How human activities are killing Lake Albert

The submerged ferry waiting shed at Wanseko Landing Site in Buliisa District on February 12, 2020. PHOTO BY ANDREW MUGATI 

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 2020
https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/How-human-activities-killing-Lake-Albert/688334-5455888-q8gwpt/index.html

In Summary

• The Ntoroko District environment officer, Mr Herbert Kamuhanda, says the problem started upstream on River Semuliki in Bundibugyo where Kirumya, Humya, Tokwe, Nyaruru, Rugo, Ngite, Nyahuka, Sundira, Ndugutu and Lamia rivers burst their banks due to running water from the bare mountain slopes.

By ANDREW MUGATI & FELIX BASIIME

Uncontrolled human activities around River Semuliki in Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts have led to rising water levels on Lake Albert, thereby paralysing business in downstream Buliisa District, Daily Monitor has established.
River Semuliki emanates from Lake Edward with its main catchment in the Rwenzori Mountains on the side of Bundibugyo.
River Semuliki snakes through Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts where uncontrolled human activities such as deforestation and soil erosion have caused sedimentation in the river that empties into Lake Albert.

As a result, Buliisa District has since January been experiencing rising water levels on River Nile and Lake Albert, which have disrupted fishing and other activities on landing sites in the area.
The most affected are landing sites in Kigwera, Buliisa and Butiaba sub-counties, and Buliisa Town Council. To access some of the landing sites, people now use canoes. The fish slab, ferry waiting shed and some houses at Wanseko and Butyaba landing sites in Buliisa have been submerged.

Mr Bagadira William, a captain of a boat that plies Wanseko-Panyimur transport route, says due to rising water levels, water weed is floating on both Upper Nile and Lake Albert thereby blocking the landing sites on the Nile.
“Rising water levels have set water hyacinth loose. Our path to Panyimur has been blocked, forcing us to shift from our previous landing sites on River Nile to Lake Albert where there is a lot of wind that hits our boats. We are nearing March and we expect more winds and our boats are not secure here,” Mr Bagadira says.
Mr Didasco Mwesigwa, a fisherman, says: “Rising water levels have scared fish away from the water near the shore. Fish has moved to deeper waters of the lake”.

Uncontrolled activities
Buliisa District Environment Officer Rogers Tumusiime attributes the rising water levels to human activities in swamps and on the lake shores.
“We are experiencing flooding or rising water levels due to human activities such as sand mining, degrading swamps and cutting/clearing papyrus, which used to retain the excess water,” he says.
Mr Tumusiime urges the people not to interfere with the ecological system and the buffer zones on rivers. “We should respect the buffer zones of 30-100 meters on the rivers and stop cultivating close to the rivers. What is happening on the lake now may happen in upper Buliisa,” he says. Mr Tumusiime adds that they will soon evict all wetland encroachers.

“There is a presidential directive that everyone cultivating in the buffer zones and swamps should not plant for the next season. Continuous cultivation along these areas may push us to enforce the directive,” he warns.
Mr Jeconious Musingwire, the south western regional officer for the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), attributes the rising water levels on Lake Albert to recent floods in the area.
“There were flash floods in Bundibugyo in December and the subsequent rains in January. All these have been flowing through a lose catchment of River Semuliki that empties into Lake Albert,” he says.

Mr Musingwire adds: “This big water volume comes with sediments to the landing sites in Buliisa. Sediments raise the lake bed due to poor management of the river catchment. That is why in most times, water in River Semuliki turns brown in colour.”
The Ntoroko District environment officer, Mr Herbert Kamuhanda, says the problem started upstream on River Semuliki in Bundibugyo where Kirumya, Humya, Tokwe, Nyaruru, Rugo, Ngite, Nyahuka, Sundira, Ndugutu and Lamia rivers burst their banks due to running water from the bare mountain slopes.
“Poor human activities on the slopes of Bundibugyo District and population pressure are responsible for the floods,” Mr Kamuhanda says.

How Nyombi Thembo employs culture, tourism to make money

Great scenery. Executive Director of Kikorongo Safari Lodge in Kasese District, Nyombi Thembo (2nd R) poses at the entrance with his guests. PHOTOS BY FELIX BASIIME 

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16 2020
https://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Prosper/How-Nyombi-Thembo-employs-culture--tourism-to-make-money/688616-5458206-wkkeen/index.html

In Summary

• Super approach. Quality work and dedicated staff underpins Kikorongo Safari Lodge success. This has seen the lodge get many clients through referrals, writes Felix Basiime

By Felix Basiime

The Bakonjo culture is very unique in its way, especially when it comes to names of the people, places and rivers.

Kikorongo Safari Lodge at the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese District, about 20 kilometres or 15 minutes’ drive on Kasese-Ishaka road has capitalised on this uniqueness and location to connect culture of the area to tourism.

Some of its raised conical shaped cottages have been given local names of people such as Baluku, Thembo, and Masika while others have been named after the rivers that flow from Mount Rwenzori such as Nyamwamba, Nyamugasana among others.

Business journey
“Our Kikonjo culture is very unique; all Bakonjo names are named by precedence, so we at Kikorongo Safari Lodge, we want people to appreciate the Kikonjo culture,” says Nyombi Thembo, the executive director of Kikorongo Safari Lodge which is on the hill slopes overlooking Lakes Kikorongo and George and Kikorongo trading centre.

The way the Bakonjo name their children is exclusively unique to their culture and is almost automatic and only to them alone in Uganda. Though they have clans, the criterion used is not evidenced in their names like most other tribes according to Mr Thembo.

That is why there are few names among the Bakonjo and males share common names such as Baluku, Mumbere (Kambere), Bwambale, Masereka, Kule, Thembo, Muhindo or Mbusa while females are named as Masika/Musoki, Biira, Kabugho, Mbambu, Ithungu, Kyakimo, Nziabake or Muhindo depending on the position in that particular family.

Thembo says “The male first-born is automatically called Baluku or Mumbere, the second born male Bwambale.”
“For example, Muhindo follows a girl and vice versa, Nziabake is only for ladies who are last borns. We want people to immense into our culture,” Thembo says.

The cottages
Kikorongo Safari Lodge has so far 15 cottages out of the 20 projected by 2021 that sit on about two of the 28 acres piece of land.

They have been well raised from the ground to avoid reptiles and named as Thembo, Kambere, Masereka, Ithungu, Muremberi, Nziabake while others have been named after 10 most prominent rivers in Kasese that include Nyamwamba, Thako, Lhubiriha, Lume (Rwimi) and Nyamugasana. There are many rivers in Kasese that flow from mountain Rwenzori and empty into Lake George and the major ones are Nyamwamba and Mubuku which also are a major potential source of electricity production and water for irrigation.

“We have 10 camping platforms of which four are executive and among the cottages, four are super luxury, one is diamond luxury, two international luxury, two diamond luxury and three intimate,” says Thembo.

Fees
The rates per cottage range from $270 (Shs972,000) to $350 (Shs1.2m) per night while the camp site ranges from $30 (Shs108,000) to $100 (Shs360,000).

“Our rates are in three phases, we have market entry rates which are highly concessional rates, market penetration rates and real rates, and so we are now in a transition for one year,” Thembo who is also settling as guide at the hotel says. “I love nature, I love tourism, that is why I put up this facility, I will finally retire here as a guide because I enjoy what am doing,” Thembo adds.

The Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu minister for culture, Elly Nyakango described the facility as the best venture in the kingdom and hailed the proprietor for promoting culture and tourism of the region.

“This is a very good arrangement for naming the cottages after local Kikonjo names of people and rivers, it promotes our culture very much, because the use of Kikonjo names gives us pride,” Nyakango says, and advised, “I advise my friend Thembo to make the cottages named after Mumbere and Ithungu very unique as suits because these are the names of our King (Charles Wesley Mumbere) and the Queen (Agnes Ithungu)”

The experience
“When you are at Kikorongo Safari Lodge you are at an advantage of the Mount Rwenzori experience as we are at the foots of the Rwenzori, the Great Rift Valley experience, the equator experience and the centrality of our location to the biggest conservation area in Uganda (The Queen Elizabeth National Park),” Thembo says.

“From here you can reach seven tourist attraction sites such which surrounds us, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semuliki National Park, Tooro Semliki (game reserve), Kibale National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Rwenzori Mountain, Virunga in DR Congo, this is a continuous conglomeration of conservation area,” Thembo says.

When you are at Kikorongo Safari Lodge, you get a clear view of Kazinga Channel and Lakes George and Kikorongo, the Western rift valley and special attributes include the “bush shower,” fire camp area and the game drive.

Ecotourism
Kikorongo Safari Lodge is situated in a very quiet natural environment set up and is surrounded by trees and bushes.

An elephant monument greets visitors at the entrance with a sign post. After booking, you are given a long stick to use as you ascend and hike to one of the cottages that are connected by paths littered by beautiful brown stones in the middle and grey stones from River Nyamwamba on the sides.
The management has particularly preserved the environment in its natural set up and planted more trees including yellow bamboo.

“We have emphasised sustainability and conservation in all our designs, we have preserved the site in its natural set up, the built up area is about two acres and the rest 26 acres has been left untouched, forest and bushes,” Thembo says. He adds, “So far we have used 5,300 eucalyptus trees grown at my land in Mubende for these cottages and other structures. The trees were cut from 14 acres and we have planted more trees on 40 acres.”

Because of the natural set up that has been preserved at this hotel, the nights are enjoyable with cool breezes from the trees and lakes around, the nights too are quiet but with some interludes of tweets from humming mocking birds, cats and hippo sounds from a distance are heard. There is security 24/7 and the young staff clad in army green T shirts and cups are very hospitable and take you around the cottages and at the bar at the fire place.

Tourism resource
According to Kasese District official website, tourism is a significant economic activity within the district given its natural resource endowment including mountains and national parks.

It has given employment to a number of people who act as tourist guides as well as working in hotels such as Mweya Safari Lodge and Margherita Hotel among others.
Tourism plays a big role in national development and in this regard, UWA has been contributing to the district development in form of revenue sharing (20 per cent).

Advice
Taking into account the series of tough challenges he faced at the beginning of his fascinating business journey, Nyombi Thembo now believes nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself and remain firmly focused on the ultimate prize.
Nyombi Thembo a former minister for information technology says his passion fuelled his resilience and stubborn belief that what he was doing was right and held great promise.

“I never at any single moment doubted myself or questioned the viability of what I was on to. This unshakable belief was one of the driving forces that saw me weather many a storm and surmount numerous hurdles strewn my way. The more challenges I overcame the more my confidence level rose,” says Nyombi Thembo who is also the former Member of Parliament for Kassanda South. He is currently the director of the Rural Communications Development Fund (RCDF). RCDF is a service fund managed by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

Management
Another factor that has underpinned Nyombi Thembo’s success is the quality of services tourists receive. This has seen him get many clients through referrals. “We never compromise on quality and this has been at the heart of our growth,” he says adding that there is no shortcut to success but the long, winding and slippery path. His advice to potential entrepreneurs who have viable ideas is just to act on them.

“If you wait for an ideal moment, when all elements will neatly and perfectly fall in place before you start it will never come and your idea will be stillborn. Start with the little resources that you have and gradually scale the greasy pole of business,” he says. Another ingredient to his success is his employees. He says he does not treat them as his workers but colleagues.
Conversely, he also tells them to treat him as one of them and not their boss.

“Whenever we go to the field for an assignment there is neither a boss nor an employee. We work as colleagues,” says the unassuming and affable businessman whose slight frame belies the fact that he is battle-hardened having surmounted huge challenges to build a multimillion company.

Many a times, his clients have asked where the boss is yet he is right there standing among his colleagues (read employees). Another powerful arrow in his quiver is incredible hard work. Nyombi Thembo says when there is urgent work, he goes to work on Saturday and Sunday.

Uganda Wildlife Authority builds dams for wild animals

Philermon Tumwebaze, the assistant warden in charge of ecological monitoring and research at Tooro Semliki Game Reserve shows one of the newly constructed dams. PHOTOS BY FELIX BASIIME 

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1 2020
https://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Travel/UWA-builds-dams-for-wild-animals/691238-5440442-v77x1lz/index.html

In Summary

• CONSERVING WILDLIFE. In search for water and pastures for their cattle within parks and game reserves, neighbouring communities are competing for scarce resources meant for wildlife.
• UWA has has embarked on a project to contruct dams to save wildlife. Each dam is worth Shs20 million and once filled with water, it can sustain wildlife through the dry seasons, writes Felix Basiime.

By Felix Basiime

In a bid to boost tourism and prevent wild animals from dying during drought, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has embarked on an initiative of digging up dams that will serve animals in all savannah national parks across the country.

The savannah parks located in the cattle corridor include Tooro Semliki game reserve in Ntoroko District, Lake Mburo in Kiruhuura and Kidepo Valley in Karamoja.

Reducing death of wildlife
According to Mr Philemon Tumwebaze, the assistant warden in charge of ecological monitoring and research at Tooro Semliki, wild animals are affected by the same drought conditions as domestic animals in the cattle corridor.

“As a way to guard against losing our animals, management thought it wise to dig dams so that during the wet season they will be filled with water to sustain animals in the dry season. Previously they have been moving long distance in search for water. Many animals would walk many kilometres to River Wassa” says Tumwebaze.

Dam project to be rolled out
He adds: “Initially, we constructed three dams in strategic areas of animal concentration, where tourists can easily view them, especially the Uganda Kobs, buffalos and elephants. We intend to roll out this dam project to across the country.”

“When the President visited Ntoroko District recently, he appealed to Ntoroko District administration to dig up dams for cattle keepers and neighbouring communities so that they leave water for wildlife in the park” says Tumwebaze, adding, “And as UWA, we are optimistic that dams will minimise the rate of deaths in Mburo, Kidepo and Tooro Semliki parks,” he adds.

He noted that each dam measures 20 by 80 metres wide and three to four metres deep and is worth Shs20 million. “If it is filled with water, it can sustain wildlife through the dry seasons.”

Grazing in the park
As some national parks in the cattle corridors face rampant cases of cattle keepers illegally grazing their cattle in the park, in search of pasture and water, they compete for scarce resources meant for wildlife and chances of exchanging diseases are high.
All protected areas are a reserve of wildlife (fauna and flora) and no domestic animal should be grazed in the gazette area, according to UWA Act 2000.

“When the drought hits hard, the cattle keeping communities around the parks herd their cattle around the parks, an activity that dries up water sources meant for wildlife. This is why we want to construct dams specifically meant for wildlife in these parks. Government is also setting up dams for cattle in Ntoroko District,” said Tumwebaze.

Supporting communities
UWA has decided to support the cattle keepers too through a water project. “UWA is supporting the neighbouring communities around the park with a gravity water project, which is being tapped from River Wassa to Ntoroko, Kanara and Rwebisengo areas” he says.

In March last year, court in Ntoroko District sentenced four cattle keepers to jail for illegally grazing more than 600 cows in Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve. Mr Deusdedit Twinomugisha, the assistant warden of Community Conservation at Tooro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve, says the cattle keepers have killed all the lions in the reserve because they eat their cattle.

“Lions are one of the most sought after tourist attractions in the park. Tourists pay a lot of money to come and see wild animals, birds and nature. They do not expect to see domestic animals in the park,” he cautioned, adding that “the reserve receives between 500 to 700 tourists each year.”

500 herds of cattle dead
Cattle keepers in Ntoroko District have lost more than 500 herds of cattle following the drought from January June last year. Pastoralists and residents trek between six kilometres and 10kms daily searching for water from rivers Semliki, Wasa (inside Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve), Muzizi and Makondo.

President Yoweri Museveni in September last year noted that government would construct dams to accommodate excess waters that flow freely in Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts to deal with the floods within the region. “We shall solve the flood problem by setting up more valley dams downstream in Ntoroko District to tap the excess water” Museveni said.

About the park
Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve covers part of Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kabarole districts and also borders with Lake Albert.

Uganda kobs dominant
As early as 1913, Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve became popular for tsetse fly control programme and as a lion hunting area for the King of Tooro.

It was established as a game reserve in 1926, under General Notice 546 aiming at the protection of the large population of wild animals, of which Uganda kobs were dominant. Other animals were reedbucks, waterbucks, hartebeests, lions, buffaloes, elephants, hippos and others.

The reserve covers an area of 542sq, km. It is located in western Uganda and is neighboured by 12 sub- counties.

Harbours endangered species
It is a habitat to a number of endangered species including the chimps in the central savanna and the river line forest of Mugiri, Wasa, and Nyaburogo rivers. The chimps here exhibit unique features such as digging drinking holes.

Challenges
However, the game reserve faces challenges that include poaching, illegal grazing, poor road network to the reserve, negative attitude by the community towards conservation, illegal trafficking of wildlife resources and a high demand of resources from the reserve such as poles, firewood, water and grass.
Plans are underway to elevate the game reserve into a national park and one of its key brand is the shoe bill, widely revered by birders.

QUICK FACTS
Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve covers Ntoroko, Bundibugyo and Kabarole districts and also borders Lake Albert. The reserve covers an area of 542sqkm. Located in western Uganda, it is a habitat to a number of endangered species including the chimps, Uganda kobs reedbucks, waterbucks, hartebeests, lions, buffaloes, elephants and hippos. As early as 1913, the game reserve was known as a lion hunting area for the King of Tooro.

If I had to visit western Uganda..

...I would definitely go to...

Kitagata Hot Springs
The scene of people almost naked, resting in water in a pond-like formation is the first to inform you that you have arrived at Kitagata Hot Springs. Women and men of all ages enjoying the water flowing from the two nearby springs. The water in the springs can warm up to 80 °C (176 °F).

Kisiizi Falls
The beautiful Kisiizi falls lie on Kyabamba River, a few metres from Kisiizi Hospital in Rukungiri District, which borders Kabale. These falls are about 27 metres high, dropping water into a gorge continuing the flow of the river. Tourists are welcomed by mist from the falls, at least 100 metres away.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Although Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is known for Gorilla trekking, bird watching is an activity you cannot afford to miss because of the abundance of rare species of birds. About 350 species of birds can be found in Bwindi and these include black-billed turaco, African green broadbill, chapin’s flycatcher, among others

How water hyacinth on Lake Albert is boosting tourism industry

The water hyacinth affects fishing and other businesses on Lake Albert. The weed entangles with the nets preventing fishermen from catching fish. NET PHOTO. 

SATURDAY JANUARY 25 2020

https://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Travel/How-water-hyacinth-Lake-Albert-boosting-tourism-industry/691238-5431676-11v09dj/index.html

In Summary

• BLESSING IN DISGUISE. While the water hyacinth has crippled business on Lake Albert, especially the fishing activity, it has presented a perfect opportunity for birders to watch one of the most sought after bird- the Shoebill. The water weed attracts birds to prey on aquatic animals, writes Felix Basiime.

By Felix Basiime

Despite the fact that the water hyacinth is affecting more than 10,000 people in Ntoroko District, whose source of livelihood depends on fishing on Lake Albert, it has given the shoebill a golden opportunity to enjoy catching its prey.

The shoebill, which is the most prized bird for Tooro Semliki game reserve attracts between 500 to 700 tourists each year, according to the warden in charge of Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Mr Benon Mugyerwa.

10 tourists visit the park daily
Mugyerwa says: “About 10 tourists, mostly birders visit the park daily to watch the shoebill on Lake Albert. Each trip on the water boat costs $100 (Shs367,379) and tourists enjoy bird watching.” He adds: “There are 95 per cent chances of seeing the shoebill at Semliki. I have spent 20 years here. In other parks, it may take you two weeks without seeing this bird. The water weed has enabled us to view the shoebill. This bird has turned into Tooro’s tourism brand.”

Business on the lake shore crippled
While the water weeds have crippled businesses on Lake Albert, on the other hand it has made life easier for some birds to prey on aquatic animals.

According to the affected fishermen, the weed has hindered fishing activities in most of the fishing landing sites in the district as the weed hampers easy movement of the traditional canoes and makes it harder for the fishermen to cast their nets in the water, because the weed roots have made a cobweb like mesh in the water.

While on the lake, the fishermen guide the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers to locate the shoebills. Because of their grey colour, it is not easy to locate them on water at a long distance.

While on Lake Albert, we saw another interesting small bird called pygmy kingfisher, catching fish. “That bird you see, it is called the pygmy kingfisher, it can mount any bird that it comes across, whether it is the same or different specie,” says Philermon Tumwebaze, the assistant warden, Ecological Monitoring and Research at Tooro Semliki.

How they feed
Kingfishers feed on a wide variety of prey. They are known for hunting and eating fish. Their family contains 114 species. The shoebill, also known as Balaeniceps rex, is one of the world’s most sought after bird.
According to kabiza.com, an online publication, Uganda is a top destination for watching the shoebill while on a safari.

Other sites for bird watching
Places such as Mabamba Swamp along Lake Victoria, Lugogo Swamp in Ziwa Rhino Reserve, the lower Nile in Murchison Falls Park and Lake Mburo are some of the parks where you can spot the shoebill stork.

The same publication states that Uganda has safe, secure, easily accessible locations where tourists on a safari can spot the prehistoric shoebill stork.
The shoebill survives on a diet of mainly lungfish supplemented by frogs, puddle fish, baby crocodiles and water snakes.

They have sharp edges on their wide beaks. They tend to be nocturnal and do not have webbed feet, which give them a stealth-like ability as they hunt for lungfish.
Tumwebaze says Lake Albert provides the most perfect site for a shoebill to be viewed, should one consider birding experience in Uganda.

According to Bashir Hangi, the spokesman of UWA, tourism is one of the top revenue earners and in the last financial year, Uganda earned Shs5.35 trillion.

Brief facts about the shoebill
According to factanimal.com, the shoebill is a large, elusive, stork-like bird with an almost prehistoric appearance, due to its oversized shoe-shaped beak. They are sometimes referred to as ‘whalehead‘, for obvious reasons.

Shoebill inhabit freshwater swamps and marshes of Uganda, Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana and Tanzania.

The Shoebill enjoys its prey from the lake. Shoebill is one of the most sought after birds in Uganda. NET PHOTO

Its distribution is often close to the presence of papyrus vegetation, and lungfish.

Shoebill were previously thought of as storks, but genetic research has re-classified them as members of the order pelecaniformes and family palaenicipitidae, which are large water birds, genetically closer to pelicans and herons.

Origin of water weed
The head of National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Dr Anthony Tabu, says water hyacinth is mostly associated with lakes that spew plenty of nutrients into the water.
“The weed can be removed manually but that maybe costly because it involves paying people who have fuel and boats to remove them,” Dr Tabu said, adding that once the weed entangles with the nets, fishermen cannot catch any fish.

The water hyacinth became prominent in late 1980s and mid-1990s, with its impact mostly felt in 1995, when the weed covered 90 per cent of the Lake Victoria shoreline.
It cuts off oxygen supply to aquatic life. Hyacinth is an aquatic floating plant that has become a global freshwater scourge after being inadvertently transported worldwide.

Environmental experts say a combined approach to stop the further spread of the weed is necessary because it can be used as raw material for feeds and act as breeding spots for some aquatic lives.

About Semliki game reserve
According to Mr Deusdedit Twinomugisha, the assistant warden in charge of Community Conservation at Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve, the reserve became significant for tsetse fly control programme and a lion hunting area for the king of Tooro kingdom.

“Tooro Semliki Wildlife Reserve was established as a game reserve in 1926 aiming at the protection of the large population of wild animals of which Uganda kobs were dominant. Other games were reedbucks, waterbucks, hartebeests, lions, buffaloes, elephants, hippos and others” he says
The reserve covers an area of 542sq, km. It is located in western Uganda, within Ntoroko and Kabarole districts.

Habitat for endangered species
It is a habitat to a number of endangered species (IUCN red list) including the chimps in the central savanna and the river line forest of Mugiri, Wasa, and Nyaburogo Rivers. These chimps here exhibit a number of unique features, for example they dig drinking holes even when water is available.
The park hosts more than 400 bird species, notably among which are the shoebill stork, the pigmy kingfisher found along the shores of Lake Albert, which comprises a permanent wetland.

It has magnificent scenery located in land scape in the Albertine Rift, comprising of unique geographical features and landscapes, such as the flat open area in the rift valley, gorges, L. Albert and escarpment.
The management at Tooro Semliki is negotiating plans of having a national park status in order to tap into the potential tourism products in Kabarole District.

QUICK FACTS
According to factanimal.com, the shoebill is a large, elusive, stalk-like bird with an oversized shoe-shaped beak. They are sometimes referred to as ‘Whalehead‘, for obvious reasons. Shoebill inhabit freshwater swamps and marshes of Uganda, Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana and Tanzania. Its distribution is often close to the presence of papyrus vegetation, and lungfish.

If I had TO go birding...

It would definitely be...

Mabamba Bay Wetland
Located on the edge of Lake Victoria, Mabamba Bay Wetland is one of few places where the rare shoebill stork can be found. Sighting the shoebill stork at Mabamba Bay Wetland will make your Uganda birding safari all the more exciting.

Murchison Falls National Park
About 450 bird species have been recorded in Murchison Falls National Park and these can best be seen during a wildlife game drive through the park or when on a boat ride to the bottom of Murchison Falls. Bird species in Murchison Falls National Park include Goliath Heron and Swamp Flycatcher.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Although Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is known for Gorilla trekking, bird watching is an activity you cannot afford to miss because of the abundance of rare species of birds. About 350 species of birds can be found in Bwindi and these include black-billed turaco, African green broadbill, chapin’s flycatcher, among others