Bugungu Wildlife Reserve

Bugungu Wildlife Reserve

If you are a tourist looking for a unique destination not thronged by tourists, the Bugungu Wildlife Reserve is your perfect place to be because you will have the entire place to yourself. Uganda takes pride in its 10 National Parks and unique Wildlife reserves that were established as buffer zones but are also wonderful safari destinations.

Gazzeted in 1968, Bugungu Wildlife reserve is a tinny wildlife reserve that shelters and protects the savannah grassland and temporary/seasonal wetland at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment to the western side of the enormous Murchison Falls National park-the oldest and largest protected Area in Uganda. Bugungu is part of the enormous Murchison Falls Conservation Area that is made up of the Murchison Falls National park-the oldest and largest National park in the whole of Uganda, the Karuma Wildlife Reserve and the Bugungu Wildlife reserve all found within North-western Uganda. Bugungu Wildlife Reserve is situated between Bulisa and Masindi district.

This small magnificent Wildlife Reserve covers an area of 501 square kilometers/193 square miles and shelters a number of wildlife reserves. Some of the common wildlife species that can be encountered in this Wildlife reserve include Hippos, more than 600 Uganda Kobs, a large number of Leopards and Lions, over 1200 Oribis, herds of Buffaloes, the warthogs, the Oryx, the elands, Topis, the waterbucks, the Elephants, the warthogs, reedbucks, the bushbucks, the Rothschild’s giraffes, the Sitatungas, primates such as the Olive baboons, the Vervet monkeys, the L’Hoest’s monkeys, the Patas monkeys and black and white Colobus monkeys, dik-dik, Bushbucks, Reedbucks and Topis among others.

Also, there are about 240 species of birds that call Bugungu Wildlife reserve home and they include the elusive shoebill stork, Black-headed Batis, Dark chanting Goshawk,  the White-browed Sparrow Weaver, Black-bellied Bustards, the Black-billed barbets, the Eastern grey Plantain-eater, the Speckle-breasted woodpecker,  the Yellow-throated greenbul, the Black-billed barbets, the Black-billed wood dove, the Double-toothed barbet, the saddle-billed stork, the Giant Kingfisher, the Swamp Flycatcher, the Black-headed Gonolek, and the Abyssinian among others.

The most interesting tourist activities you should expect to participate in when you visit Bugungu Wildlife Reserve include nature walks, game drives through the well maintained game tracks, bird watching, camping and picnics, nature walks, visit to the local communities that surround the Wildlife Reserve and sigh seeing among others.

The best time to visit Bugungu Wildlife Reserve

Bugungu Wildlife reserve is an all year destination but perfect satisfaction and memorable experience is achieved if the activity is conducted in the dry season in the months of late June to mid September and December to February. The rainy season from late February to May and mid October to November is always avoided because the poor roads leading to the Wildlife Reserve tend to be muddy and slippery. This is one of the main reasons why tourists are advised to use 4WD vehicles that can maneuver through the slippery roads.

In conclusion, the Murchison Falls Conservation Area is a must visit area during Uganda safaris because it is a home to the enormous Murchison falls National Park, the Karuma Wildlife Reserve in addition to the Bugungu Wildlife Reserve, which is a home to several wildlife species such as Oribis, Uganda Kobs, Hippos, Sitatungas, the reedbucks waterbucks and bushbucks among others. Also over 240 species of birds such as the Shoebill stork and the saddle billed stork call the Wildlife reserve home.