Semuliki Wildlife Reserve

Location: Nyabushozi County, Kiruhura District, near Mbarara in Uganda

Area: 220 km² (84.9 sq mi)

Overview

British Colonial Government established Semuliki Wildlife Reserve in 1926 and is one of the oldest protected areas in Uganda extending from the Kijura escarpment, north to the River Muzizi and Lake Albert to the low Butuku plains in the west.

The Reserve is located in the western region of Uganda with headquarters at Karugutu in Ntoroko District. Semliki Wildlife Reserve, formerly Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve.  Semuliki Forest was created in 1932 and upgraded to national park status in 1993, the only true lowland tropical forest in East Africa, with recorded 441 bird species and 53 mammals. Large areas of this low-lying park flood during the wet season.

Four distinct ethnic groups living near the park alongside the base of the Rwenzori are Bwamba Farmers and the Bakonjo cultivate the mountain slopes. The Batuku cattle keepers inhabit the open plains and Batwa, pygmies, traditional hunter gathers, live on the edge of the forest.  The park sprawls across the floor of the Semuliki Valley on the remote, western side of the Rwenzori.

Accessible by road in 4 x 4 wheel from Kampala through Fort Portal, the nearest large city via Mubende (4 to 5 hrs.) 180km drive, and air using chartered flights from Entebbe and Kajjansi airfield to Semliki airstrip using Aero link approx. 2 hrs. to the park. This is one of Africa’s most ancient bio-diverse forests, one of the few to survive the last ice age, 12-18000 years ago.

Numerous features associated with central rather than eastern Africa are contained in the Semuliki Valley. Grass-thatched huts are shaded by West African oil palms, the Semuliki River forms the international boundary, and is a miniature version of the Congo River.

The forest is home to numerous Central African wildlife species, with the local population of the Batwa pygmy originating from Ituri. As a result, this park provides a taste of Central Africa without having to leave Uganda. This biologically diverse region provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes.

There are around 435 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics, more than 300 species of butterflies, 46 species of forest swallowtail, 235 moth species, 35 Guinea-Congo forest Biome, spot-breasted ibis, Hartlaub’s duck, Congo serpent eagle, chestnut flanked goshawk, red thighed sparrow hawk, other 12 species with little distribution are the Western bronze-naped pigeon, Yellow-throated cuckoo.

The Uniqueness of this Park

• • Close-up views of animals.

• • Highest destiny of 76 indigenous black rhinos and 13 white rhinos.

• • Nairobi National Park is the oldest park in Kenya, established in 1946.

• • Nairobi National Park is the only national park that exists within a capital city.

Accommodation Options

Activities at the Destination

Birdwatching, game viewing, photography.