Things to do in Murchison Falls National Park.

Murchison falls national park is Uganda’s largest conservation area situated in the northern part of Uganda in Nwoya district, the park is one place to find the so-called big four of the wilderness (lions, leopards, Elephants, Buffaloes) in the 1990s the park used to be home to Rhinos however following a lot of poaching and political issues there was poaching which led to the elimination of the animal species, Murchison is named after the greatest feature of the park Murchison, it is bisected into two by the  Victoria Nile forming the northern bank of Pakuba and southern part, at a certain time the park’s name changed to Kabalega national park during the reign of Idi Amin Dada however later following his downfall, it was named back to Murchison falls national park.

Murchison falls national park is well known for the great Murchison Falls, the magnificent falls is one of the world’s most powerful fall, the water dramatically squeezes itself into the 7-meter slit along the gorge, the plunge fall make a loud roar sound that can be heard even at a distance, the park is home to a number of wildlife species including waterbucks, bushbucks, Rothchild’s giraffes, oribi, warthogs, Jackson’s hartebeests, hippos, Nile crocodiles, civet cats, jackals, and over 400 species of birds, most of them are endemics of the Albertine rift valley region. The hospital people around the park in the communities of Bulisa and Mubaku go the extra mile to put a smile on travelers’ faces.

Things to do in Murchison Falls National Park include game drives, these are done in sessions beginning in the morning at 6:30 am in order to catch early morning risers, this is the best time to do game drives, it is also a busy time for animals as most of them come out to graze and hunt for the carnivores. The afternoon game drive begins at 2:30 p.m. in search of games through the well-distributed game tracks of the national park. This is one of the few places where doing night game drives is allowed with guidance from a Uganda Wildlife Authority team. Game drives are conducted using 4*4 vehicles in order to beat the tough terrain of the African wilderness.

A boat cruise to the bottom of the falls is a must-do activity while in the park, it is one of the best ways to experience the Nile, the cruise goes to experience the fall of the famous Murchison feature, it is done on motorized boats starting at 2:00 pm, it takes -3 hours on the waters passing across the walls of the metamorphic rocks, together with basking hippos and Nile crocodiles along the sandy banks of the river, in the marshy swampy areas, you might be chanced to see the critically endangered species of the shoe bill stock.

Birding in Murchison Falls National Park, of the 1030species of birds that have been recorded to date, over 400 species have been listed in the region including the Albertine endemics, savannah and forest birds, popular species that may be encountered include giant kingfishers, Abyssinian ground horn bill, Malachite kingfisher, African martial eagles, sunbirds, piapiac, pelicans to mention a few.

In addition to the above things to do in the Murchison Falls National Park, guests can enjoy a balloon safari raised above the wilderness, cultural encounters with the local communities, guided nature walks, and chimpanzee tracking in the Budongo forest. There is available accommodation in the park and surrounding areas ranging from the best budget to luxury, Examples of facilities include the Chobe Safari lodge, Para safari lodge, Murchison river lodge, and fort Murchison among other facilities.

What do mountain gorillas eat?

Mountain gorillas are primate species in a few ecosystems of Africa, they are a subspecies of the eastern gorilla’s gorilla beringei beringei living in mountainous areas in Uganda they are found in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Mghainga National Park, in Rwanda they are situated in the volcanoes national park while in the democratic republic of Congo in the Virunga national park, these are the only places of the world to see the critically endangered species, they roam freely in the conservation areas without being captivated. The Bwindi impenetrable national park in the southwestern corner of Uganda hosts half the population of the gorillas they love within the four sectors of the park Nkuringo, Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija.

What do gorillas eat? This is a question that lingers so many times, mountain gorillas are mostly herbivores in nature, being the world’s largest primates they need lots of food to survive, they feed on forest plants, dead tree backs, leaves stems, fruits, mushrooms and occasionally insects, since it is a high altitude zone, there is less of fruit and more of plants, the primates are specific on what they want to eat on a particular plant type, for example, they have been sighted stripping plants in order for them to get the inner part of the stem other plants like mimlopsis they take on the leaves. An adult mountain gorilla eats about 18 kilograms of food.

Mountain gorillas are not so water friendly and hence it is hard to drink water however the plants which they feed on are succulent enough for them to have enough water in their bodies for survival. Gorillas do not feed in one point but rather after consuming, they move to the next part to allow the regrow of the vegetation. They live in families of up to 20 members led by a male silverback, baby gorillas are taken care of by their mothers until the age of 2 years. The primates are territorial in nature hence it is hard to find more than 1 silverback in the same group, families consist of blackbacks, juveniles, and females, they nest on the ground which sometimes makes it easy for travelers to know the actual number of the primates as each one of them makes a nest except for the babies who share with females. They are playful jumping from one tree to another.

Mountain gorillas present an opportunity to experience mountain gorillas, trekking is one of the amazing things to do while in Uganda, it takes place beginning at the park headquarters, in groups of 8 you will be allocated a gorilla family to track, it takes 2-8 hours in search depending on how far the gorilla families have moved. Gorilla trekking is a strenuous activity that will need preparation both mentally and physically, upon meeting the primates an hour is allowed while with them later which you return to be awarded a gorilla trekking certificate, for travelers who would like to spend more time with the primate’s gorilla habituation experience is the most ideal thing to do as it allows am all day experience.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park.

Kibale Forest National Park is a known home of primates in Uganda, the forest is one of the few remaining tropical rainforests of Uganda situated in the western part in the Kabarole district, chimpanzee are the main residents of the biodiverse ecosystem plus 12 other species including the black and white colobus monkeys, pottos, bush babies, blue monkeys, endangered red colobus monkeys, white-cheeked monkeys, retailed monkeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, to mention few, there are animals present within the park although they are rare to see for example forest elephants, buffaloes, giant forest hogs. The forest trees rise 55 meters above the ground forming a beautiful canopy overlooking the Fort Portal plateau.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park is experiential, the primates have been scientifically proven to share up to 98% of the human DNA, they are characterized by their social behaviors, intelligence, and the ability to use tools, the diet of the Chimpanzee mainly comprises plants, fruits, stems, they occasionally hunt small monkeys for meat and termites, these live in families of up to 100 members by a male alpha,  chimpanzee communities are communicative with cooing charters they are also territorial in nature, there are over 1500induviudals living in the Kibale forest, they are popular for their nesting in the trees not to forget their super playful nature.

Chimpanzee tracking has been taking place in Kibale Forest National Park since 1993, the primates were first tracked at the Kanyanchu visitor center, and to date going into the forest to find Chimpanzee begins here, a briefing is conducted by the Uganda wildlife authority team about the forest and how to generally conduct yourself while with the primates, the walk through the forest will take you to experience the best of the park the hike through the well-distributed trails takes 2-3 hours while with the primates after an hour of interaction and taking pictures you return to meet your guide. The primates are tracked in sessions in the morning at 8:00 a.m. and in the afternoon at 2:00 p.m. East African time, this is led through the game ranger.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park requires the purchase of a tracking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the cost of the permit is $250 for foreign nonresidents, $150 for foreign residents, and 150,000 UGX Charged to all East African citizens, in order to enjoy a chimpanzee tracking experience it is important to pack right for the safari, take long-sleeved shirts and trousers, waterproof covers for phones and cameras, hiking boots, Rian gears, and any other important items of personal nature.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park is mainly complimented by the Bigodi Swamp walks, the sanctuary hosts many birds notable for the great blue Turaco, while here expect to view more species of primates, birds, and butterflies’ kinds, a crater walk around Ndali or Kyaninga would be ideal to explore on your primate safari. There is available accommodation around the park ranging from the best budget to Luxury Examples of facilities include the Kyaninga Lodge and the Primate Lodge.