Queen Elizabeth National Park - Uganda Wildlife Holidays
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the country’s second-largest conservation area of Uganda after the Murchison Falls conservation area it is situated in the western part of Uganda in the Kasese district, and its fusion of ecosystems and amalgamation of wildlife strikes it as a true medley of wonders, the national park was initially known as the Kazinga national park it was later renamed the Queen Elizabeth National Park following the visit of Queen Elizabeth the second of England, it is known for the tree climbing lions to the south of the park in the Ishasha sector the conservation area stretches along the floor of the great Albertine rift valley region, a popular place to see the so-called big four of the wilderness (Lions, leopards, African elephants, buffaloes), it was gazette in 1952 covering an area space of approximately 1978 square kilometers.
The park contains many different ecosystems ranging from crater lakes, grassy lands, open savannah, woodlands, forests, gorges, lakes, and rivers, these act as homes to wildlife species that call this home, the park has important sites that are a must-see while in the park beginning from the Kasenyi plains for vast wildlife and birds, the Mwenya peninsular overlooking the 2 great lakes of Lake Edward and George, these are interconnected with a long stream known as the Kyambura gorge, it contains the highest population density of hippos in the world, the Kyambura gorge is home to the chimpanzee and other primate species of the park the primates seem like as though the they have been trapped here over centuries animals of the park include elephants, buffaloes, lions, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, Topi, elands, giant forest hogs, to mention afew, the conservation area hosts half population of birds Uganda of the 1030 species that have been recorded 600 species can be seen here including endemics of the great Albertine rift valley region
Key activities to do in the national park include game viewing along the Kasenyi plains, the savannah ecosystem supports a variety of wildlife species, they are conducted in the morning, evening, and afternoon time, the best time to see animals is during the early morning time beginning at 6:30 am east African time.
It is one of the few places that doing night game drives is allowed it is accompanied by the Uganda wildlife authority team. Boat cruise along the Kazinga channel, the 32-kilometer long stream connects through the 2 rift valley lakes, it acts as an oasis for animals during the dry season, expect to see more wildlife along this cruise it takes 2-3 hours, the channel is a paradise of birds, watching tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, Chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura gorge, the lovely gorge is situated in the western part of the park it is a hidden treasure easy to miss and yet so angelic, the chimpanzee has been scientifically proven to share up to 98% of the human DNA, the primates are tracked following an early morning briefing from the Uganda wildlife game rangers. Birding the national park is a haven of birds, a popular destination that is most sought after when it comes to birding.
