In 1984, the national park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its protection of a large swath of relatively intact rainforest and its important habitat for many rare species.

[5] Due to the civil war in the eastern half of the country, it was added to the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1999.

It is known that bonobo densities are highest around Iyaelima villages which shows that they cause no threat to the park's emblematic species.

[8] The large size and ecological complexity of this rainforest has allowed species and communities to evolve relatively undisturbed.

[1] Of 735 identified plant species in the southwestern part of the park, 85% rely on animals to disperse their seeds, a process called zoochory.

[8] Many large mammals are found within the park at relatively high densities, including Bongo antelopes, black-crested mangabeys, leopards, and bonobos.