WILDLIFE IN UGANDA NATIONAL PARKS

STUNNING WILDLIFE IN UGANDA !!!

Uganda is the pearl of Africa and indeed gifted by nature. In this country tourists get opportunity to spot and interact with real wildlife in their natural ecosystem. This landlocked country is found in East Africa, bordering Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, DRC and South Sudan. It has the source of the Nile-longest River in the world and also a home of the 3^rd largest lake in the world (Lake Victoria).

Here, the world's major iconic species can be viewed in Uganda especially in the country’s National parks, and other protected areas. Here are some of the premier national parks where tourists have remarkable experience as they undertake wildlife tours in Uganda.

Kidepo Valley National Park

It’s the most isolated safari park in Uganda, found in the northeast near the border of South Sudan. The wildlife in Kidepo valley national park provides true definition of African ecosystem and it provides shelter to a variety of animals such as; lions, cheetah, cape buffaloes, giraffes, reedbucks, hyenas, leopards and many others. Kidepo national park is located in a semiarid area but the park has an oasis at Narus valley, in this place animals gather throughout the year as the herbivores search for fresh grass while predators lay their plans to hunt the herbivores for meat. Most of this viewed on game drives along the park’s trails. The park is also a home to more than 500 bird species becoming one of the prime birding tour destinations in Uganda.

Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western Uganda and it receives more tourists compared to other parks in Uganda. The park has very many wildlife species but the outstanding species include the tree climbing lions and other cats, herbivores, hippos (it has the highest number of hippo population in east Africa.), chimp tracking in the Kyambura gorge. Other animals that can be viewed include baboons, waterbucks, elephants, antelopes, buffalos, warthogs and numerous bird species. By the way it’s a birder’s paradise.

Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth national park can be explored on game drives, boat cruise along the Kazinga channel where you view the hippos clearly and close to them. The Kazinga channel connects Lake Edward and Lake George.

In the park there are a number of explosion crater lakes such as the Lake Katwe where salt mining is done locally. It can be toured to learn more about local salt mining techniques, and to understand a rich history of this place.

Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga National Park

These two national parks shelter the most endangered primate species the mountain gorillas. Uganda is among the 3 countries with mountain gorillas and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest shelters half of the world’s mountain gorilla population with 11 habituated mountain gorilla families and Mgahinga National Park apparently has 1 mountain gorilla family, Nyakagezi. Trekking mountain gorillas in Uganda can be done at any time of the year but to get a great experience can be done in the dry season. Because occasional rains tend to distract the trekking process. Exploring mountain gorillas in their natural habitats is said to be an exclusive, emotional, exciting, and once in life time exploration, that’s why every year there is a continuous flow of tourists who come to visit Uganda specifically for mountain gorilla trekking tours.

Murchison Falls National Park

This park is notably the largest national park in Uganda and it stretches from Midwestern Uganda and extends to northern Uganda. Murchison Falls National Park has over 76 mammals and over 500 bird species. It’s the home of the Murchison falls (strongest falls in Uganda) and can be viewed on a boat cruise along the Victoria Nile to the bottom of the falls. In Murchison falls national park you won’t miss to view animals such as; cape buffaloes, giraffes, antelopes, water bucks, elephants, lions and many others. On a boat cruise along the Nile will give you an opportunity to meet the crocodiles, hippos and birds.

In the Budongo forest reserve there is chimp tracking, birding tours and watching other primates. You can view the oldest tree in this forest reserve when doing nature walk.