Uganda National Parks & Reserves

Background Information
Uganda has an excellent collection of national parks and reserves. While they may not be as populated with wildlife like other parks in other countries in the region, they offer a very relaxing atmosphere.

Ajai Game Reserve
Grassy plain, wood lands and swamp habitats. Access by difficult road from Gulu. No accommodation available. Established to protect the white rhinoceros which is now extinct in Uganda due to poaching. Animals living in the park include buffalo, bushbuck, hartebeest, hippopotamus, warthog, waterbuck and a wide variety of bird species.

Bokora Corridor Game Reserve
Dry plains. Access by difficult road in the dry season only. No accommodation available. Animals living in the reserve include antelope, eland, gazelle, giraffe, hartebeest, hyena, kob, leopard, lion, oribi, oryx, reedbuck, topi and a wide variety of birds.

Bugundu Game Reserve
Savannah and woodland. Access by road from Kampala. The park is a buffer on the edge of Murchison Falls Park. Open all year round. No accommodation available. Animals living in the park include buffalo, elephant, hartebeest, kob, lion, waterbuck and a wide variety of birds.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Gorilla Sanctuary
Lowland rain forest. Access by road from Kabale. Basic accommodation available in Kabale. The reserve was established to protect the lowland mountain gorilla.

Karuma Game Reserve
Open grassland and forest. Access by road from Kampala. The park is a buffer on the edge of Murchison Falls Park. Open all year round. No accommodation available. Animals living in the park include buffalo, elephant, hartebeest, kob, lion, waterbuck and a wide variety of birds.

Katonga Game Reserve
Grassland and riverine habitats. Access is by road from Kasese or by light aircraft via Kasese. No accommodation available. Animals living in the park include buffalo, bushbuck, elephant, hippopotamus, reedbuck, warthog, waterbuck and a wide variety of birds.

Kibale Forest Corridor Game Reserve
Forest and grassland. Access from Kampala by road. No accommodation in the reserve. Animals living in the park include buffalo, chimpanzee, Colobus monkey, elephant, kob, warthog, waterbuck and a wide variety of birds.

Kidepo National Park
Savannah, woodland, mountain forest and riverine habitats. Access is by very difficult road from either Gulu or Moroto/Mbale or by light aircraft. Open all year but impractical in the rainy seasons April/May and July/August. Basic accommodation available. The big game in the park was sadly depleted in recent years but efforts to restock and conserve the game have been made and are continuing with good effect. Animals living in the park include aard-wolf, African wild cat, ant bear, antelope, baboon, jackal, buffalo, bush baby, bushbuck, caracal, cheetah, dik dik, duiker, eland, elephant, fox, gazelle, genet, giraffe, hartebeest, hyena, hyrax, klipspringer, kudu, leopard, lion, mongoose, oribi, patas monkey, porcupine, reedbuck, rhinoceros, vervet monkey, warthog, waterbuck, zebra and 249 species of birds.

Kigezi Mountain Gorilla Game Reserve
Forest and bamboo covered mountain slopes. Access from Mbarara by road. Basic accommodation available at Kisororo. Established to protect the endangered mountain gorillas. Other animals living in the reserve include buffalo, bushbuck, giant forest hog, leopard, monkey (including rare golden monkey) and a wide variety of birds.

Kigezi Game Reserve
Open grassland, savannah and woodland. Access from Mbarara by road. The park is a buffer to the Ruwenzori Park to the north. No accommodation available. Animals living in the park include buffalo, bushbuck, elephant, giant forest hog, kob, topi, waterbuck and a wide variety of birds.

Lake Mburo Game Reserve Park
Open plains, forest and grasslands. Access from Mbarara by road. No accommodation available. Animals living in the park include antelope, buffalo, eland, impala, klipspringer, leopard, lion, oribi, topi, warthog, waterbuck, zebra.

Murchison Falls National Park also called the Kabalega Falls National Park
Grassy plains, woodland and riverine habitats. Access by road from Kampala. Open all year round. Reasonable accommodation available. The big game in the park was sadly depleted in recent years but efforts to restock and conserve the game have been made and are continuing with good effect. Animals living in the park include aard-wolf, African wild cat, ant bear, antelope, baboon, badger, buffalo, bush pig, bushbuck, caracal, cheetah, chimpanzee, civet, Colobus monkey, dik dik, duiker, eland, elephant, fox, gazelle, genet, giraffe, ground pangolin, hartebeest, hippopotamus, hunting dog, hyena, hyrax, impala, jackal, klipspringer, kob, kudu, leopard, lion, mongoose, oribi, otter, patas monkey, porcupine, red tailed monkey, reedbuck, rhinoceros, serval, vervet monkey, warthog, waterbuck, zebra, zorilla and 359 species of birds.

Queen Elizabeth National Park also called the Ruwenzori National Park
Grassy plains, tropical forest, swamp, lakeshore, wooded volcanic slopes and riverine habitats. Access by road from Mbarara or light aircraft usually from Entebbe. Open all year round. Comfortable accommodation available. The big game in the park was sadly depleted in recent years but efforts to restock and conserve the game have been made and are continuing with good effect. Animals living in the park include African wildcat, ant bear, buffalo, bush pig, bushbuck, duiker, elephant, giant forest hog, hippopotamus, hyena, hyrax, kob, leopard, lion, porcupine, potto, reedbuck, serval, topi, warthog, waterbuck, and 383 species of birds.

Toro Game Reserve
Lake shore, swamp and forested hills. Access by road from Fort Portal. No accommodation available. Animals living in the reserve include giant forest hog, hippopotamus, leopard, lion, reedbuck, waterbuck and a wide variety of birds.