Ugandan wildlife and nature is perhaps the most satisying and most beautiful God given gift we have under earth. When the COVID-19 lockdown comes to an end, one of the fun activities you may undertake is nature safaris and tours, and as a Ugandan, you’ll be surprised by what your own country can offer. Some things even beyond your imagination!
Today, I am sharing my adventure at Murchison Falls National Park – the biggest game reserve in Uganda. My tour was with a team of family and friends. We went there under one of the tour and travel packages of Q Safaris Africa, perhaps the most convenient and affordable Tour and Travel Company I have encountered.
The nature of the park is characterized by tropical rain forest which is in the Eastern part of the park and here is where baboons and chimpanzees are found. Infact, a few metres from the main gate, we were welcomed by some baboons laying all over the road – getting that much craved Vitamin D from the morning sun. This part is well known for baboon and chimpanzee trekking.
The other part of the park is flat with savanna grasslands, riverine woodland, acacia and thickets. These two parts are separated by the River Nile and to get to the Northern part we used a ferry that transports both people and cars.
On reaching, we got back into our travel car and headed for the game drive that lasted about 3 hours. This part of the park harbours very many animals especially those that thrive well in the savanna grasslands; giraffes, bufalloes, impalas, heart beasts, kobs and bushbucks.
The other animals we saw here were elephants, monkeys, baboons and ofcourse warthogs. I will get into details of these herbivorous animals when I am done addressing the cat in the room. Or should I say the big cats?
I should highlight that our main aim of going to the park early in the morning was to see the most sought after big cats in the park, the lions and by good chance we saw them resting in the savanna grasslands.
It was a lioness resting with her cubs. My blood rushed out so fast on seeing the beautiful lioness yet the most scary animal in the park. All my life, I had been waiting for this moment because the last time I saw a lion was in the Entebbe Wildlife Zoo. I needed to see one in the wild so this really, was a lifetime experience.
Our close up experience with the lioness and her cubs was cut short when the King of the Jungle emerged from nearby bushes. Only our tour agent, Dickens of Q Safaris Africa was able to keep his cool. We didn’t take any photos of it, we just dashed back into our seats (from the roof top) and begged to be moved immediately.
On another day, I will tell you about the herbivores. Those are so many but for now, let’s call it a day.
Murchison Falls National Park is located in north western Uganda. It stretches across Masindi, Nwoya, Buliisa and Kiryandongo districts. From the capital Kampala, it takes about 5kms from Masindi town to get to the park entrance and it sits on 3,480 square kilometres.
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