Game Reserves in Uganda : Uganda the pearl of Africa is one of the top tourist destinations in Africa because of its unmatchable beauty that ranges from culture, nature, landscape and wildlife; the most pronounced of all being wildlife.
The variety of wildlife in Uganda is one reason, tourists keeping flocking this beautiful country to catch a glimpse of the numerous animals that make their home in the different parts of this country.
The wildlife population in Uganda continues to explode with the 10 main national parks being overwhelmed by the numbers; it’s for that reason that the Uganda Wildlife Authority has made a continuous initiative to put some of these animals in game reserves to avoid problems of parks being overcrowded and to continue to conserve the wildlife.
The game reserves are normally smaller that the main national parks but still offer the same safari experience as a national park with sometimes even more adventure and fulfilling nature moments.
So below we list some of the top wildlife reserves in Uganda that you can plan to visit whenever you are in Kampala.
- Ajai Wildlife Reserve
Found in Arua district in North western Uganda, the Ajai Wildlife Reserve is a 166 sq km game reserve of woodland vegetation, some savannah grasslands, plains and swamps that harbour about 20 mammal species and 40 bird species.
The animals in this reserve include but not limited to Buffaloes, leopards, warthogs, Uganda Kobs, Hartebeests, Baboons, waterbucks, hippos, monkeys and many more; the birds include African fish eagles, marabou stocks and many more.
The main activities done in this game reserve birding, nature walks and game drives.
- Bokora corridor wildlife Reserve
Located in Karamoja sub-region in North eastern Uganda this 2056 sq km game reserve is a safari treasure with a huge number of mammals and an array of birds. The animals in the reserve include Topis, leopards, orys, oribis, cheetahs, buffaloes, reedbucks, hyenas, giraffes and many more.
The main activities in this game reserve are game drives, birding, nature walks and hiking mountain Kadam that is found within the reserve. Birding is done mainly ate the loporokocho swamp.
This reserve is named after the people of Bokora in the Karomoja region.
- Bugungu Wildlife Reserve
This game reserve is found in western Uganda at the base of the rift valley between Bulisa and Masindi. The reserve borders Murchison Falls National Park in the west and it covers a total area of 473 sq km. The reserve is known for having a huge number of Uganda Kobs and Oribis that live in the reserve together with other mammals. It also has over 240 bird species that live in the park.
The main activities done in this park are birding, game drives, nature walks through the reserve and community tours in the nearing communities.
This reserve’s plains are great for camping and picnicking.
- Kabwoya wildlife reserve
Also found in western Uganda, somewhere between Kibale National Park and Murchison falls National Park along the Albertine rift valley. The reserve covers an area of 87 sq km is home to over 400 bird species and about 100 mammal species. The reserve also has very unique terrains that offer unmatchable adventures for its guests.
The main activities done at this reserve include nature walks, birding and game drives. Also the game reserve is close to Lake Albert so guests to the reserve can get an opportunity to go fishing in the lake.
The unique terrains of reserve also offer great experiences for Quad biking.
- Karuma wildlife reserve
Home to the Karuma falls the reserve apart from the numerous animals that make their home in the reserve; the reserve is famous for the being home to the great karuma falls. However this reserve is also home to a number of mammals and birds that can be seen on a visit to the reserve, Game Reserves in Uganda.
The animals in this reserve include but not limited to Baboons, Monkeys, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, elephants, lions, topis, oribis and many more.
The main activities in this reserve are touring the Karuma falls, game drives, hiking the reserve’s terrains and nature walks.
- Katonga wildlife reserve
This game reserve gets its name from river Katonga River, where it located. The reserve is found along river Katonga and its home to 40 mammal species and over 100 bird species. The animals in the reserve include but not limited to Antelopes, waterbucks, elephants, reedbucks, Uganda Kobs and many more.
The main activities done at this game reserve include nature walks, hiking the reserve terrains and canoeing on river Katonga. Currently the reserve has no game drives because of its poor road network, however the authorities are working on roads and hopefully soon the reserve will have game drives.
