A wildlife enthusiast’s dream country. Uganda offers wildlife enthusiasts the most incredible diversity in terms of scenery and wildlife and certainly has more bird species than any other country in Africa. This really is a country where visitors can definitely ‘tick ‘many boxes in terms of seeing a huge range of animals.
This is especially significant when one realises that Uganda is a relatively small country compared to many others in Africa. With regards to the larger animals, Uganda does indeed have the ‘big 5’ – leopard, lion, buffalo, elephant and rhino. With regards to the larger animals, Uganda does indeed have the ‘big 5’ – leopard, lion, buffalo, elephant and rhino.
Ziwa Sanctuary is home to protected white rhino and apart from very interesting vegetation – wild asparagus, lucky bean vines, semi deciduous trees and savannah grasslands, there is also a chance to see the rare and exceptional shoebill stork in the reserves swamp area. Visitors should also look out for gonoleck, sunbirds, plantain eater, woodland kingfisher, crowned crane, African Palm Swift and sulphur breasted bush shrike.
What Uganda is most known for of course are the gorilla treks and trekking to see chimpanzees. For Chimpanzees, one can trek through beautiful forests such as Kibale and Kaniyo Pabidi in the Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park and they are also resident in Maramagambo and Bwindi.
Budongo Central Forest Reserve has incredible biodiversity and apart from primates and birds (rare forest bird species such as the Puvel's Illadopses), there are around 290 different types of butterflies. Budongo also has reptiles and amphibians and 95 different species of mammal.
Mountain gorillas are found in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the far south western part of Uganda. Trekking to see these magnificent animals and spending one precious hour with an animal that we share 94% of our DNA with, is without doubt one of the worlds most extraordinary meetings. Bwindi contains 90% of all Albertine Rift Endemics.
Other primates found in Uganda include black-and-white colobus, olive baboons, blue monkeys, mangabey, red tailed monkey and pattas monkey.
Plains game associated with the plains of East Africa are also found in several parks – the northern Kidepo has large herds of buffalo and elephant, wonderful prides of tree climbing lions, and in Murchison Falls National Park, there are rare Rothschild’s giraffe.
Bird species in Murchison include blue cheeked bee-eater, African jacana, red throated bee-eater, spur winged plover, saddle billed stork, goliath heron, long crested eagle, piapiacs, Heuglins francolin, palmnut vulture and Denholms bustard, Namaqua dove, red billed quelea, blue spotted wood dove, pygmy kingfisher, cordon bleu and the biggest tick of all- the shoebill.
By Marcela Kunova - 20th April 2017
Nicola Shepherd, founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, organises unusual trips for HNW and UHNW clients ranging from birthday parties at an Indian Maharajah's palace to reliving Sir Vivian Fuchs's 1950s expedition to the South Pole. Citywealth caught ...
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