DR Congo To Open Two National Parks Up To Oil Drilling

Virguna national park is home to the critically endangered mountain gorilla

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has decided to allow oil exploration in two protected wildlife parks, Virunga and Salonga.

The move is strongly opposed by environmental activists, who say drilling would place wildlife at risk and contribute to global warming.

Around one-fifth of Virunga national park will be opened to oil drilling.

The parks are home to bush elephants, critically endangered mountain gorillas and the bonobo, an endangered ape.

Both parks are Unesco World Heritage Sites, with Salonga national park covering 36,000 sq km (13,900 sq miles) of the Congo Basin - the world's second-largest rainforest after the Amazon.





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