Wildlife of the Republic of the Congo
The wildlife of the Republic of the Congo is a mix of species of different kinds of organisms. There are 400 mammal species, 1,000 bird species and 10,000 plant species (3,000 of which are unique to the Republic of Congo) in the country.[1] Many parts of the country is covered in tropical rainforest, although some of the southern areas have been cleared by logging.
Rainforests
The Congo Basin was designated as a UNESCO heritage site on July 1, 2012.
Wildlife
Flora
The Republic of the Congo is home to approximately 10,000 species of tropical plants. Among which thirty percent (3,000) of these species are specific to Congo.
Fauna
Around 2008, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society studied gorillas in heavily forested regions centered on the Ouesso district of the Sangha Region. They suggested a population on the order of 125,000 western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), whose isolation from humans has been largely preserved by inhospitable swamps.[2]
Fish
There are around 700 species of fish in the Republic of the Congo.
References
- ↑ "Republic of Congo". Wildlife Conservation Society. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ↑ Nielsen, John (August 5, 2008). "'Mother Lode' Of Gorillas Found In Congo Forests : NPR". Retrieved March 8, 2013.