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Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest savannah park in Uganda at a size of 370 square kilometers, the park is located in western Uganda spanning both Kiruhura and Mbarara districts. Lake Mburo National Park is the closest national park to Uganda’s capital – Kampala is approximately 4 hours drive, the park is the only park in the country where impalas, slender mongooses and giant bush rats can be found.

Lake Mburo National Park is also the most accessible national park in Uganda situated along Kampala – Masaka – Mbarara Highway.

The park boasts a variety of habitats including dry hillsides, rocky outcries, bush thickets, open and wooded savannah, forest, lakes and swamps. The landscape is dotted with a chain of lakes of over 14 with Lake Mburo being the largest lake.

Lake Mburo National Park lies in the rain shadow between the Rwenzori Mountains and Lake Victoria thus experience an average rainfall of 798 mm per year, the park’s location makes it a great tourism spot to connect to other fascinating Uganda safari destinations such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park and Lake Bunyonyi.

According to the local Ankole myth and legend, two brothers Kigarama and Mburo once lived in a big valley around the park. One-night Kigarama had a revelation in a dream that warmed of a danger that would befall them if they continued staying in the valley, he shared his dream with Mburo who did not believe him. In search for safety, Kigarama moved to safety on the hills away from the valley. One day the valley got flooded with water after a heavy rain which drowned Mburo, the lake was named Mburo and the nearby hill Kigarama.

Lake Mburo National Park

History of Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park has had a turbulent past which even led to the near total elimination of wildlife through various human activities such as poaching and encroachment of the park’s land by the surrounding tribes.

The park was started as a controlled hunting area in 1933and later in 1963 it was turned into a game reserve. In 1983, the reserve was upgraded into a game park with the intention of removing the local Banyankole pastoralists who were accused of supporting government rebels against to regime of Milton Obote led by the current president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Following the fall of the region of Milton Obote, the park was raided by the pastoralists and reoccupied it after chasing away the park’s staff. Since then, the park has never regained its former size because the new government could only reclaim half of its former park land from the locals.

Currently, the park is under Uganda Wildlife Authority which works closely with the local tribes living around the park to help protect the animals in the park, the park has become an example of how human communities around the parks can co-exist with wildlife. This collaboration has been successfully and reintroduction of lions and giraffes has been successful.

Lake Mburo National Park is a Lion Conservation Unit.

Wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is home to the largest population of zebras in Uganda and many other wildlife species thriving in the savannah plains, commonest wildlife in the park includes elands, sitaungas, klipspringers, side striped jackal, leopards, impalas, zebra, white tailed mongoose and three species of otters which are resident to the lakes, topi, bushbuck, common duiker, oribi, Defassa waterbuck and Bohor reedbuck. There are also healthy populations of buffaloes, warthogs, bush pig and hippos living in the lush fringing vegetation round the lakes.

Birdlife in Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is a great Uganda birding destination with recorded 315 bird species, the park is the best place in Uganda to see acacia – associated birds. The park is home to southern species at the very northern limit of their range such as the southern ground hornbill, black – collared and black – throated barbets and green – capped eremomela.

Lake Mburo Park is also a great place to see mosque swallow, black-bellied bustard, bare-faced go-away bird, and Ruppell’s long-tailed starling. Other bird species you will find in Lake Mburo national park include six papyrus endemics which are resident around the swamps including brilliantly colored papyrus gonolek, the striking blue-headed coucal, the highly localized white-winged, and the endemic papyrus yellow warblers.

Lake Mburo National Park

Uganda Safari Activities In Lake Mburo National Park

Game Drives

Game drives are most thrilling safari activity in Lake Mburo National Park allowing visitors to spot most of the animals in the park and birds, game drives are led by an armed ranger from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and have knowledge about the park, where to find the animals and different species of wildlife.

Game drives are done as morning game drives, afternoon game drives and evening/night game drives. Some of the animals to lookout for during the game drives include leopards, impalas, zebra, white tailed mongoose, otters, topi, bushbuck, common duiker, oribi, Defassa waterbuck and Bohor reedbuck among others. Night game drives last about 2 hours and offer excellent sights of genets, leopards, bush pigs, mongooses and white tailed mongooses.

Bird Watching

Lake Mburo National Park is one of the best places for birding in Uganda, this thrilling excursion is done along the swamps of Warukira and Miriti and some of the birds to lookout for include the rare white backed heron and African finfoot, African grey hornbill, barefaced go-way bird, black-billed barbet, blue-napped mousebird, brown parrot, common quails, crested francolin, emerald spotted wood Dove, greenwood hoopoe, Lilac-breasted Roller, Nubian woodpecker, Rednecked Spur, trilling cisticola, white-winged warbler and the Shoebill stork. While at the Rwonyo camp, birders can also spot the African-wattled plover Rufous, Black Bellied Bustard, Coqui francolin, Flappet larks, red-necked spur fowl, Rufuos chested Swallow, southern Red Bishop, temminck’s courser and yellow-throated long claw.

Quad Biking

Because of the few big cats in the park and is one of the best ways to spot game, the quad bikes take you in the middle of the grazing zebras and the surrounding areas to spot and interact with the local Banyakole tribe grazing their long horned Ankole cattle.

Horseback Safaris

Horseback safari is one of the unique and eco-friendly Uganda safari activity and in Uganda it is offered only in Lake Mburo National Park, this amazing activity offers visitors a chance to explore the park on the back of a horse and get very close to the animals such as elands and zebras among others.

Since horses resemble zebras, animals do not run away like they during the presence of safari cars.

Boat Cruise

Boat cruise in Lake Mburo National Park are done along Lake Mburo the largest lake in the chain, as you sail on the calm waters of the lake you will see many animals including zebras, antelopes, crocodiles, hippos and many water birds thriving in the swamps such as African Fish Eagles, Blue-headed Weavers, Cormorants, Green-necked Doves, Hammerkops, Herons, Malachite Kingfishers, Pelicans, Pied Kingfishers, Rufous Long-tailed Starlings and Shoebill Storks.

Guided Nature Walks

Lake Mburo National Park is one of the few parks in Uganda where guided nature walks can be done and this due to lack of elephants, this activity is done under the guidance of an armed guard from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

As you explore the park on foot, you will get to see various antelopes, zebras, buffaloes, giraffes as they graze. On the morning walks, you will be able to encounter hyenas as they return to their dens after nights of hunting or hippos heading back to the water after a night of grazing on land.

Sport Fishing

There are numerous lakes and spot in the park like Mazinga offering opportunities for fish species like the Tilapia, Haplochromes, mud fish, lung fish and mud fish. This spot is located in a safe section of Lake Mburo with no crocodiles or hippos.

Visitors are allowed to fly their catch with a help of someone from the lodge.

Accommodation In Lake Mburo National Park

The park does not have many accommodation options, however there are a number of amazing accommodation options ranging from luxury, midrange to budget. These available options include

Luxury Accommodation

  • Mihingo Lodge
  • Rwakobo Rock
  • Acadia Cottages

Midrange Accommodation

  • Mburo Eagle’s Nest
  • Kimbla Montana Camp
  • Lake Mburo Safari Lodge
  • Hyena Hill Lodge

Budget Accommodation

  • Rwonyo Rest Camp
  • Lake Mburo Campsite

How To Get To Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo is the most accessible national park in Uganda located between Mbarara and Kampala – the capital of Uganda and is easily accessible from both places, from Kampala it is approximately 4 hours of drive at about 211 kilometers on Kampala – Mbrarara Highway. There is a signpost on the left pointing to the Nshara gate of the park.

From Mbarara, it is only 47 kilometers to reach the park’s headquarters, the signpost indicating a right turn can be seen when you reach Sanga. From Sanga it is a distance of 12 kilometers to reach Rweshsheshebe Gate of the park, the road from Sanga to the park’s gate is not tamarc.

There are chartered flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to the airstrip in Mbarara and connect to the park by road.

 

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