threaten people. Venomous snakes, including the black mamba in the savannas of the south, are a real health problem in rural areas, where many bites happen during farm work far from a clinic and antivenom is hard to get.
Apes avoid people in the wild, although adult gorillas and chimpanzees are much stronger than humans. On the short Atlantic coast, around the mouth of the Congo River, sharks and barracudas live in the warm waters, and some sharks can travel into fresh water.
Top 10 Animals in Dem. Rep. Congo
The Congo's most famous animals are its apes, and the eastern mountains are where most visitors try to meet them. In Virunga National Park, on the slopes of the volcanoes near Rwanda and Uganda, gorillas live in family groups that rangers follow every day, and chimpanzees live in the forests of the same park. Gorilla visits have been suspended many times because of fighting in North Kivu, so they depend on the security of the moment. Farther south, near Bukavu, Kahuzi Biega protects more gorillas in its highland forest.
The savannas hold the large mammals. Garamba National Park, in the far northeast, has elephants, buffalo, hippos and big cats, and it shelters the last giraffes of the country, which fell to 22 in 2012 and grew to more than 70 by 2022. Garamba was also the last refuge of the northern white rhinos, which disappeared from the park in the 2000s.
The lakes and rivers are home to hippos and crocodiles. Lake Edward, in Virunga, held around 29,000 hippos in 1974, fell to fewer than 1,000 by 2005 during the wars, and a 2026 count found more than 2,700. In the center of the country, the rainforest of Salonga is home to apes found nowhere else, but it is remote and few visitors reach it.
African Elephant
Loxodonta africana
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, savanna elephants live mainly in Garamba National Park in the northeast, near South Sudan, and in the savannas of Virunga, while the vast rainforests hold forest elephants. Garamba, one of Africa's oldest parks, once had more than 20,000 elephants, but armed groups and poachers reduced them to a small fraction of that. African Parks has managed Garamba since 2005, and numbers have stabilized. IUCN status: Endangered.
Bonobo
Pan paniscus
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the only country with wild bonobos, found in the rainforests south of the Congo River. Salonga National Park, Africa's largest rainforest park, protects the largest share, and Lomami National Park was created in 2016. Near Kinshasa, the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary cares for orphans of the bushmeat trade, the main threat to the species. IUCN status: Endangered.
Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds both savanna and forest buffalo across its vast territory. Forest buffalo are widespread in the Congo Basin's lowland rainforests, while larger savanna populations occur in the east, particularly in Virunga National Park. Ongoing armed conflict has severely impacted wildlife across much of the country, and rangers at Virunga have worked under dangerous conditions to protect wildlife. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Chimpanzee
Pan troglodytes
The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds more chimpanzees than any other country, living north and east of the Congo River, while bonobos live to the south. Central chimpanzees occupy the northwest and eastern chimpanzees the rest, from lowland rainforest to the mountain forests of the Albertine Rift. Conflict, bushmeat hunting and the illegal trade in orphaned babies keep pressure high across the country. IUCN status: Endangered.
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the only giraffes are a small group of Kordofan giraffes in and around Garamba National Park, in the far northeast near South Sudan. Garamba has suffered decades of heavy poaching, but its rangers have protected the last giraffes, whose numbers have slowly grown. The country is also home to the okapi, the giraffe's only living relative. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Mountain Gorilla
Gorilla beringei beringei
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, mountain gorillas live in the Mikeno sector of Virunga National Park, Africa's oldest park, created in 1925, and in the small Sarambwe reserve beside Uganda's Bwindi. Armed conflict has closed the park to visitors for long periods, yet rangers keep following the gorilla families. The park's Senkwekwe Center is the only home in the world for orphaned mountain gorillas. IUCN status: Endangered.
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, greater kudus live only in the dry woodlands of the far southeast, far from the rainforest that covers most of the country. There they browse on leaves, pods and fruits in miombo woodland and thickets. Females and young move in small groups, while males are mostly alone. Hunting for meat is a pressure, and there is little recent data on their numbers. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
The Democratic Republic of the Congo once held Africa's largest hippo concentration, in Virunga National Park around Lake Edward, with about 29,000 in the mid 1970s. During the Congo wars, militias and soldiers poached them for meat, and by 2005 only 800 to 900 were left. Since then, with rangers working alongside local fishermen, the Virunga hippos have started to recover. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, spotted hyenas live in the savannas of the east, north and south, away from the central rainforest. Garamba National Park in the north and the Rwindi plains of Virunga National Park in the east are among the places where they still hunt kob, buffalo and other prey. Long years of conflict and poaching have reduced wildlife across the country, and hyenas are now far less common than before. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Leopard
Panthera pardus
The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds one of Africa's largest leopard populations, spread across the Congo Basin rainforest and the savannas and mountains of the north and east, in parks such as Salonga, Garamba, Upemba and Virunga. In the forest a large part of their diet is small antelopes and monkeys. Decades of conflict have weakened protection and fueled poaching and the trade in skins. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Lion
Panthera leo
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lions are now scarce and scattered. Garamba National Park in the northeast, on the border with South Sudan, still holds lions in its savannas, and a few survive on the Rwindi plains of Virunga National Park, across the border from Uganda's Ishasha. Decades of war and poaching emptied much of the country's savanna, so most figures are only rough estimates. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the common warthog lives in the open savannas of the east, north and south, away from the rainforest of the Congo Basin. The Rwindi plains of Virunga National Park and the grasslands of Garamba National Park are among the best places to see it. Lions, leopards and spotted hyenas hunt it, and crocodiles wait at the rivers. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Zebra
Equus quagga
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, plains zebras survive in smaller numbers than elsewhere in the region, mainly in savanna areas of the southeast, including Upemba National Park. Decades of instability and limited park infrastructure have made population monitoring difficult, and numbers are believed to be far below historic levels. Where herds persist, they share open grassland with other large grazers, though zebra sightings are far less common here than further east or south.
Okapi
Okapia johnstoni
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the only country where okapis live in the wild, and the okapi is its national animal. Its stronghold is the Ituri Forest, where the Okapi Wildlife Reserve covers about a fifth of the forest, with more in Maiko National Park. Its zebra striped legs blur its outline in the dim forest light. Snares, illegal gold mining and armed groups keep pushing numbers down. IUCN status: Endangered.
African Forest Elephant
Loxodonta cyclotis
The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds the largest area of forest elephant habitat on the continent, across the rainforests of the north and center. Salonga National Park, Africa's largest rainforest reserve, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and Maiko are key areas. Decades of war, armed groups and the ivory trade have killed most of its elephants, and large parts of the forest are now almost empty of them. IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the caracal is limited to the drier savanna regions of the east and southeast, such as the areas bordering Upemba National Park. It is entirely absent from the vast Congo Basin rainforest. It hunts rodents, birds, and small antelopes across open and open habitats. Ongoing armed conflict and inadequate funding for protected area management make conservation monitoring extremely challenging. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Serval
Leptailurus serval
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has servals mainly outside its rainforest heart: in the northern savannas such as Garamba National Park, in the grasslands and plateaus of the southeast, and in the highland grasslands of the east near Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. They hunt rodents in tall grass near water. War and poaching make it hard to know how many remain. IUCN status: Least Concern.
African Civet
Civettictis civetta
The Democratic Republic of Congo holds some of the most important African civet populations on the continent. The species ranges across the vast Congo Basin rainforest, the savanna woodlands of Katanga, the eastern forests near Virunga and Kahuzi-Biega, and the open woodlands of Kasai. Its presence across such a varied territory reflects the species' adaptability, though habitat loss and bushmeat hunting pose growing threats in several regions. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo the honey badger lives mostly in the savannas and woodlands that surround the central rainforest, from the Katanga region in the south to the grasslands of the northeast near Garamba. It is a stocky, fearless carnivore that digs fast and eats almost anything, from snakes and scorpions to honey and roots. Hunting and conflict with farmers affect it in many areas. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Kob
Kobus kob
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Uganda kob lives in the grasslands of the northeast and east. Garamba National Park holds large herds on its open savannas, and in Virunga National Park kobs graze the Rwindi and Rutshuru plains near Lake Edward, across the border from Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park. Armed conflict and poaching have cut their numbers in Virunga, where lions still hunt them. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, hartebeests live in the savannas beyond the rainforest. The Lelwel hartebeest survives in Garamba National Park in the northeast, one of Africa's oldest parks, while Lichtenstein's hartebeest lives in the miombo woodland of the far southeast. Decades of conflict and poaching have reduced both. The Lelwel hartebeest is listed as Endangered. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Topi
Damaliscus lunatus
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, topis live in the open grasslands of the east, far from the rainforest that covers most of the country. The best known are on the Rwindi plains of Virunga National Park, next to Uganda's Ishasha sector, and more live in the savannas of the northeast. Decades of conflict and poaching have reduced these herds to a fraction of their past numbers. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds bushbucks across its savannas, forest edges and highlands. They live in Virunga and Garamba national parks, in the Upemba region of the south and in clearings around the great rainforest, and both the striped northern form and the darker southern form occur in the country. Bushmeat hunting has reduced them in many areas. Males bark loudly when alarmed and can defend themselves fiercely. IUCN status: Least Concern.
White Rhinoceros
Ceratotherium simum
Garamba National Park was the last wild home of the northern white rhino, which disappeared there in the mid 2000s after years of poaching and war. In 2023, 16 southern white rhinos were brought from South Africa to Garamba, and 24 more followed in December 2025, to build a new breeding population and bring wild rhinos back to the Congo. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Aardvark
Orycteropus afer
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the aardvark lives mainly in the savannas north and south of the great rainforest, such as the grasslands of Garamba in the northeast and the plateaus of Katanga in the south. It feeds at night on termites and ants. It is hunted for bushmeat, and lions, leopards and spotted hyenas also prey on it. Warthogs and honey badgers use its old burrows. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
The Democratic Republic of Congo holds some of Africa's largest river systems, and the Nile crocodile lives in many of them, from the Congo River and its tributaries to the Congolese shore of Lake Tanganyika and the rivers of the east. Its wetlands and forest rivers offer huge areas of habitat, but conflict, poaching and limited resources make monitoring very difficult across such a vast and remote country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
The black mamba lives in the savannas and open woodland of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, mainly in the south and east, where the landscape opens up beyond the Congo Basin rainforest, which it avoids. It is one of the most medically important snakes in these regions. With a large rural population and uneven access to healthcare and antivenom, a bite from this species carries a serious risk of death. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
The bateleur occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo primarily in the savanna and open woodland areas of the north, east, and south, avoiding the vast Congo Basin rainforest. Protected areas such as Upemba and Garamba national parks offer some refuge. Classified as Endangered by the IUCN, the species is threatened by poisoning, habitat loss, and the broader pressures of one of the continent's most ecologically complex countries.
Grey Crowned Crane
Balearica regulorum
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Grey Crowned Crane occurs mainly in the eastern highlands and the savannas bordering Uganda and Rwanda. It favors wetlands, open grasslands, and the edges of cultivated fields. The country's vast size means populations are spread across a range of landscapes. Illegal capture for the live bird trade remains a serious concern across this region, contributing to the species' Endangered status globally.
Steppe Eagle
Aquila nipalensis
The Democratic Republic of the Congo lies at the western edge of the steppe eagle's African wintering range. Birds that breed in Central Asia reach the open woodlands and grasslands of the east and south of the country, far from the rainforest, which they avoid. The species gathers where food is plentiful, such as termite emergences after rain, and every wintering area helps this globally declining eagle. IUCN status: Endangered.
White backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
The Democratic Republic of Congo is vast, and the white backed vulture is found mainly in the savanna regions of the south and east, including areas bordering Zambia and Tanzania. The dense Congo Basin rainforest offers no suitable habitat. Ongoing conflict and weak enforcement of wildlife protections make this Critically Endangered vulture especially vulnerable to poisoning and to the general collapse of large mammal populations in affected areas.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the lanner falcon is found mainly in the open savanna regions to the north and south of the dense equatorial forest. It hunts birds using rapid, low flights and often pairs up to flush prey into the open. Cliff ledges and rocky outcrops provide nesting sites where available. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
African Grey Parrot
Psittacus erithacus
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the global stronghold of the African grey parrot, home to the largest remaining wild population on Earth. The vast Congo rainforest, the second largest tropical forest in the world, provides millions of square kilometers of suitable habitat. Despite this, the country was the single largest exporter of wild grey parrots before international trade bans, with legal quotas of 5,000 birds per year that were widely exceeded through illegal capture. Forest loss from logging and agriculture continues to reduce available habitat.
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
The tawny eagle is found in the drier, more open parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the savannas of the south and east, such as Upemba and the Katanga plateau, where they border the great forest. It hunts small mammals and reptiles and steals food from other raptors. Habitat loss and accidental poisoning threaten it here. It nests in tall trees. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Secretary Bird
Sagittarius serpentarius
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the secretary bird is found in the open savanna and grassland regions in the south and east of the country, away from the Congo Basin's dense rainforest. Areas like the Upemba and Kundelungu plateaus provide suitable open habitat. It hunts on foot, targeting snakes, rodents, and insects. Ongoing deforestation and land conversion remain serious threats. The IUCN lists it as Endangered.
African Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds one of the most important populations of African fish eagles on the continent. The Congo River and its huge network of tributaries, lakes and floodplains offer enormous habitat. The bird is common near water across most of the country, from the great rivers of the Congo Basin to the Rift Valley lakes in the east. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo mainly in open savanna, farmland, and areas near human settlements in the eastern highlands, the southern savanna belt, and along major river valleys. It is far less common in the vast equatorial rainforest of the Congo Basin, which offers little open hunting habitat. Where it does occur, it nests in old buildings and hollow trees and hunts rodents at night, providing useful pest control in farming communities.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
The white stork winters in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in open grasslands and agricultural areas away from the dense rainforest of the Congo Basin. These birds arrive from their European breeding grounds after traveling through one of two major migration bottlenecks. They spend several months feeding on insects, frogs, and small animals before the return journey north begins in late winter.
White Wagtail
Motacilla alba
The white wagtail occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo mainly as a passage migrant and winter visitor, found most regularly in open habitats across the northern and eastern parts of the country. It tends to avoid dense forest, preferring riverbanks, clearings and farmland edges. Despite the country's vast size and habitat diversity, this bird remains tied to open ground near water. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
The peregrine falcon occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo primarily as a migratory visitor, moving through the Congo Basin and surrounding savannas. The vast forest interior offers fewer open hunting grounds, so the falcon tends to favour forest edges, river corridors, and the more open landscapes of the eastern highlands near the Albertine Rift. Its presence here reflects the country's role in connecting African flyways.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, nightingales are winter visitors found primarily in the savanna and woodland habitats of the north and northeast, including areas around the Congo basin fringe. They do not venture into the dense equatorial rainforest that covers much of the country. Silent and well camouflaged, these birds blend into dry scrubby vegetation as they forage. The country represents the southern edge of the species' regular wintering range in central Africa. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
The lesser flamingo visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo outside the breeding season, and it is uncommon here. Most records come from the lakes of the east, along the Albertine Rift, not far from the flamingo lakes of Uganda, and from the short Atlantic coast. The birds follow blooms of tiny blue green algae across the region, so their presence varies from year to year. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Shoebill
Balaeniceps rex
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, shoebills live in the swamps of the southeast and east, most notably in Upemba National Park, where papyrus marshes around Lake Upemba hold breeding birds. These wetlands also shelter hippos, Nile crocodiles and African fish eagles. Conflict and poaching have made the park hard to protect, so the size of the population there is poorly known. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
African Manatee
Trichechus senegalensis
The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds some of the largest stretches of manatee habitat on the continent, with the Congo River and its vast network of tributaries running through dense tropical forest. The species is distributed across much of the river system, but populations are difficult to monitor. Hunting for bushmeat and entanglement in fishing nets remain the primary threats across this enormous range. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has only about 40 kilometers of Atlantic coast, around Muanda and the mouth of the Congo River, and the great barracuda lives in those waters. The river pours a huge plume of fresh, muddy water into the sea, so the clearer water farther from the mouth suits it best. Juveniles can shelter in the mangroves of the estuary, and local fishers catch it along this short coast. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo the bull shark lives along the Atlantic coast, in shallow, murky water near shore and in the mouth of the Congo River, the second largest river in the world by flow, where young sharks grow up in brackish water. The country has only about 40 kilometers of coast, around Muanda. It is caught by the artisanal canoe fleets that fish the coast with gillnets and lines, and its meat and fins are sold in local markets. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
The DRC is home to mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos, African savanna and forest elephants, the okapi, giraffes, buffalo, hippos, zebras, lions, leopards, caracals, servals, spotted hyenas, warthogs, greater kudus, kobs, topis, hartebeests, bushbucks, aardvarks and honey badgers. Nile crocodiles and black mambas are among its reptiles. Its birds include the African grey parrot, the shoebill, the grey crowned crane, the secretary bird, the African fish eagle, the bateleur and flamingos, and African manatees live in its rivers.
What is the national animal of the DRC?
The okapi is the national animal of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This forest relative of the giraffe, with striped legs like a zebra, lives in the wild only in the DRC, mainly in the Ituri forest of the northeast, where the Okapi Wildlife Reserve became a World Heritage Site in 1996. It appears on Congolese coins and on the emblem of the country's park rangers. The okapi has been listed as Endangered since 2013, mostly because of hunting and the presence of armed groups and miners in its forest. The leopard, which appears on the coat of arms, is also a national symbol.
Are there gorillas in the Congo?
Yes. Mountain gorillas live on the volcanoes of Virunga National Park in the east of the DRC, part of a population of just over 1,000 that the country shares with Rwanda and Uganda. Other gorillas live in the forests of Kahuzi Biega National Park near Bukavu and in the lowlands of the east. Gorilla visits in Virunga have been suspended several times because of armed conflict in North Kivu, but rangers keep following the families every day, and new births are still recorded.
Are bonobos only found in the Congo?
Yes. Bonobos live in the wild only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the rainforest south of the Congo River, which kept them apart from chimpanzees for a very long time. Salonga National Park, the largest tropical rainforest reserve in Africa, protects about 40 percent of them, and its bonobo numbers have remained stable in recent monitoring. Bonobos are listed as Endangered because of hunting for bushmeat and the loss of forest.
Are there elephants in the Congo?
Yes, the DRC has both kinds of African elephant. Forest elephants live in the rainforest of the Congo Basin, in parks such as Salonga, where their numbers have started to recover, and in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. Savanna elephants live in Garamba National Park in the northeast and in Virunga in the east. Poaching for ivory killed many of them during decades of conflict, and in Garamba poaching fell from 98 elephants killed in 2015 to three in 2022.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .