Lake Mburo National park is approximately 260 kilometre squared in size and it’s very small when you compare with other East African parks. It falls in Mbarara District, with an altitude range from up to 1828m above sea level. It has mosaic habitants that are dry hillsides, rocky outcrops, bushy thickets, open and wooded savannas, forest, lakes and swamps – are home to a surprising diversity of flora and fauna.
The Lake Mburo National Park is named after the lake which falls in this territory which is Lake Mburo. There are 14 other lakes that form the wetland system of this National park. The park lies in the rain shadow between Lake Victoria and the Ruwenzori mountains. This situation enables it to receive an average of 800 mm of rain annually. Formally, this wetland system is linked by a swamp some 50 km long, fed by the Ruizi River on the western side. Five lakes, of which the larges is Lake Mburo, occur within the Park’s boundary. Almost a fifth of the Park’s area consists of wetlands – both seasonally flooded and permanent swamps. The various types of swamps are home to a wide variety of wetland birds, and the shy, rare sitatunga antelope. Lake Mburo’s surface and its fringing vegetation are always changing, and it is delightful to take a boat out and experience the lake’s moods.
This national park also hosts a variety of animals, with about 68 mammal species, including a large number of impalas (the antelope from which “Kampala” is named after). This are the major animals that are spotted and they include; zebras, Uganda kobs, duikers bushbucks, Ankole cattle topis, buffaloes, leopards, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, warthogs, oribi. There are also varieties of birds with more than 315 bird species, including, shoebill stork, red faced barbet, crested crane, papyrus yellow warbler. The savannah vegetation is rich with this species also to add to it we have Olea and Boscia.
Activities.
• There are also activities to be carried out in Lake Mburo national park. These include a Launch trip on Lake Mburo, to see hippos, crocodiles, cormorants, herons, fish eagle, pelicans, and many birds species.
• There are also Game drives that are done along the Park to see the animals (following the, Zebra, Impala, Lakeside tracks or Kazuma).
• Carrying out a very experiential and memorable Nature walks and bird watching for lovers of nature and wilderness tranquility.
