It is among Africa's oldest parks and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980 for its protection of critical habitat for northern white rhinoceroses, African elephants, hippopotamuses, and giraffes.

Garamba National Park was established in 1938 and covers an area of 4,900 km2 (1,900 sq mi) in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

These two biogeographic zones support a variety of wildlife, which have experienced population declines in recent decades because of poaching.

[5] ICCN rangers, augmented with soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, work to protect Garamba from poachers and rebel groups.

[7][8] Between 1991 and 1993, 50,000 Sudanese refugees settled outside Garamba after being displaced by the Sudan People's Liberation Army, resulting in increased poaching.

[11] Organizations like the Frankfurt Zoological Society, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and World Wildlife Fund have also worked with local authorities to rehabilitate Garamba.

[15] Poachers have killed at least 21 park rangers in the last decade, as of 2017, and security concerns have contributed to Garamba's struggle to establish itself as a tourist destination.

[5][12][16] In 2009, the guerrilla group attacked Garamba's Nagero station, killing at least eight people, including two park rangers, and wounding an additional thirteen.

[3] Garamba is home to 138 recorded mammal species,[6] including various antelope,[24] as well as buffalo, elephants, hyenas, giant forest hogs, giraffes, hippopotamus, and lions.

[5][4][10] Only fifteen northern white rhinos were reported in Garamba in the mid 1980s, prompting the park's inclusion on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.

[31][32][33] In 2023, restoration efforts led to 16 white rhinos being moved from a private game reserve in South Africa to the park.