The Itombwe Nature Reserve is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

in the Itombwe Mountains of the eastern

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

. The reserve covers . It is part of a

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

Conservation Unit. The reserve is home to the critically endangered

eastern lowland gorilla The eastern lowland gorilla (''Gorilla beringei graueri'') or Grauer's gorilla is a Critically Endangered subspecies of eastern gorilla endemic to the mountainous forests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Important populations of th ...

(''Gorilla beringei graueri''). The national government declared the reserve in 2006, but its boundaries and the uses permitted within the park were not defined in the declaration. After consultations with local people, the boundaries and use zones within the park were formalized in June 2016. The park is divided into three zones: a conservation zone for wildlife with no human use; a multiple-use zone which allows limited human use and sustainable resource extraction; and a development zone which includes villages where sustainable development projects are encouraged.D. Kujirakwinja, et al (2019) "Establishing the Itombwe Natural Reserve: science, participatory consultations and zoning". ''Oryx'', Volume 53, Issue 1 January 2019, pp. 49-57.

References

Albertine Rift montane forests Protected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo South Kivu {{DRC-geo-stub