Animal Info - The Democratic Republic of the Congo

(Also known as Congo or Congo-Kinshasa; formerly Belgian Congo, then Zaire)

Threatened Species, Environmental and Social Data (Mammals, Biodiversity/Ecosystems, Population, Area/Land Use, Protected Lands, Economy, Education), References and Links

Threatened Species

Threatened Species: The following list includes all mammals which occur in The Democratic Republic of the Congo and are rated as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.

Critically Endangered:
- African Foggy Shrew (Crocidura caliginea). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Fuscous Shrew (Crocidura polia). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Gallagher's Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon gallagheri). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Grauer's Shrew (Paracrocidura graueri). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Kasai Mouse (Mus kasaicus). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Niangara Free-tailed Bat (Mops niangarae). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Poll's Shrew (Congosorex polli). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Schaller's Mouse Shrew (Myosorex schalleri). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
Endangered:
- African Elephant (Loxodonta africana).
- Bonobo (Pygmy Chimpanzee) (Pan paniscus). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).
- Giant African Water Shrew (Potamogale velox).
- Mountain (Eastern) Gorilla (Gorilla beringei).
- Ruwenzori Otter Shrew (Micropotamogale ruwenzorii).
- Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla).
- Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus).
Vulnerable:
- Allen's Striped Bat (Chalinolobus alboguttatus).
- African Golden Cat (Profelis aurata).
- Anchieta's Pipistrelle (Bat) (Pipistrellus anchietai).
- Checkered Sengi (Rhynchocyon cirnei).
- Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
- Congo Shrew (Crocidura congobelgica). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Dramatic Shrew (Crocidura ludia). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
- Hun Shrew (Crocidura attila).
- Ja Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris major).
- Kivu Shrew (Crocidura kivuana). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Large-eared Free-tailed Bat (Otomops martiensseni).
- Latona Shrew (Crocidura latona). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Least Soft-furred Mouse (Praomys minor). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Lion (Panthera leo).
- Montane Mouse Shrew (Myosorex blarina).
- Morris' Bat (Myotis morrisi).
- Mountain Shrew (Sylvisorex oriundus). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Narrow-headed Shrew (Crocidura stenocephala). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Pied Bat (Chalinolobus superbus).
- Rombo Shrew (Crocidura monax).
- Ruwenzori Shrew (Ruwenzorisorex suncoides).
- Spotted-necked Otter (Lutra maculicollis).
- Springhare (Pedetes capensis).
- West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis).
- Yellowspotted Hyrax (Heterohyrax chapini (= H. brucei)). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
- Zimmer's Shrew (Crocidura zimmeri). (Endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)
Other:
- d'Anchieta's Fruit Bat (Plerotes anchietae). (Rated Data Deficient in the 2000 Red List.)
- Hayman's Epauletted Fruit Bat (Micropteropus intermedius). (Rated Data Deficient in the 2000 Red List.)

Environmental and Social Data

Mammals

Total number of species: 415 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of endemic species: 28 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of threatened species: 1996: 38 (9 % of total species) (IUCN 1996); 2000: 42 (10 % of total species) (IUCN 2000)

Biodiversity/Ecosystems

Democratic Republic of the Congo contains portions of the Albertine Rift Highland Forests, Western Congo Basin Forests, Northeastern Congo Basin Forests, Southern Congo Basin Forests, Zambezian Woodlands & Savannas, Sudanian Savannas, East African Moorlands, Gulf of Guinea Rivers & Crater Lakes, Congo Basin Piedmont Rivers & Streams, Congo River, Rift Valley Lakes, Guinean-Congolian Coast Mangroves, and Gulf of Guinea Marine Ecosystems Global 200 Ecoregions (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999)
Democratic Republic of the Congo is a Megadiversity Country (Cons. Intl. 1999b)

Population

Population in 1995: 44,060,000 (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population density in 1995: 18.8 people/sq km (48.7 people/sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population in 1998: 49,000,511 (World Almanac 1999)
Average population growth rate, 1980 - 1990: 3.2 % (World Bank 1992)

Area/Land Use

Area: 2,345,411 sq km (905,568 sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Percentages of primary world ecosystem types:

Other Coastal Aquatic: 1 %
Major Wetland: 8 %
Grass and Shrub: 19 %
Crop and Settlements: 3 %
Interrupted Woods: 6 %
Major Forests: 63 %

(Groombridge 1992)

Percent of land area classified as the following degree of human disturbance: Low: 45 %, Medium: 40 %, High: 15 % (WRI 1994)

Protected Lands

Area: 85,770 sq km (33,107 sq mi) (Groombridge 1992)
Percent of land protected: 3.64 % totally protected, 0.01 % partially protected, 3.65 % totally or partially protected (Groombridge 1992)

Economy

Per capita GDP ($ U.S.) (1996): $400 (World Almanac 1999)

Education

Percent of females in secondary education (1989): 16 % (World Bank 1992)
Percent adult literacy: Female: 61 % (1990), 22 % (1970); Male: 84 % (1990), 61 % (1970) (WRI 1994)

References and Links

References: Cons. Intl. 1999b, Groombridge 1992, Groombridge & Jenkins 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2004, Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995, Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999, World Almanac 1999, World Bank 1992, WRI 1994

General Links (After you get to one of these sites, click on the link for the Democratic Republic of the Congo): CIA World Factbook, Foreign Embassies of Washington, D.C., Library of Congress - Country Studies, University of Texas - Country Maps, Washington Post - Countries, World Resources Institute - Country Profiles; Links for the Democratic Republic of the Congo: CARPE (Central African Regional Program for the Environment)

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