The Wildlife of Uganda
The Wildlife of Uganda; 11 Days / 10 Nights
For an Itinerary, Pricing, and Questions:
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On the road in Uganda
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The Pearl of Africa
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The famous Ankole cattle of Uganda are a source of pride for ranchers.
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Tour Highlights
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is a great opportunity to see the Southern White Rhino up close and in the wild. Your safari vehicle will bring you within a kilometer or two of the rhinos, but from there you are on foot - under the guidance of a very experienced ranger.
Southern White Rhinos consume about 120 pounds of grass per day.
The sanctuary is a remarkable success story for conservation. Founded with the mission to reintroduce rhinos back into the wild, the sanctuary now has a population of 36 rhinos, after beginning with only 6 in 2005. Currently there are about 16,000 white rhinos worldwide. The White Rhino is not named for its color - "white" is from a mispronunciation of the Afrikaans word "wyd", meaning "wide" in reference to the wide mouths of these rhinos.
Despite weighing more than 8,000 pounds, rhinos can reach speeds of 30 miles per hour! The gestation period for a white rhino is 16 to 18 months.
Kibale National Park
Primate Capital of the World - KIbale is home to 13 of Uganda's 19 primate species . . .
The Ugandan Wildlife Authority has excellent, highly trained rangers who are responsible for the safety of both animals and visitors in the national parks. Kibale is home to a population of about 1,500 Chimpanzees.
The Kibale National Park is home to 13 of Uganda's 19 species of primate.
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The 19 primate species found in Uganda:
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Patas Monkey
Black and White Colobus
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Murchison Falls National Park
Wildlife in the Park
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On the Nile
On the NileTraveling by boat up the Victoria Nile towards the falls, you will see numerous wildlife along the banks of the river.
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Elephants
Elephants
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The falls
Murchison Falls are named after Sir Roderick Murchison, an English geologist who died in 1871. Alternatively the falls are called Kabalega Falls after a former king of the Bunyoro Kingdom who led a rebellion against the British in the 1890s.
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Murchison Falls is not the largest or highest waterfall in the world, but it's generally considered to be the most powerful as the Victoria Nile squeezes into a six meter wide gap and falls 140 feet before continuing towards Lake Albert.
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Queen Elizabeth National Park
Covering nearly 2,000 square kilometers, Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to over 600 species of birds and 95 species of mammals including elephants, lions, leopards, buffalo, hippopotamus, Ugandan kob, chimpanzees, crocodiles, etc.
Lions and Leopards
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Queen Elizabeth Park is considered a stronghold for lions in Central Africa and was designated a "lion conservation unit" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Of particular note are the park's "tree-climbing" lions and QEP is one of only two places in the world where this behavior is frequently observed. Climbing trees certainly gives the lions a commanding view of any potential prey in the area but also provides a break from insects and the midday heat.
In contrast, it is very usual for leopards to spend much of their time in trees. Unlike lions, leopards live mostly solitary lives and can be more difficult to spot.
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A Leopard peers from a Cactus Tree
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Photo by Angie Gottling
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A Cactus Tree conceals a pride of lions resting among its branches
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Photo by Graham Hobster
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Hippos
The Kazinga Canal, which connects Lake Edward and Lake George in Queen Elizabeth National Park, has the highest concentration of hippos in the world. The third largest land mammal (after elephants and rhinos) hippos can weigh nearly 6,000 pounds. During the day hippos are easily spotted in lakes and rivers but they are most active at night when they emerge from the water and walk distances up to five miles while grazing.
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African buffalo
Africa's largest and most powerful bovid, the African Buffalo weighs up to 800 kilograms.
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In both Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth Parks are hybrid mixes of the darker Savanna Buffalo and the lighter and smaller Forest Buffalo. Buffalos may appear docile but can be extremely ill tempered and quite dangerous if they perceive a threat.
The birds always near, or on, buffalos, rhinos, and elephants are the very helpful Oxpeckers which feed on ticks and other insects that live on the animals' skin. The Oxpecker's call also serves as an alarm that danger could be near. In Swahili, the Oxpecker is called "askari wa kifaru)" which translates to "the Rhino's guard." |
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Park Wildlife
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Photo by Rod Waddington; Creative Commons
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Photo by Rod Waddington; Creative Commons
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Tracking Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi is an unforgettable experience. Rangers lead small groups of visitors to one of the 17 gorilla families for one to two hour long visits. (There are a total of 36 gorilla families in the park but some are not habituated to humans.) Mountains gorillas are only found in three countries in the world and in just two spots: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the Virunga Volcano region located in Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.
Lake Mburo National Park
Antelopes
Topi
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Male Impala
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Female Bushbuck
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Adult Male Waterbuck
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Hartebeest
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Eland
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Female Impala
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Oribi
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Male Bushbuck
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Young Male Waterbuck
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Rothschild Giraffes
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Rothschild (also known as Baringo) Giraffes were introduced to the park in 2015 when the Uganda Wildlife Authority relocated 15 of them from Murchison Falls. With about 1,400 in the wild, the Rothschild is no longer considered endangered. The Rothschild Giraffe's coat has dark orange and brown patches with beige. It lacks markings on its lower legs.
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Zebras
Female Impalas look for danger in every direction at Lake Mburo National Park
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Inclusions
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Exclusions
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