Kaniama Elephant Refuge

The Kaniama Elephant Refuge is a protected conservation landscape in the Greater Kasaï region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although administratively classified under hunting domains, Kaniama's primary purpose is the protection of elephant populations and their habitats, making it one of the country's most important elephant refuges outside national parks. The area provides critical refuge for elephants migrating between savanna and woodland ecosystems, offering relative safety in a region historically impacted by habitat pressure. Kaniama plays a vital role in elephant conservation in central–southern DRC, wildlife corridor protection across Kasaï savanna landscapes, human–wildlife coexistence strategies, and carbon storage via intact miombo woodlands.