Murchison falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s biggest natural protected area covering an area of about 3,840 sq km. The Park is named after the Murchison falls that are formed as the Victoria Nile squeezes through a tiny gorge of about 8metres wide before it plunges down the rocks making a thunderous roar as it pours down into what is called the devil’s cauldron. It is also Uganda’s oldest park and was originally called Kabalega national national. It is located in the north western part of Uganda, in the Murchison conservation at the northern boundaries of Albertine rift valley. It is among the best wildlife reserve one must visit while in Uganda. It also located close to other wildlife reserves like Bugungu and Karuma which may be an added advantage if you’re a wildlife lover.
Murchison falls was first gazette in 1926 as a wildlife reserve before it was elevated to the national park status. Today, this park is a home to so many different tourists’ attraction that any tourists will find interesting to watch while on a safari. It has over including over 144 different species of mammals and 4 of which are the big fives that include elephants, lions, Buffaloes and leopards. The Rhino which is the fifth on the list of big fives can also be found in the rhino sanctuary located in Nakasongola district which along the way to Murchison from Kampala. This means, a single safari to Murchison gives you an opportunity to meet all the big fives.
Other mammals found in this park include animals like Rothschild giraffes, various antelope species like bush and water bucks, Uganda kobs, warthogs, there are Jackson’s hartebeest and hyenas, among so many others. There is also a number of aquatic animals that live in the Victoria Nile and are often seen along the river shores as they sunbath. There include large bloats of hippos and crocodiles as well as water birds.
Primates watching is also very possible in Murchison falls park because this place is a home to various primate species for example the baboons, different monkey species but the commonest are the vevert monkeys. If you wish to do a complete primates tour that include chimpanzees, then you can include a visit to Budongo forest which located almost inside Murchison falls for the chimpanzee tracking adventure.
Bird lovers will also find Murchison falls are a very interesting place to visit especially since it is a home to about 556 bird species according the Uganda wildlife records. This total include about 23 species which are Albertine rift endemic since the park is found within east African rift valley’s western arm. A birding to Murchison falls gives you a chance to meet some of the rare and sometimes most sought bird species like the shoe bill stork bird. This bird can be found in the swampy areas along the river banks towards the Albert delta.
Other species like the red winged grey warbler and all the woodland bird species are commonly seen in the southern river bank. It is also true that different bird species can be found in any part / all over the park and all you need to be is keen and also have a really good safari guide to help you out
A visit to Murchison can be done anytime of the year and do any all the different activities that there is to do in Murchison falls. You can plan for a 3 to 5 days trip to Murchison falls and engage in most if not all the park activities.