Uganda Wildlife Safaris : Uganda the pearl of Africa is blessed with numerous wildlife species which are being protected from danger each and every day by gazetting them in national parks, wildlife reserves, wildlife sanctuaries. Located in the Eastern part of Africa Uganda is blessed with 10 national game parks,12 wildlife reserves , 13wildlife sanctuaries and 5 community wildlife management zones. All these gazetted areas have a variety of wild animals and birds that are worth ones Uganda wildlife safari experience.
Let’s look at the various gazetted/protected areas under national parks include; Murchison’s Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo National Park, mount Rwenzori national park, lake Mburo national park, Mgahinga National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable national park, kibble national park, Semuliki national part and mount Elgon national park
Wild animals in these reserved Uganda wildlife viewing points include;
Murchison Falls National Park
Located in the north western part of Uganda, Murchison falls lies along the Victoria Nile and spreads to the shores of lake albert it is found in the district of Nwoya spreading through Masindi, bulisa and kiryandongo districts. It is approximately 233.6km from Kampala Uganda
Wildlife at Murchison Falls National Park include;
Lions, elephants, buffaloes that move in herds, leopards, crocodiles, chimpanzees, hippopotamus, Nubian giraffes, Jacksons hearte beast, Uganda kob, sitatunga, warthogs, bush bucks, water bucks, hyenas, monkeys, oribis, Rhinos which are at Ziwa sanctuary, baboons, fish among others
Wildlife at Queen Elizabeth National Park;
Found in the western part of Uganda occupying districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Rukungiri it is a distance of approximately 400km by road from Kampala the capital city of Uganda. The following are wildlife animals found in Queen Elizabeth National Park;
Tree climbing lions, Ugandan kob, Giant foresthog, warthog, Topi, red tailed monkeys, loepards, civet, genal and serval cats, African Elephant, zebra, African buffalo, chimpanzes, crocodiles, spotted hyenas, water buck, side stripped jackals, mongooses, giant forest hogs, cheetah, bush pigs, baboons among others
Wildlife at Kidepo National Park
Kidepo National Park is found in the far northeast part of Uganda in the district of kaabong. This national park is approximately 561.7km from Kampala city. The following are wild animals found at Kidepo National Park.
Lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, leopards, ostriches, wild dog, eland, hyena, jackals, zebra, cheetah Jacksons hartebeest, oribi, klipspringer, antelops, spotted hyena, warthogs, guenthers dik dik, caracal among others
Wildlife at Lake Mburo National park.
One of the smallest and closest national parks found in western Uganda lake Mburo National Park is approximately 230.5km from Kampala situated in the district of kiruhura which is very close with the home of the president meaning additional security.
The following are animals found in Lake Mburo National Park;
Elands, zebras, impalas, leopard, hippos, Defassa, waterbuck, topi, reedbuck, oribi, buffalos, lions, horses, monkeys, baboons, lions, buffaloes, leopards, hippos, giraffes, crocodiles among others
Wildlife at MT Elgon national park.
Bordering Kenya MT Elgon is a beautiful wonder comprising of the beautiful savannah vegetation in Uganda and is a home to the following wild animals;
Lions, savannah elephants, forest buffalos, leopards, squirrels, spotted hyenas, duiker, blue colobus monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, cheetahs, warthogs, civets, serval cats, hyraxes, rock and tree hyraxes, klipspringers, black –backed jackals, African wild cats, sitatungas stripped jackals, bush pigs, defasa waterbucks, oribi among others
Wildlife at Mgahinga National Park
This national park is known for its large population of mountain gorillas some of which have been habituated for easy gorilla trekking experience. The park has the following wild animals;
Mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, buffaloes, elephants, spotted hyenas, warthogs, genets, wild African cats, serval cats, forest hogs, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bush duikers including red and blue duikers, rock hyraxes, tree hyraxes, leopards, klipspringers, squirrels, side striped and black backed jackals, bush pigs among others
Wildlife at Kibale National Park
This national park is famous for chimpanzee trekking however it has a variety of wild animals protected in it such as;
Chimpanzees some have been habituated, l’hoest’s, golden monkeys, buffaloes, elephants, spotted hyenas, warthogs, genets, wild African cats, serval cats, forest hogs, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bush duikers including red and blue duikers, rock hyraxes, tree hyraxes, leopards, klipspringers, squirrels, side striped and black backed jackals, bush pigs among others.
Wildlife at MT Rwenzori National Park
This park is a park to Africa’s third highest mountain and it’s no doubt that it’s also a home to numerous wild animals such as;
l’hoest’s, golden monkeys, buffaloes, elephants, spotted hyenas, warthogs, genets, wild African cats, serval cats, forest hogs, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bush duikers including red and blue duikers, rock hyraxes, tree hyraxes, leopards, klipspringers, squirrels, side striped and black backed jackals, bush pigs, Chimpanzees can also be seen once in a while among others.
Wildlife at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, buffaloes these are also rarely seen though they exist, elephants however these are rarely seen, spotted hyenas, warthogs, genets, wild African cats, serval cats, forest hogs, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bush duikers including red and blue duikers, rock hyraxes, tree hyraxes, leopards, klipspringers, squirrels, side striped and black backed jackals, bush pigs among others.
Wildlife at Semuliki National Park
Baboons, leopards, buffaloes, lions, hyenas, mongooses, sitatunga, pygmy antelopes, reedbucks, serval cats, forest hogs, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bush duikers including red and blue duikers, rock hyraxes, tree hyraxes, leopards, klipspringers, squirrels, side striped and black backed jackals, bush pigs among others.
Ziwa rhino sanctuary
A home to over 30 rhinos that belong to the big four categories where the rhinos are provided a safe habitat Ziwa Wildlife Sanctuary also possess other wild animals as listed below;
Southern white rhinocerous, buffaloes, leopard, wild cats, hyenas both the spotted and stripped hyenas, duiker both red and blue duiker, Uganda kob, water buck, oribi, warthog, primates like the black and white colobus monkey, the red tailed and blue monkeys among others, reedbuck, bush buck, side stripped and black backed jackals to mention but a few.
Entebbe wildlife sanctuary
This is also known as the Entebbe Wildlife Education Centre or Entebbe zoo and consists of the following wild animals;
Lion, hyena, leopard, serval cat, snakes including cobras, vipers and boomslang, lizards, giraffes, Uganda kob, baboons, primate’s primates like the black and white colobus monkey, the red tailed and blue monkeys among others, duiker, oribi, bush back, African wild cat, black backed jackals among others, southern white rhinoceros which have been taken to zziwa rhino sanctuary, chameleons to mention but a few.
A tourist can there book a Uganda wildlife safari with Focus East Africa Tours one of the best tour companies in the country basing on their preference to be able to enjoy this experience.
