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Many endemic species have evolved in the lowland forests of this ecoregion, some parts of which have yet to be explored! Because of its vast, intact wilderness areas, the Northeastern Congo Basin Moist Forests ecoregion contains a rich assortment of species. Here you might find primates such as the eastern lowland gorilla and red colobus monkey. The stunning okapi—a relative of the giraffe, with a brown body and zebra-striped legs—nibbles plants and fungi in the undergrowth. You might spy a dwarf antelope browsing leaves and hear green-backed woodpeckers hammering on the trees. But if you come across a brush-tailed porcupine, look out! It will stamp its feet, rattle its tail, and erect its spines in self-defense! Other notable species include the collared lovebird, Congo peacock, and the hardnosed toad.
Glaciers carved out the Congo basin during the last Ice Age, turning it into a giant basin for melting ice. Now the moist area contains vast stretches of species-rich forests, including the forests of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the lowland forests of the Itombwe Mountains to the south. Among the many unusual mammals found in this region are a number of small carnivores. The aquatic civet wades slowly into shallow pools of water and gently pats the surface using its vibrissae (whiskers) to pick up the vibrations of fish, then snatches them with a quick bite. Alexander’s mongoose forages for earthworms, snails, slugs, beetles, and other animals in the leaf litter. The giant forest genet looks and sounds like a cross between a cat and a weasel: It hisses, growls, purrs, meows, coughs, whines, and screams! Of course, mammals aren't the only unusual inhabitants of these forests. You might spy two birds restricted to this forest: the long-tailed Bedford's paradise flycatcher, which catches its prey in midair, or Turner's eremomela, a small warbler. Reptiles include the African slender-snouted crocodile and African dwarf crocodile. Among the many butterfly species found here, the African giant swallowtail is one of the largest and most beautiful.
The major threat to the habitats of this ecoregion is deforestation, caused by the expansion and immigration of agricultural people. This threat, most pronounced in the east, is due to the movement of refugees from recent wars in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Hunting of animals for food and for medicinal values is, however, a threat to many of the larger mammal and bird species. Mining for gold is another, although minor, threat to forests of the ecoregion. In the central part of the ecoregion there are lesser threats, since there are fewer people and those that live there (mainly pygmies) support themselves in ways that preserve the forest vegetation.
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