The Congo River
The world's newest travel destination,
Summary
Countries
Statistics
Plants
Indigenous People
They grew bananas and two type of yams. Gold and ivory was traded, they did some gold mining and they were hunters and gatherers.
Animals
The animals that live in the area of the Congo include more than 400 animal species. They are mostly mammals, birds and fish. These include lizards, snakes, hippopotami, hyena, leopards, lions, rhinoceroses, dolphins and whales.
The most abundant type of animal is the fish. There are at least 686 species of fish within the river. 80% of those 686 species of fish aren't found anywhere else in the world. Many of the fish change from habitat to habitat each season. One of the fish species is the elephant fish. This fish is iconic for its long, nose like appendage. Another indiginous species of fish is the lungfish. This fish is able to survive in anoxic (no oxygen) and hypoxic (low oxygen). During dry seasons, this species of fish burrows in the mud and encases itself in mucous. A third species of fish is Bichirs. They are fish of the family Polypteridae have the characteristics of ancient fish, with lobed fins and a hard coating on their scales.