Interesting Facts About Murchison Falls National Park : Murchison Falls Conservation Area is one of Uganda’s oldest and largest areas. The conservation area is comprised of Murchison Falls National Park, Bugungu Wildlife Refuge, and Karuma Wildlife Refuge.
Currently, Murchison Falls National Park covers an area of about 3,893 square kilometers, Bugungu Wildlife Refuge ‘’501 square kilometers’’ and Karuma Wildlife Refuge ‘’ and Karuma Wildlife Refuge ‘’678 square kilometers’’ and act as buffer zones for the park. Additionally, Budongo Forest Reserve overlaps parts of both wildlife reserves and covers an area of 591 square kilometers. The park is as rich as the park in Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Together makes a total of 5,663 square kilometers of space that is under some level of protection through controlled use. Murchison Falls National Park, Karuma, and Bugungu wildlife reserve are managed by the ‘’UWA’’ Uganda Wildlife Authority as the Murchison Falls Conservation Area ‘’MFCA’’ while Budongo Forest Reserve is managed by the National Forestry Association except where it extends with UWA- Managed lands.
Between 1907 and 1912 the inhabitants covered about 13,000 square kilometers but were evacuated due to sleeping sickness spread by tsetse flies. However, it paved the way for creating the Bunyoro Game Reserve in 1910, which encompassed roughly the area south of the Nile River now part of the National Park in Masindi District. Later on, in 1928 the boundaries were extended into the Gulu district of the river and the resulting protected area ‘’PA’’ which is now known as the Bunyoro-Gulu Game Reserve.
In 1932, the Budongo Forest Reserve was created. This became the first commercial logging concession in Uganda, and to date acts for research purposes in the world. The boundaries of this forest continued to expand over more years till they reached the current size of 825 square kilometers.
Then in 1952, the British administration created the National Park Act of Uganda. After 40 years hunting was reduced in the Bunyoro -Gulu Game Reserve and the animals’ populations had expanded to the extent of upgrading the reserve. It had turned into the largest game park ‘’Murchison Falls National Park. By the mid-1960s, Murchison Falls had become the premier safari destination in the entire East Africa with over 60,000 tourists per year, Interesting Facts About Murchison Falls National Park
Climate and Weather -Murchison Falls National Park
The climate in Murchison Falls National Park is tropical and hot. Temperature is quite uniform around the year. The daytime temperature ranges around 31 degrees Celsius and during the night it cools down to around 18 degrees Celsius. The wet season runs from March to November, with a drier period from June to July.
Wildlife in Murchison Falls National Park
They include; elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards, rarely spotted hyenas, Nile crocodiles, Jackson hartebeests, waterbucks, Oribis, giraffes, Uganda Kobs, grey duikers, hippos as well as chimpanzees in Kaniyo Pabidi – Bundogo forest thus sounding as home to the largest population in Uganda.
Birdlife in Murchison Falls National Park
Truly Murchison Falls National Park is one of the top birding sites on Uganda’s birding tour because it inhabits over 451 bird species. Birds to see include; Gray crowned crane, Giant Heron, Shoebill stork, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Nightjars, Marabou stork, Black-headed lapwing, Back-bellied Bustard, Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, Rock pratincole, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Weaver birds, Martial Eagle, Silver bird, Gray-crowned crested crane, sandpipers, Pied kingfishers, Standard-winged Nightjar, Malachite kingfisher, Blue-headed coucal, Denham’s Bustard, Secretary bird, Read-throated Bee-eater, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Senegal Think-knee, Saddle-billed stork among others.
Things to do in Murchison Falls National Park include; Game driving, Bird watching, Sportfishing, Boat cruising, Chimpanzee trekking, Guided nature walks many more.
What is the best time to visit the Park?
Murchison Falls National Park is open throughout the year for safari activities though the best time for safari without the destruction of rain starts from June to September and December to February.
