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Lake Mburo National Park |
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The park is only 260 sq. km and the smallest of Uganda's
savannah National Parks. Its mosaic habitat of dry hillside,
rocky outcrops, bushes thickets, open and wooded savanna
forests, lakes and swamps are home to a surprising diversity
of plants and animals. Lake Mburo is the best place in the
country to see the gigantic Eland antelope, as well as Zebra,
Topi, Impala, and several acacia-associated birds. The annual
rain fall is relatively low, but nevertheless the park
contains wetland habitats, the most important of these is Lake
Mburo itself; the largest of the five lakes that lie within
the park boundaries.
Lake Mburo harbours several mammal species not easily observed in
any other of Uganda's National Parks. It is the only reserve in
the country to support a population of Impala, and one of only
three protected areas where Burchell's Zebra occur. |
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Leopard,
Hyena, side-striped Jackal and Otter are some of the predators
that can be observed; with the calling hyena particularly
evocative when staying overnight inside the park. During the 60's
the park was famous for its Lions, but they have long since been
hunted to extinction, although it remains a possibility that the
park could be re-colonised from Tanzania.
The lake is rich with a diversity of animal and plant species
which can only be viewed clearly if you take a boat trip. The
crocodiles, Hippopotamuses and birds like Pelicans, Black Crake,
Heron, Cormorant and Fish Eagle. The duration of each boat cruise
is negotiable with the park management. Please note that in August
2005 the boat owned by the park authorities was not in use due to
essential repairs being carried out.
Many tourists only visit Lake Mburo in the afternoon as they
travel from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth or Bwindi. This means that
for visitors staying overnight in the park (highly recommended)
you will find that the morning and early evening safaris are very
quiet in terms of other vehicles being present. It is always
enjoyable to drive slowly through a park and savour the wildlife
without running into traffic jams.
There is an excellent tented camp within the park that provides a
high standard of service and comfort to visitors. In addition, it
is one of the few tented camps in Uganda where you can experience
genuine immersion in a Savannah park, with the wildlife literally
on your doorstep.
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