Lake Mburo National Park
LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Lake Mburo National park is located in Kiruhura District in the western region of Uganda. Uganda is blessed with many national parks like Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Lake Mburo National Park is one of them. It takes 30 kilometers by road from the Eastern part of Mbarara town which is the largest city in the western part of Uganda and 240 km driving from the west of the Kampala the largest capital city of Uganda.
Lake Mburo National park has a variety of animals to see including Hippopotamus, Zebras, Impala, Warthogs, Eland, African Buffaloes, Jackal, Leopards, there over 350 bird species.
The park is the smallest in Uganda with about 260 square Kilometers, of Uganda’s savannah. There is introduction of balloon tourism in the park.
Lake Mburo was gazette in 1933 however it was upgraded to a game reserve in 1963. Since then lake mburo national park has been one of the best places to be visited in Uganda.
The cattle that were grazed near the park were residents of the area and are Banyankole, Bahima people however the reserve was later upgraded to a national park status in 1983.
Lake Mburo has the test of African wild and the closet national park to Kampala in the western part of Uganda, the park also breaks the long journey to Mgahinga National park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park.
Lake Mburo National park is a short distance off one of the roads in Uganda, the park is covered by swampy areas, wetlands, and the park is also dotted with acacia trees, rocky ridges, forested ravines and many more.
There is a lot of activities in the park including:
Bird watching
Lake Mburo is a birder paradise and great place for birding, there over 360 species of birds, Red-faced Barbet, only seen in Lake Mburo, the endemic African Finfoot and the rare Shoebill also the Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Saddle-billed Stork, Brown-chested Lapwing, African-wattled Lapwing, Carruther’s Cisticola, Tabora (Long-tailed) Cisticola, African Scops Owl, Malachite Kingfishers, Pied Kingfishers, African Fish Eagles, Rufous Long-tailed Starlings, Blue-headed Weavers, Green-necked Doves, Hammerkops, Pelicans, Herons, Cormorants and even rare Shoebill Storks, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Brown Parrot, Red-headed Lovebird, Ross’s Turaco, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Green Wood-hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill, White-headed Barbet, Red-faced Barbet, Nubian Woodpecker, Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike, Long-tailed Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis, White-winged Tit Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and White-winged Warbler and many more.
Wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo has a number of mammals over 69 species of mammals these include the Eland, Antelopes, Zebras, Rothschild giraffes, Buffaloes, Defassa waterbuck, Reedbucks, leopards, warthogs, hippos, Crocodiles, hyenas, warthogs and many more. The park is the only one where the Burchell zebras.
Night Game Drive
The game drives are one of the memorable activities in Lake Mburo.
Boat activities
During the boat ride you are able to view a lot of wildlife and nature. Some wildlife one is able to see are the hippos, Crocodiles, Antelopes, Buffaloes, Zebras among others.
Nature walks
Lake Mburo National park is one of the Nature walk, enjoy seeing the wilderness as you see the Giraffes, Elands, Topis, antelopes, buffaloes, butterflies and many more.
Rubanga Forest
Rubanga Forest is an area where canopy is arranged by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, there over 40 species of birds including 5 forest specialists, platycaluzm, markhamia, palm.
Salt lick
A ranger at Lake Mburo will guide you to the salt lick where animals gather to lick salt. Visitors stand and watch the animals licking salt this is a great opportunity to see the zebras, Antelopes and many more.
Fishing
There 5 lakes within lake Mburo National park, the fishermen where people enjoy fishing and arrange the fish to prepare for you at the lodge.
Horseback Riding
Lake Mburo park is where horseback riding is the best way of viewing in the park. The activity is arranged at Mihingo lodge.
Other activities at the park include Bicycling, Igongo cultural center, visiting the equator, lodging/accommodation.
