10 Unique Animal Species Only Found in DR Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo isn’t just vast it’s virtually a planet of its own when it comes to wildlife. Hidden in its jungles and swamps are creatures found nowhere else on Earth.

We’re not talking common safari fare, but the “wait, that exists?” level of unique. From a “forest giraffe” with zebra stripes to a swimming cat-like carnivore, DR Congo’s endemic animals are the stuff of legend and discovery. Buckle up for a wild ride through Congo’s one-of-a-kind fauna and how you might catch a glimpse (with some luck and likely a fair bit of cash).

Each entry below spotlights an animal you can only find in DR Congo, with a dash of local insight and tips. And because seeing is believing, we’ve sprinkled in social media snippets from 2025 that capture these critters’ charm consider it a virtual safari.

Ready to meet Congo’s exclusive wildlife VIPs?

1. Okapi

If unicorns were real, they’d look like the okapi. With zebra-striped legs and a giraffe-like head, the okapi seems assembled from spare animal parts. In reality, it’s the only living relative of the giraffe – just in a forest-friendly size. Shy and elusive, okapis roam the dense Ituri Rainforest of northeastern DRC and nowhere else.

Science didn’t even know this animal existed until 1901 locals had kept the “African unicorn” a secret, and for good reason. With huge ears to track predators and a long bluish tongue to pluck leaves, the okapi is perfectly adapted to its rainforest realm.

Price: There’s no standard ticket to see an okapi this isn’t a zoo animal but a wild wonder deep in conflict-wary terrain. Intrepid travelers who must try can arrange expeditions to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, often involving charter flights (several hundred dollars each way) and special permits. In short, spotting an okapi in the wild is priceless  literally, you can’t simply buy a tour.

Local tip: The okapi is a source of national pride in DRC. It’s a national symbol, appearing on local currency and park ranger logos. Indigenous Mbuti people respectfully call it “O’api.” So if you do venture to its turf, move quietly, respect the forest and count yourself among the lucky few to even search for this creature.

(For everyone else, the San Diego Zoo’s Instagram gave a striped-leg “bootie” tribute on World Okapi Day see it on Instagram.)

2. Bonobo

Meet the bonobo, our peace-loving primate cousin. These endemic great apes live only in the rainforests south of the Congo River in DRC. Often called “pygmy chimpanzees,” bonobos look a lot like chimps but have leaner builds and (famously) a much gentler disposition. In bonobo society, the females rule the roost and disputes are settled with, ahem, affection rather than aggression.

Sharing 98% of our DNA, bonobos are uncannily human in their expressions and intelligence you might catch one calmly fishing for termites or even holding hands with a friend. They’re a critically endangered bunch, due to habitat loss and poaching, but conservationists tout them as a symbol of peace. After all, bonobos truly embody “make love, not war” in the animal kingdom.

Fun fact – February 14 is World Bonobo Day, fittingly on Valentine’s, and the Kinshasa sanctuary often hosts events where you can even see them being lovingly mischievous on Instagram.

Price: Easiest way to see bonobos is at Lola ya Bonobo, a sanctuary just outside Kinshasa (the world’s only bonobo sanctuary). Entry for foreigners is about $10 (around 25,000 CDF) an absolute bargain to meet humanity’s hippie cousins. If you want to venture into the wild to see bonobos, expect expedition-level costs; the remote forests of Équateur or Tshuapa province aren’t exactly on the tourist trail.

Local tip: Bonobos don’t swim, and the wide Congo River has kept them isolated in DRC that’s why chimps live north of the river and bonobos to the south. Locals sometimes refer to them as “ikinji” in Lingala, but many Congolese simply proudly call them “bonobo” and know them as a species found only at home.

3. Eastern Lowland Gorilla (Grauer’s Gorilla)

Think mountain gorillas are big? Meet their burlier cousin, the Eastern Lowland Gorilla, found only in DRC’s lush eastern forests. Also known as Grauer’s gorilla, this is the largest gorilla subspecies on Earth males can top 200 kg (441 lbs) but are mellow herbivores munching on wild celery and bamboo.

These gorillas sport a jet-black coat and, like their mountain kin, older males wear that dignified silver streak on their back. Tragically, Grauer’s gorillas are critically endangered and have dwindled to perhaps 3,800 in the wild, largely due to decades of conflict and mining in their habitat.

They hang on in pockets of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park and Maiko region. If you lock eyes with one through the foliage, it’s an awe-inspiring, humbling experience gentle brown eyes in a massive frame.

See one visitor’s stunned reaction on Instagram as a Grauer’s gorilla saunters byinstagram.

Price: Gorilla trekking isn’t cheap, but it’s unforgettable. A permit to track Grauer’s gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega will set you back about $450 (~ 1.1 million CDF). That’s actually a bargain compared to Rwanda’s mountain gorilla permits. This fee funds park rangers and community projects, so your money helps protect the very gorillas you’re visiting.

Local tip: Eastern lowland gorillas are generally calmer than their mountain cousins locals say they’re “philosophers of the forest.” Still, always follow your guide’s instructions.

If a silverback charges (a rare mock-charge), crouch down and look away show some respect in gorilla language! Also, bring some French or Swahili phrases; many Congolese trackers speak those. And get ready to share epic stories afterward

4. Lesula

Discovered by science just a little over a decade ago, the lesula is proof that Mother Nature still has secrets in DRC. This medium-sized monkey with astonishingly human-like eyes lives in the remote Lomami Basin forests and nowhere else. Sporting golden fur on its chest and a flamboyant tufted mane, the lesula looks like a cross between a guenon monkey and someone’s grumpy grandpa. Oh, and the males? They have a bright blue backside that’d make a baboon jealous

(yes, blue butt fashion-forward in the animal world). Local hunters knew about the lesula for ages, but scientists only formally described it in 2012 after a surprised researcher saw one tied to a post as a pet in a village. Since then, it’s been hailed as one of the top new species discoveries of the 21st century.

Not bad for a shy jungle monkey with an expressive face!

Price: There’s no tour operator offering “Lesula treks” spotting this monkey in the wild is a matter of luck, funding, and being very deep in the DRC hinterland. Essentially, no tourist price tag exists. You’d need to organize a custom expedition to Lomami National Park or work with conservation researchers. We’re talking thousands of dollars in logistics and even then, you might only catch a distant rustle.

Local tip: The lesula’s local name comes from the language of the people in its range (perhaps “lesula” itself stems from a local word). Villagers sometimes kept them as pets, which is how the world learned of them.

If you ever find yourself in the lesula’s turf, working with community trackers is key they know the lesula’s call and habits.

To get a sense of its soulful gaze without a jungle trek, check out the rescue story of a pet lesula named Kavu happily now in a sanctuary on Instagram. Those eyes will melt your heart, even through a screen.

5. Golden-Bellied Mangabey

The golden-bellied mangabey is as flashy as it sounds picture a monkey with a fiery orange belly and a dark fur coat, like it’s wearing a golden sweater. Endemic to swampy forests south of the Congo River in DRC, this mangabey (a type of baboon-like monkey) is so elusive that scientists practically know it by cameo appearances. In fact, the only known photograph of this species in the wild was snapped by chance  this primate is paparazzi-averse! Golden-bellied mangabeys live in large social groups, chattering away as they forage for fruits and seeds in the flooded forests. They were once lumped with a more common cousin, the agile mangabey, but now recognized as their own species score one for DRC’s unique biodiversity. Their extraordinarily long tails help them balance in treetops, and cheek pouches allow them to squirrel away snacks while foraging.

Price: No tourist ever says “I’m going to DRC to see the golden-bellied mangabey” if one did, they’d have a rough time. There’s no established price because sightings are virtually nonexistent for outsiders. You’d need to bankroll an expedition into remote swamps, hire local guides, and invest possibly $5,000+ ( ~12.5 million CDF) in hopes of a glimpse. In other words, this monkey is seen mostly by Ph.D. researchers and maybe a very lucky villager.

Local tip: In the local Lingala or Swahili dialects, there isn’t a famous nickname for this mangabey that’s how under-the-radar it is. One local insight: these monkeys love swampy areas where raffia palms grow.

If you’re ever in their habitat, you might more easily hear them than see them listen for rustling and their distinctive whoops at dawn.

And for us armchair explorers, CITES highlighted this species during a wildlife conference even bureaucrats fangirled over it on Instagram, which tells you how special it is.

6. Dryas Monkey (Salonga Monkey)

A monkey so rare it was once thought mythical, the dryas monkey is the DRC’s little rainforest phantom. Also called the Salonga monkey or by local name “ekele,” this tiny guenon hides in the central Congo Basin and nowhere else. Sporting a striking coat dark back, bright yellow-orange chest, and a white beard – the dryas monkey looks like it’s perpetually wearing a fancy vest. It’s absurdly elusive; for decades we knew it only from a single museum specimen and local tales of a “small tree spirit.” In fact, its Latin name dryas means wood nymph, hinting at its near-mythical status. Good news: camera traps recently proved the dryas monkey is still out there, and perhaps not as critically low in number as feared. Still, it remains one of Africa’s most mysterious primates, hanging on in the deep forests of Salonga National Park and surrounding areas. They live in small groups, quietly feasting on fruits and insects so quietly that scientists are still puzzling out their habits.

Price: You won’t find a “Dryas monkey trekking” permit this creature is pretty much a holy grail for primate geeks. Realistically, the price is time and patience: years of field work or thousands in research funding to set camera traps. For an ordinary traveler, the chance of encountering an ekele in the wild is near zero (you’d sooner spot a unicorn... or at least an okapi!).

Local tip: Local lore in its habitat suggests the dryas monkey is active in secondary forest (places where villagers often set snares for other game which is how a few dryas have been caught on camera inadvertently).

In the Luo language they’re sometimes called “inoko,” and some forest communities barely distinguish them from other monkeys due to their rarity.

Your best bet to see one is through conservation organizations’ updates check out a 2025 awareness reel on Instagram where a primate NGO calls for action to protect the dryas monkey. The fact that even on social media you’ll only see a drawing or grainy cam-trap photo says it all!

7. Aquatic Genet

Did you know cats can swim? Well, this isn’t exactly a cat, but the aquatic genet is a feline-looking carnivore that fishes for a living think “water-loving weasel meets mini leopard.” Endemic to the northeastern DRC’s rainforests, the aquatic genet (scientific name Genetta piscivora) is so rare that it’s almost the stuff of legend. It’s about the size of a housecat with a reddish-brown coat and faint spots.

Unlike its tree-climbing genet cousins, this oddball hangs out along streams in the Ituri forest and has webbed-like paws to scoop fish and crustaceans the only carnivorous mammal in Africa specialized in fishing! It’s been recorded only a handful of times by scientists, all in DR Congo. Locals in its area seldom see it, and it’s as nocturnal as they come. Basically, the aquatic genet is the ninija of the swamp: silent, stealthy, and strikes at night for a fish supper.

Price: There’s no tourism infrastructure for this little guy. You’d have to venture into Okapi Wildlife Reserve or similar areas with a flashlight, bucketloads of DEET, and a hope to spot eye-shine by a stream. The “price” would be arranging a custom forest trek (say $3000 or more, ~7.5 million CDF, in logistics) and even then, odds of success are slim to none. This animal is a biologist’s dream find, not a safari target.

Local tip: The aquatic genet is sometimes called “minsende” by Congolese hunters in the region.

They say it’s so rare that seeing one is an omen (good or bad, depending on the tribe). If you camp by a river, you might hear a splash that isn’t a fish or a croc a clue that our fishy feline is hunting. For a vicarious look, check out an African safari outfit’s post listing the aquatic genet among Congo’s strangest creatures  proof that even seasoned guides brag if they glimpse this animal. You can see it on Instagram (in list form, since photos are basically nonexistent).

8. Upemba Lechwe

This marsh antelope is so rare and localized, it’s literally named after the one place it lives: Upemba. The Upemba lechwe is a medium-sized antelope with elegant ridged horns (in males) and a reddish coat, adapted to swampy grasslands. Once upon a time (we’re talking mid-20th century), thousands of these lechwe bounded through the wetlands of Upemba National Park in southern DRC. But years of poaching and instability nearly wiped them out they went missing from view so long they earned the nickname “Africa’s forgotten antelope.” 

It turns out the Upemba lechwe is endemic to the Kamalondo Depression of DR Congo.

Just this year, conservationists finally captured the first-ever photograph of a living Upemba lechwe in the wild a truly historic moment (the antelope posed, literally, looking at the camera!).

Fewer than 100 are estimated to remain, making it one of the world’s rarest large mammals. It’s a close relative of more common lechwe found in Zambia and Botswana, but those guys can’t compete with Upemba’s isolation this species has been stranded in its wetland oasis for millennia, and now it’s on the brink of extinction.

Price: You could be a pioneer and try to see one but be ready for an adventure. Reaching Upemba National Park means traversing some rough, off-the-map terrain in Katanga.

Also, team up with park rangers; they know the remaining lechwe hangouts. To feel the excitement remotely, check out the African Conservation Foundation’s triumphant post when the lechwe’s photo went public it’s on Instagram and the enthusiasm is palpable.

There is no set tour price; you’d need to coordinate with park authorities or a speciality outfitter. Realistically, it might involve chartering a bush plane or days of driving, hiring rangers, etc. likely running into thousands of dollars (plus hazard pay for the bumpy ride!). And that’s with no guarantee; even researchers had to fly a survey plane to spot them.

Local tip: Upemba locals and rangers were overjoyed at the recent sightings many younger folks had never seen their “legendary” antelope alive. If you go, visit in the late dry season when wetlands shrink and animals concentrate near water.

9. Hero Shrew (Scutisorex)

Tiny animal, superhero spine. The humble hero shrew a small mole-like creature in DRC won’t win any beauty contests, but it could win a strongman competition (if shrews held those). This little insectivore, about the size of a mouse, has a back so strong local folklore says a full-grown man can stand on it without breaking it. (Legend has it, curious Western explorers in the 1910s witnessed exactly that courtesy of the Mangbetu people in Congo, who knew the hero shrew’s secret). What’s the secret?

The hero shrew’s spine is uniquely built with interlocking, super-dense vertebrae  unlike any other mammal on Earth. It’s like mother nature gave it a reinforced steel back.

Why? Scientists theorize it helps the shrew wedge under heavy logs or rocks to find bugs, but honestly, it’s still a mystery. There are actually two species (the original Hero Shrew and the even more robust Thor’s Hero Shrew discovered in 2013, also in DRC). Both are found only in the Congo Basin forests. You could walk past one and never know they’re small, shaggy, and usually hidden in leaf litter. But their X-Men spine is the stuff of anatomical marvel.

Price: There’s no tourist excursion for “shrew spines.” Your best bet to encounter a hero shrew would be joining a scientific survey in DR Congo and even field biologists rarely catch them. In other words, not for sale. This is truly an endemic wonder you’ll have to appreciate in absentia.

Local tip: Congolese communities that know of the hero shrew consider it almost magical. In some areas, a dead hero shrew was used as a charm for strength. If you ever find one (dead or alive), treat it with respect you’re handling a creature that’s basically a living legend.

For a closer look at how insane its backbone is, the Field Museum in Chicago did scans proving it’s four times more robust than a normal shrew’s. (Imagine having 10+ lumbar vertebrae that lock together!).

One quirky spiritual blog even dubbed the hero shrew a “power animal” symbolizing resilience and honestly, that fits. You can glimpse an illustration and shout-out they gave this mighty micro-mammal on Instagram. It’s not your typical wildlife glamour shot, but the hero shrew deserves the love.

10. Upemba Mud Turtle

Our final endemic all-star is a shelled recluse: the Upemba mud turtle. As its name hints, this small aquatic turtle lives in muddy marshes and ponds in Upemba National Park, DRC  and nowhere else on the planetanimalia.bio.

It’s about 20 cm long (8 inches) with a dark, domed shell. Not exactly flashy, but what it lacks in looks it makes up in rarity. These turtles are so range-restricted that they’ve evolved to love Upemba’s particular swamp conditions. They spend their days hiding under vegetation in shallow water, popping up to munch on snails or plants. During the dry season, they estivate (a fancy word for chilling buried in mud until rain returns). The Upemba mud turtle is critically endangered habitat loss and, ironically, its desirability in the pet trade have put it at risk. (Turtle aficionados will pay crazy sums for such rarities, though export from DRC is tightly controlled.) In short, this little mud-dweller is as Congolese as it gets, a true swamp specialist.

Price: Unless you’re a turtle researcher, you’re not likely to see this on a trip but hypothetically, visiting Upemba Park (entry fees are modest, under $50) and heading to its marshes with a guide could give you a shot. Realistically, there’s no tourist package for “mud turtle spotting.” That said, the global turtle nerd community prizes this species captive-bred juveniles can sell for several hundred dollars overseas. (Yes, some people have legally bred a few, under conservation programs.)

Local tip: The Turtle Source, a reptile outfit, joked that Upemba mud turtles “don’t like foreigners”instagram.com – meaning they can be sensitive to environmental change.

So if you do go looking in Upemba, tread softly in their marshes. The park rangers sometimes do surveys for them; if you express interest, you might join a wading session.

Also, keep an eye out at dusk when they’re more active in the water shallows. For a peek at an Upemba mud turtle (and some park scenery) without getting your boots wet, see Upemba National Park’s own post – they highlighted this turtle in a “Life in the Park” feature on Instagram. It’s a proud emblem for the park, even if it’s a humble mud-lover at heart.

From the towering okapi to the tiny hero shrew, DR Congo’s endemic animals are a reminder that some of nature’s most fascinating stories are hyper-local. These species evolved in isolation, often in pockets of forest or swamp that remained stable while change swirled around them. They survived wars, habitat loss, and being unknown to science; now they symbolize both the fragility and resilience of Congo’s wilderness. Traveling to see them is not easy in many cases not feasible but just knowing they exist is a thrill for any wildlife enthusiast.

If you do plan a DRC adventure to seek out even a couple of these creatures, do your homework, hire local guides, and remember that conservation is key. Your permit fees and tour costs help protect these unique animals for the future. And if an actual trip is out of reach, you can still support the organizations working to save them or simply geek out on the latest Instagram updates from afar, cheering each new sighting. Congo’s one-of-a-kind fauna may be elusive, but they capture our imagination, reminding us that our planet holds wonders we’re still discovering.

So here’s to the bonobos making peace, the lechwe making comebacks, and the little shrew that literally won’t crack under pressure. In the grand tapestry of life, DRC’s endemic animals are shining threads rare, beautiful, and totally worth celebrating. Safe (and savvy) travels, or as they say in Congo,

“voyagez bien!”