Murchison falls national park wildlife safari: Murchison falls national park is the oldest and largest national park in north western of Uganda sharing districts of Masindi, Kiryandondo, Bulisa and Nyowa also known as Kabalega national park. The park was gazette as a game reserve in 1926 and officially opened as a game park in 1952, it stands on an area of 3893 square kilometers. The park is managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Wildlife in Murchison falls national park.

Big Game Animals

Murchison falls national park is a habitant of 76 animals including baboons, warthogs, Uganda kob, jackson’s hartebeest, waterbucks, oribi, bushbucks among others. The park has gotten the big four animals mainly lions, leopards, buffaloes and elephants. But for visitors who may want to see all the big five can have a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary near Nakitoma village in Nakasongola along Kampala Gulu high way. Big animals can be easily seen in the northern sector because of large concentration of animals and these can be viewed during the game drive early morning or evening hours using trails e.g. Buligi, Victoria, Albert tracks etc.

Big animals in Murchison falls national  park can as well be viewed while on the boat cruise  which is done on Victoria Nile delta to the bottom of the falls. Boat cruise takes 2 to 4 hours it’s on this boat cruise that you will get to see animals like the crocodiles and hippos in water, elephants, buffaloes and lions among others along water banks taking water then water birds i.e. Abyssinian ground hornbill, Senegal thick knee, grew crowned crane, black headed lapwing among others

Primates

Murchison falls national park is a home of primates which include 600 chimpanzees, blue tailed monkeys, black white colobus monkeys , olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabey among others and nocturnal primates like bush baby and pottos. These primates are seen in the southern sector in Kaniyo Pabidi forest and the most attractions here are the chimpanzees and visitors who are interested in chimpanzee trekking can do it in the morning or afternoon with in the forest. But these animals can be seen during the game drive, nature walks and lunch trips.

Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzees are the second most popular Uganda’s attraction after mountain gorilla in bwindi impenetrable forest nationa park and mgahinga national park. In kaniyo pabidi forest is done here it takes 2 to 4 hours and chimpanzees are often found in the forest where they move in search for food especially in dry season. Kaniyo pabidi forest is 56 kms from para safari lodge and is abeatuful natural forest managed by jane goodall insititute here you have an opportunity to see birds which are over 360 species like the white-thighed hornbill, puvel’s illaposis , chocolate- backed kingfisher found nowhere in east Africa but as well zooothers, camarones, ceratogymna, ratis iturinis among others. Primates such as olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, among others once you see chimpanzees you can learn their life style, habitats, taking photos and recording memories.

Bird species

Murchison fall national park is a habitant of over 451 bird species of which some are migratory and others are endemic bird species which makes it a best place for birding. The park has water birds such as swallow tailed bee eater, red throated bee eater, swamp flycatchers and other birds include silver bird, gray crowned crested crane, sandpipers, marabou stork, secretary bird, pied kingfishers, yellow-billed stork, giant heron among others which can be potted during nature walk and  boat cruise in Kaniyo Pabidi forest and swamp trails.

Best time for wildlife safari in Murchison falls national park.

Wildlife safari in Murchison falls national park can be done any time of the year but the best time to visit the park is the dry season is June, July, August and September and then December, January and February when there is less rain falls in the national park making the grass to be short for clear view of wild life and road passable in Kaniyo Pabidi forest for easy chimpanzee trekking. It’s in this very season that the animals will gather around waters banks to drink water giving visitors an opportunity to record moments, take photos and view clearly.