Lake Mburo National Park

 

The name “Mburo” is similar to “mboro” a Lunyankole word referring to cassine tree which has a powerful aphrodisiac effect. This tree which is common along Kigambira loop crossroads is always without its bark as it is always extracted for use by people in the neighbouring villages.

Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) is 370 sq km and the smallest savannah national park in Uganda. With a mosaic habitat: rocky outcrops, dry hillsides, bushes, thickets,  open and wooded savannahs, lakes and swamps, and forests, Lake Mburo National Park can boast of a diversity of animals and plants. It has 68 different mammal species, common among these are the buffaloes, zebras, elands, topis, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, warthogs, baboons, jackals, hyenas and leopards.

The park is a natural habitat to 315 different bird species including the rare shoebill, African Fin Foot, papyrus yellow warbler, brown-chested Wattled plover, carruther’s cisticola, Tabora cisticola,  white-winged warbler, great snipe, Abyssinian ground hornbill and saddled-billed stork. At Lake Mburo expect to see water birds, hippos and crocodiles in great numbers. Visit the Interpretation Centre located at Rwonyo Hill with literature about the park history, biodiversity and other resources including the scenic beauty that serves as a guide to nature walks in the park.

Game drives follow different tourist tracks including: Impala track which exposes a visitor to diverse animal species, impala being the most common species found along the track; zebra track leads you to herds of Burchell’s zebra (Equus burchelli) plus bushbucks, reedbucks and oribi; the Zebra track gives way to Ruroko Track: a drive through a wetland basin and thick acacia shrub and woodland – kopjes (rock outcrops) here are home to elusive klipspringers; the Kazuma track with wooded grassland where black-bellied bustards are common; Kigambira loop leads you through a wooded wilderness filled with bushbucks and bush duikers; and the Lakeside Track will facilitate excellent birding, animal and plant viewing.

The Rubanga Forest is an excellent place for birders. There are more than 40 bird species in this forest 5 of which are forest “specialists” including green pigeon, harrier hawk, narina trogon, double-toothed barbet and grey-backed cameroptera. Some of the trees in this forest include erythriana, platycalyx, sapium, markhamia and acacia.

Activities:
Game viewing at the salt lick, nature walks, boat trips, and fishing on lake Mburo.

Vegetation: it is filled up with open grasslands and savanna, acacia woodland. There are different acacia trees such as acacia hockii, acacia gerradii among others. There are rocky ridges; the savanna is interspersed with forested gorges while patches of papyrus swamp narrow bands of lush riparian wood land line the various lakes. The lake is dominated by an eponymous lake with its forest-fringed shores hemmed in by rolling green hills.  

 Highlights:  the most distinct feature is the impalas which are not easily spotted else where in the country, Butchell’s zebra, topi, bushbuck, common duiker, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, bush pig, hippos, roan antelope, eland, warthog, diurnal primates like vervet monkeys, olive baboons. There are about 315 acacia associated bird species  like mosque swallow, black bellied bustard, bare-footed go away bird, Rupell’s long-tailed starling and the southern ground hornbill.     

 How to get there:  there are 2 roads which can connect you to Lake Mburo. The park is found along between Masaka and Mbarara. Branch it’s a 4hr ride from Kampala. You turn left at 13km past lyantonde up to sanga gate continue for 5km from the main road to Nshara gate which is 20 mins Rwonyo headquarters.

 Activities:  the most popular activity is the boat trip (motor boat trip) which takes you around the lake and you are able to view hippos, waterbuck, crocodiles and three different types of otters.  There are lots of water birds like African fish eagle, marabou stork, and pied king fisher, egrets, herons and Ross’ turacos. Game drives are the best way to explore the park, as you will spot the impalas and the zebras, buffalo topi among others. You will spot these on the road that connects to Sanga gate and Nshara gates. In the dry season, you can spot warthog, Defassa waterbuck, bushbuck, elands, Butchell’s zebra and common duiker. You can also spot the park’s lakes, the Rwizi rive and fringing swamps.  A salt lick, it is a walk to a nearby point where you can observe animals licking salt from the salty soil without distracting them.

Guided nature walks can be arranged to go anywhere in the park though the most common place is the Rubanga forest associated with birders. The park has about 315 bird species and therefore serves as a good place for birding.   
Accommodation: Mantana Tented Camp