Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is an increasingly common stop on the safari circuit with exciting African wildlife watching in arm’s reach of the capital, the 370-sq-km.

It’s the only place in southern Uganda to see zebras and the only park in the country with impalas, slender mongoose and giant bush rats. You can also look for hyenas, leopards, topis, elands and recently reintroduced Rothschild’s giraffes. Lions are rarely sighted – it’s thought there’s only one left here. Few big predators means there are horse-riding and mountain-biking opportunities. Some of the 325 bird species include martial eagles and red-faced barbets in the acacia-wooded savannah, and papyrus yellow warblers and African finfoots in the wetlands.

Lake Mburo National Park Highlights

• Only park in the country with impalas
• Lions are rarely sighted
• Horse-riding and mountain-biking activities
• Over 325 bird species recorded
• The famed long-horned Ankole cattle a common sight
• Forest walk – Rubanga Forest, Boat trips, nature trails and Fishing activities
• En-route to Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi Forest National Parks

About Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo park that lies towards western Uganda along the Kampala, Masaka Mbarara high-way. If you are interested in seeing the best of Africa’s herbivorous beasts in the wild, this is the best place to go. See Eland, antelope, as well as zebras and water buck. It is has beautiful rolling hills and open grass valleys, interspersed with thickets, woodlands and rich wetlands. In Lake Mburo you will get to see, among many other animals, the impala, water bucks, the cape buffalo, oribi,hyena, topi,reed buck,leopard and zebra.

Birding watching in Lake Mburo is mainly in areas like the swampy valleys of Warukiri and Miriti, and the roadsides between Rwonyo camp and the jetty. There are also ideally-situated viewing platforms at the salt lick, in Miriti Valley, and in Rubanga Forest. Species observed at these locations include the Rufous-bellied Heron, Bateleur, Coqui Francolin, Grey Crowned Crane, Black-bellied Bustard, Brown-chested Lapwing, 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 and Finfoot among others.

Rubanga Forest can be visited using a vehicle or on foot. This is a real draw for keen birders, and prior arrangement should be made with the warden. The rare Red-faced Barbet only seen in Lake Mburo National Park  is one of the of the forest’s featured species