Uganda decided to expand its conservation areas with new national parks, bringing the total to 16 from the original 10 parks.

The new national parks include Bukaleba, Toro, Katonga, Kigezi, Kyambura, and Echuya. These were former wildlife and forest reserves.

What You Need to Know About the Six Newest National Parks?

Here is a hint about each of the newly designated national parks in Uganda.

Kyambura National Park 

Formerly, Kyambura was part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is situated in western Uganda in the Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri districts.

It was first established as a game reserve in 1965, covering an area of 156 square kilometers.

This former reserve was upgraded to the status of a national park to enhance the chimpanzee population in the Kyambura Gorge and further improve Chimpanzee Trekking Safaris in the area.

Some chimps in this new national park are habituated and ready for trekking, while others are still getting used to humans.

Other wildlife in this new national park includes black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and numerous bird species, among others.

On your Uganda safaris to this park, expect to engage in other activities like bird watching, nature walks, and boat rides on Lake Albert in addition to the famous chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge.

Bukaleba National Park 

Bukaleba National Park is situated in Eastern Uganda in the Mayuge District along the shores of Lake Victoria.

This newly designated national park has a history of colonial timber plantations in the 1800s, before it was made a national forest reserve in 1932.

It covers an area of about 97 square kilometers, and it shelters antelope species, monkeys, reptiles, avian species, and aquatic animals. It also offers scenic views of Lake Victoria and the evergreen forest.  

Some of the things to do in this park include bird watching, game viewing, nature walks, and boat rides, among other interesting activities.

Toro National Park 

Toro National Park is located in western Uganda in the Ntoroko District, covering an area of about 542 km².

It was elevated to the status of a national park to fully protect woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, and rivers.

Diverse wildlife inhabits Toro National Park, and these include Waterbucks, Buffalo, warthogs, Uganda Kob, leopards, and over 440 bird species like Black-billed Barbet, Red-necked Falcon, Abyssinian Ground-hornbill, etc.

Popular activities in this park include primate trekking, game drives, guided nature walks cultural tours, which involve visiting the Batwa community, among other activities.

Katonga National Park 

Katonga National Park is an upgrade of Katonga Wildlife Reserve, which was established in 1998, in western Uganda in the Kamwenge and Kyenjojo districts.

This wilderness area, which covers an area of 207 km², was the first wildlife corridor for animals migrating from Uganda to South Sudan and Tanzania.

Among the animals commonly spotted in this area are waterbucks, sitatungas, elephants, bushbucks, leopards, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, and Uganda Kobs, among other animals.

It’s also home to over avian species, including the African fish eagle, papyrus gonolek, and Goliath Heron, etc., which make it one of the best spots when on birding tours in Uganda.

Visitors to this park should expect fun things like game viewing, bird watching, guided nature walks, and boat cruises on the Katonga River.

Kigezi National Park 

This park is an upgrade of the Kigezi Wildlife Reserve, which was established in 1952, covering an area of 256 square kilometers.

Kigezi National Park is in the Rukungiri District, just next to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is one of the grazing areas for animals like buffalo, elephants, antelopes, and other herbivores.

It is also home to predators and numerous bird species, including the Marabou Stork, Red-faced Barbet, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, etc.

It is one of the prime travel destinations, good for game drives, cultural tours, photography, and bird watching, among other interesting activities.

Echuya National Park 

Echuya National Park is located in southwestern Uganda, in the Kigezi subregion. It features bamboo and forest vegetation.

It was first established as Echuya Forest Reserve in 1939, and legally re-gazetted in 1951 and again in 1964.

It was initially under the management of the Uganda National Forest Authority before being upgraded to a national park.

The park is home to primates like blue monkeys and baboons that often feed on bamboo shoots.  Albertine Rift endemic birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, and Handsome Francolin, among others, also make this new park a popular spot for birdwatching in Uganda.

When on a Uganda wildlife safari, in addition to birding, tourists can engage in activities like photography, nature walks, cultural experiences with the Batwa, and many other activities.

The Initial 10 Uganda National Parks 

The following are the initial national Parks that Uganda is known to have before the creation of the new six parks.

Queen Elizabeth National Park 

Queen Elizabeth National Park is situated in Kasese, Rubirizi, Kamwenge, and Rukungiri districts, southwestern Uganda, covering an area of 1978 km².

Attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park

• Numerous wild animals
• Over 600 bird species
• Vast savannah
• Stunning landscape, etc.

Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

• Game drives
• Bird watching
• Tracking tree-climbing lions
• Nature walks, etc.

 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern region of Uganda in the Kanungu District, covering an area of 321 km².

Attractions in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

• Over 459 mountain gorillas
• Numerous bird species
• A variety of plant species
• Other wild animals

Activities in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

• Gorilla tracking
• Game viewing
• Bird watching
• Cultural tours and experience with the Batwa
• Forest walks

Kibale Forest National Park 

Kibale Forest National Park is located in Kabarole District in Western Uganda, covering an area of 766 km².

Attractions in Kibale Forest National Park

• Over 13 primate species, including 1500 chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, etc.
• Other animals, including forest elephants, buffalo, etc.
• Abundant bird life

Activities in Kibale Forest National Park

• Chimpanzee trekking
• Chimpanzee habituation
• Bird watching
• Forest walks

Murchison Falls National Park 

Murchison Falls National Park is situated in Masindi, Nwoya, Buliisa, and Kiryandongo districts in northwestern Uganda, covering an area of 3840 km².

Attractions in Murchison Falls National Park

• Murchison Falls
• Nile River
• Diverse wildlife
• Abundant birdlife

Activities in Murchison Falls National Park

• Boat cruise
• Hiking to the top of Murchison Falls
• Game drives
• Bird watching
• Nature walks, etc.

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is located in the Kiruhura District in western Uganda, covering an area of 370 km².

Attractions in Lake Mburo National Park

• Lake Mburo
• Numerous animal species, e.g., the common eland, sitatunga, oribi, etc.
• Abundant bird life

Activities in Lake Mburo National Park

• Game drives
• Boat cruises
• Cultural visits
• Nature walks
• Sport fishing
• Mountain biking

Kidepo National Park

Kidepo National Park is located in Kaabong District in Northeastern Uganda, covering an area of 1442 km².

Attractions in Kidepo National Park

• Numerous wildlife, e.g., Jackson’s hartebeest
• Abundant birdlife
• Land forms like Lamoj mountains, Namamukwenyi valley, etc.

Activities in Kidepo National Park

• Hiking
• Game drives
• Nature walks, among other activities

Semuliki National Park

Semuliki National Park is located in Bundibugyo District in Western Uganda, covering an area of about 220 km².

Attractions in Semuliki National Park

• Diverse wildlife, including primates
• Abundant birdlife
• Sempaya hot springs

Activities in Semuliki National Park

• Nature walks
• Visiting Sempaya hot springs
• Game viewing
• Birding

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the Kisoro District in southwestern Uganda, covering an area of 34 km².

Attractions in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

• Over 30 mountain gorillas
• Golden monkeys
• Various tree species, including bamboo
• Numerous bird species

Tourist Activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

• Gorilla trekking
• Golden monkey tracking
• Hiking, among other activities

Rwenzori Mountains National Park 

Rwenzori Mountains National Park is located in Kabarole, Kasese, and Bundibugyo districts in Western Uganda, and it covers an area of 996 km².

Attractions in Rwenzori Mountains National Park

• Snow-capped peaks of the Rwenzori mountains
• Unique flora and fauna
• Local people like the Bakonzo

Activities in Rwenzori Mountains National Park

• Mountain climbing
• Guided nature walks
• Bird watching
• Cultural encounters with the Bakonzo

Mount Elgon National Park 

Mount Elgon National Park is located in Mbale District in Eastern Uganda, and it covers an area of 1110 km² in Uganda out of the total area of 1279 km².

Attractions in Mount Elgon National Park

• Wagagai peaks
• Ancient caves like Kitum
• Sipi Falls
• Diverse wildlife

Activities in Mount Elgon National Park

• Mountain climbing
• Nature walks
• Visiting Sipi Falls
• Game viewing, etc.

Why Is Uganda Expanding Its National Parks? 

• Enhancing Community Benefits—The new parks are expected to stimulate economic growth by creating employment through ecotourism and providing essential infrastructure in the surrounding areas.
• Curbing Human-Wildlife Conflict—By designating reserves to national park status, the government, through the Uganda Wildlife Authority, can fully manage parks and reduce the conflict as communities grow near the different wildlife areas.
• Fulfilling The National Strategy— The creation of new national parks aligns with Uganda’s national development goals listed in Vision 2040, which aims for economic transformation and growth.

Benefits Of Creating the New National Parks 

• Increase in Safari Choices—The creation of new parks comes with opportunities for a wide selection of activities to do on a Uganda safari. For example, visitors can now combine safaris, like visiting the source of the Nile in Jinja with canoeing in Bukaleba National Park in Mayuge.  
• Cultural Enrichment—Visitors to these new national parks have opportunities for different cultural experiences, given the fact that these new parks are located in areas close to different traditional communities.
• Possibility of Year-Round Safaris—Uganda’s diverse ecosystems provide a wide range of attractions that are appealing throughout the year.
• Job Creation—The creation of more parks comes with the creation of more jobs in park management, and some people can work as tour guides, park rangers, naturalists, lifeguards, and other jobs.
• Economic Growth -The new parks are expected to boost overall tourism revenue, which contributes to the national income.
• Increased Legal Protection—Upgrading reserves to national park status provides them with a higher level of legal protection against threats like encroachment, poaching, and deforestation.
• Ecosystem Connectivity—Creating new national parks helps to create and maintain a wildlife corridor that links different wildlife habitats. This facilitates free animal movement and gene flow.

Conclusion

Experience the next chapter of Uganda’s wildlife conservation, where expanded national parks safeguard natural habitats and create new economic opportunities for local communities. Book your adventure today to discover the breathtaking attractions in the new Uganda national parks.