Kidepo Valley National Park

Straddling in the jagged semi-arid valleys between Uganda-South Sudan-Kenya border and was established into a National Park in 1962. This remote National Park receives less tourists (when compared to other National Parks) making it a must-visit for tourists who desire genuine and unblemished destinations that offer a true African Wilderness. Kidepo National Park is situated at 700 kilometers/10-13 hours drive from Kampala City hence very tiring to reach. It is advisable to fly-in (which is expensive) or you endure with the long hours to drive to experience what other National Parks nearer and more accessible cannot offer you.

This beautiful National Park boasts spectacular landscapes and large populations of mammals. There are over 77 mammal species and 475 exceptional bird species that call Kidepo Valley National Park home. Animals within this National Park are all in abundance, the prides of lions are exceptional (especially during the dry seasons), and the elephants and buffaloes linger within a closer range. The leopards, cheetahs, Ostriches, Wild dogs, Pangolins, Aardwolf, Caracal, hunting dogs and bat-eared fox are some of the mammal and bird species only found within Kidepo Valley National Park. Other wildlife species within Kidepo Valley National Park include Antelopes such as Defassa waterbucks, Elands, Oribis, Reedbucks, Jackson’s hartebeests, bush duikers, bush bucks and Topis among others. The extraordinary bird species within this Park include the Karamajong Apalis and the raptors among others. The following are the interesting activities conducted within Kidepo Valley National Park.

Location

The park is hidden in a valley in North Eastern Uganda along the border with Sudan. Surrounded by mountains it is considered by many to offer the most stunning scenery of any national park in Uganda.

This savannah remote park is located north-eastern Uganda of Moroto district (Karamoja region).

Size

The 1,436sq km park with mountain landscapes which end in rugged horizon, offers some of the wildest and most chartered flights available from Entebbe International Airport.

How to get to Kidepo Valley National Park

Drive through Soroti-Moroto road and you will be amazed by excellent views over the steep Alekilek volcano about midway Moroto and Soroti. And if you take the Lira-Kotido road, expect to enjoy the scenery of the Labwor hills and in particular the massive and bare Alerek (Kidi Rwot) rock about 55 km to Kotido.

Things to See in Kidepo National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park was founded in 1962 to offer refuge to its diverse wildlife species including over 77 mammal species, 475 bird species most of which can be best explored while you are on safari in Uganda. They include leopards, kudus, buffalo, cheetah, elephants, giraffes, Oryx, bush baby, lions, Uganda Kobs and many others.

Wildlife in the Park

Kidepo valley national park is blessed with a number of wildlife species that include the cape buffaloes, lions, zebras, gazelles, hyenas, cheetahs, crocodiles, wild dogs that usually come from southern Sudan and go back after some time, elephants, jackals, giraffes, hartebeests plus a number of bird species that include barbets, vultures, eagles and many others.

The park is notable for a number of animals that are not found anywhere else in Uganda including Cheetahs, Ostriches and bat-eared foxes.

Five primates have been recorded in the park including the localized Patas monkey. It also has large concentrations of elephants, zebras, bushbucks, buffaloes and a number of 20 predators including Lions, Leopards and hyenas .There’s also a variety of mustelids, genets, mongooses and small cats.

Twelve antelopes are found in Kidepo and they include the greater and lesser kudu, Guenther’s dik- dik, and mountain reedbuck which occur nowhere else in Uganda. Others are Jackson’s Hartebeest, Eland, Bushbuck, common duiker, Klipspringer, Oribi, Defassa waterbuck and Bohor reedbuck. The park also supports populations of elephant, Burchell’s Zebra, Warthog, Bush pig and buffalo. The black rhinoceros recently became extinct in kidepo.It’s also a good bird – watching destination, with a recorded number of 463 birds which includes endemic birds,%6 raptors including the pigmy falcon and Kidepo “specials” which are restricted to the park.

Most of the wild animals in the national park are easily seen in the Narus valley because it’s the only place that usually has water even during the dry season therefore the major herbivores usually keep around this area to feed on fresh grass and the major predators like the lions and hyenas also stay in the valley to hunt what they will have for their meals.