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The Democratic Republic of the Congo won a key heritage victory on Monday as UNESCO removed one of its nature reserves from the list of endangered sites, the UN agency said.
UNESCO hailed the country’s conservation efforts and the government’s commitment to ban oil exploration in Salonga, the largest public park in the vast Central African country.
The World Heritage Committee cited “improvements in its state of conservation” in its decision, according to a statement released on Monday.
“Regular monitoring of wildlife shows that bonobo (monkey) populations remain stable in the territory despite past pressures, and that the forest elephant population is starting to return,” the statement said.
La Salonga is Africa’s largest protected rainforest and is home to 40 percent of Earth’s bonobo monkeys, as well as several other endangered species.
It was created in 1970 by dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and had been on the endangered species list since 1984.
The park is also home to thin-nosed crocodiles and Congo peacocks.
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