Lake Mburo

Covering only 260 square kilometres, Lake Mburo is Uganda’s smallest savannah national game park. It is located in western Uganda 240km from Kampala making it the nearest national game park to the capital. Lake Mburo National game park was originally gazetted as a controlled hunting area in 1933, upgraded to a game reserve in 1963 and later into a game park in 1983. 

Together with 13 other lakes in the area, Lake Mburo forms part of a 50km-long wetland system linked by a swamp. Most of the park is therefore located in a wetland. Lake Mburo contains large woodland ranges because of the absence of big land mammals like elephants. The western part of the park comprises savannah pains interspersed with rock ridges, forested canyons, and patches of papyrus swamp.

It’s home to over 350 bird species and 68 mammal species. These include zebras, impalas, elands, buffalos, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi and reedbuck. It is however popular for having big numbers of the native impala, a breed of antelope. Among the recorded 350 bird species are the endemic species, migratory birds, savannah birds and forest birds. Bird watching can be done in different spot areas, on game drives, boat cruises and nature walks. Birds seen include the prehistoric shoebill stork, saddle-billed stork, African wattled lapwing, African finfoot, papyrus gonolek, the red-faced barbet, brown-chested lapwing, blue-headed coucal, blue-breasted kingfisher, white-winged swamp warbler, hairy breasted barbet, Nubian woodpecker, African fish eagle, white-headed barbet, grey crowned cranes, long tailed cisticola, emerald spotted wood-dove, white-winged tit, brown parrot, African finfoot, Ross’s turaco among others.

Boat cruises, bird watching and game drive aside, other popular activities in Lake Mburo national park include sport fishing, guided nature walks, horseback riding, and guided cycling among others.