Maiko National Park is part of a network of 7 national parks located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Maiko National Park was created in 1970. It started as a hunting reserve before it was gazetted in 1949 by the Belgian Colonial Government. The park was gazetted primarily to protect a block of swamp forest. Maiko National Park, reserve in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, about intermediate from Bukavu, in the great Western Rift Valley just south of Lake Kivu, at the Rwandan border, and Kisangani, about 320 miles (515 km) to the northwest, at the great westward bend of the Congo River.

It is located in the Ituri forest and the provinces of North Kivu and Maniema. The park's 4,180-square-mile (10,830-square-kilometre) expanse spans the Oso River and extends north to the Lindi River. Maïko Park is a hilly and difficult to access topography made up of a block of rain forest quite different from that of Salonga. It is a semi-mountainous forest with an average altitude of 1,200 meters.

Dense equatorial forest characterizes the park. It is home to three of the most spectacular endemic species in the country: the extremely rare okapi, lowland gorillas and the famous Congolese peacock found only at this location in the country. Other Forest-dwellers include elephants, leopards, light-faced chimpanzees and buffaloes. Maiko National Park has not been developed for visitors. Rebel activities are a threat to the park. The park has been adversely affected by civil strife that began in the late 1990s and continued into the 21st century.

Despite all these threats there is hope because international wildlife organizations like Wildlife Conservation Society, the ICCN, WCS and WWF have supported the park at different points in time. Maiko National Park is one of the best places to learn about chimpanzee conservation. The park is managed by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) which, despite the absence of rangers and facilities, is responsible for entry permits. ICCN has control over the park in law, but villages of rebels and native tribes retain control over the park.

Maiko National Park encompasses habitats for numerous key endemic species such as the eastern lowland (Grauer's) gorilla, the okapi, the forest elephant and the Congo peacock. It is also an important watershed and plays an essential role in the sequestration of carbon. In terms of biodiversity, Maiko National Park ranks second in species richness among the 8 biodiversity reserves in the Congo. Maiko National Park is situated in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo's remote lowland rain forest and dense equatorial rain forest stretch across either side of the Oslo River, giving rise to magnificent jungle landscapes. Most of Maiko National Park comprises untamed blocks of forest, combined with dense waterlogged regions surrounding snaking rivers which is a true paradise for wildlife.

The presence of armed bands in the park is a key threat which needs to be addressed quickly. The armed bands are responsible for the large-scale poaching of elephants, okapis and gorillas. They also encourage and support the illegal exploitation of minerals within the park, and are a constant threat to park staff and visitors. ICCN would like Maiko National Park to become a viable World Heritage Site managed to international standards, with an ecosystem that is protected in the long-term and safeguards the survival of key endemic species and those that are locally threatened by extinction - such as elephants and primates.

Vegetation

Mixed forests dominate the landscape, however large patches of mono dominant Gilbertiodendron dewevrei cover about one third of the park, especially in the north. Regenerating forest and scrubland were recorded on 60% of survey girds in the 1990 exploration. Most of the park is covered by mature evergreen forest. Most of these areas are small. However, large areas of the north and central sectors of the park in particular in the area of the Angumu Massif were occupied by intensive mining operations from about 1938 to 1950. Secondary forests, intermixed with derived grasslands and thickets, today cover these areas. The northern sector of the park covered by this inventory is one of the least disturbed areas with unbroken primary forest covering all but a few small areas. In particular the isolated mid-elevation massifs contain a highly diverse flora with high likelihood of localized endemic species. Botanical surveys yielded important new discoveries.

Flora and fauna in Maiko National Park

Three of the country's spectacular endemic animals occur here: the Eastern Lowland Gorilla, the Okapi, and the Congo Peacock. Also Forest Elephants and Leopards. The park is home to numerous endemic & rare species and, almost certainly, many rare species yet to be documented. However, the presence of former rebels who have made their homes in the park, along with illegal mining and poaching means that many species are threatened with extinction. One example, a new gorilla subspecies first documented in a 2005 survey was not found and believed extinct in a 2010 survey.

Maiko Park contains at least 31 species of large mammals, including a number of species of conservation concern: Eastern chimpanzees, eastern gorilla, okapi, elephant and the owl-faced monkey. The avifauna is poorly known, but likely to be rich. The endemic and vulnerable Congo peacock occurs in the park. Reptiles and amphibians remain totally un-documented.

Topography

The average elevation of the park is about 850 m. Four major rivers drain the park: the Loya and Lindi basins (North Sector), Maiko basin (Central Sector) and the Oso basin (South Sector). Major massifs, including Angumu and Ogombo reach an elevation of 1200 m. Swamp forests and riverine vegetation are highly localized and represent a very low percentage of the area.

Wildlife

A total of 30 species of mammal where recorded that is to say Leopard, Pigs, buffalo, okapi chimpanzee and gorillas. The northern and central sectors of the park contained the majority of apes. Animal densities are highest in areas of high habitat diversity, including the massifs, and areas of regenerating vegetation. Two pig species occur in the Maiko, the giant forest hog and the bush pig. Classed as small ungulates; Duikers, the chevrotain and the pygmy antelope occur in the Maiko National Park. The park is described as one of the most diverse and biologically intact lowland forests in Democratic Republic of Congo.