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Uganda
has about 10 National
Parks and several
protected areas.
The Parks/Protected
Areas teem with
large numbers of
mammals including
elephants, various
types of antelope,
buffalo and other
names normally found
in East Africa.
Large Mountainous
Forests are also
a haven for the
famed Mountain Gorillas,
Chimpanzee and Monkeys
which are part of
the Primates of
the world, wildlife’s
closest species
to man. There are
also numerous lakes
and rivers and the
Ruwenzori Mountains
which is Africa’s
tallest mountain
range. Bwindi Impenetrable
Forest National
Park is Uganda’s
most famous national
park because of
Gorilla Tracking
for the resident
Mountain Gorillas
some of which are
habituated.
BWINDI
IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL
PARK
Bwindi
Impenetrable Forest
National Park in
south-western Uganda
is home to roughly
half of the world's
Mountain Gorillas
making it world
famous for Gorilla
Tracking.
The
national park has
90 mammal species,
including 11 primates
of which the black-and-white
colobus with its
lovely flowing white
tail, is prominent.
The park also hosts
Chimpanzee, Monkeys
and other smaller
antelope in addition
to more than 20
species of bird
and there is also
Elephant.
Bwindi
is a UN World Heritage
Site.
QUEEN
ELIZABETH NATIONAL
PARK
Queen
Elizabeth National
Park, one of Uganda’s
most popular National
Parks is home to
buffalo, elephant
and many antelope.
The park borders
Rwenzori mountains
and Lakes Edward
and Lake George
The parks boasts
more than 600 species
of bird recorded
making it an ornithologists’
paradise. There
are also almost
100 species of mammals
including elephant,
hippos, the giant
forest hog and the
tree-climbing lions
of Ishasha.
KIBALE
NATIONAL PARK
Kibale
National Park is
a primatologist’s
dream. It is home
to about 13 species
of primates and
about 335 species
of birds. It hosts
a population of
more than 1,000
chimpanzees. One
80-strong community
has been habituated
to tourist visits.
There are about
half-a-dozen readily
observed monkey
species, including
the acrobatic red
colobus and black-and-white
colobus and the
handsome L’Hoest’s
monkey.
MURCHISON
FALLS NATIONAL PARK
Murchison
Falls National Park,
name after Murchison
Falls is Uganda’s
largest protected
area with a large
populations of lion,
buffalo, elephant
and Uganda kob together
with Rothschild’s
giraffe and patas
monkey. Large numbers
of hippos and birds
can be seen during
launch trips on
River Nile below
the spectacular
Murchison Falls.
LAKE
MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Lake
Mburo National Park
is centred on a
series of swamp-fringed
lakes known for
their rich birdlife,
notably the secretive
African fin-foot.
The green acacia
woodland surrounding
the lake harbours
dense populations
of zebra, warthog,
buffalo, topi, impala
and various other
grazers, including
the last surviving
Ugandan population
of eland, the largest
of African antelope.
Lake Mburo is actually
the best place to
see the eland.
The
five lakes within
the park attract
hippos, crocodiles
and a variety of
waterbirds, while
fringing swamps
hide secretive papyrus
specialists such
as the sitatunga
antelope and red,
black and yellow
papyrus gonalek.
RUWENZORI
MOUNTAINS NATIONAL
PARK
Rwenzori
Mountains National
Park west of the
120km-long Rwenzori
Mountains, ‘Mountains
of the Moon’, is
a world-class hiking
and mountaineering
destination. Rising
from the Rift Valley
floor up to 5100m,
the mountains support
large areas of evergreen
and bamboo forest,
while the higher
moorland zone is
known for its other-worldly
cover of giant heathers,
lobelias and groundsels.
The
mountains’ glacial
peaks can can be
seen from far and
wide but the slopes
above 1,600m are
for hiking enthusiasts.
The Rwenzoris are
rated among the
most challenging
of all African mountains.
A
variety of mammals
live in the lower
slopes of the mountains.
But mostly, the
mountains are visited
for their scenery
and flora. The rainforest
rattles with monkeys,
birds, tall bamboo
forest, before emerging
into moorland and
a landscape of bizarre
giant lobelias,
towering black
rock and white snow.
SEMLIKI
NATIONAL PARK
The
remote Semliki National
Park is an extension
into Ugandan of
Democratic Republic
of Congo’s Ituri
Rainforest at the
base of the Rwenzori.
The Park is of special
interest to ornithologists
for some 40 Congolese
bird species recorded
nowhere else in
the country. Nearby,
the Semliki Wildlife
Reserve bordering
Lake Albert is one
of the best places
for sightings of
the enigmatic, swamp-dwelling
shoebill.
MOUNT
ELGON NATIONAL PARK
Mount
Elgon National Park,
near the border
with Kenya at Mbale,
encompasses the
4,321 metre Mt.
Elgon. Mt. Elgon
has the largest
base of an extinct
volcano in the world.
With its lush Afro-montane
forest, grassland
and moorland habitats
make the park a
rewarding destination
for hikers and other
natural history
enthusiasts.
KIDEPO
VALLEY NATIONAL
PARK
Kidepo
Valley National
Park in northeastern
Uganda is remote,
wild and little-visited.
The park is a refuge
to a wide variety
of dry-country wildlife
species not found
elsewhere in the
country, including
cheetah and greater
kudu. Its perennial
waters attract large
herds of elephant
and thousands buffalo
especially during
the dry season.
MGAHINGA
GORILLA NATIONAL
PARK
Mgahinga
Gorilla National
Park protects the
Uganda portion of
Virungas Mountains,
a string of freestanding,
some active and
some extinct volcanoes
running along the
border with Rwanda
and Democratic Republic
of Congo. Mountain
Gorillas are the
main attraction
For
more information
on Uganda National
Parks, visit http://www.uwa.or.ug
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