Lake Mburo National Park is located in Kiruhura District in Western Uganda. It is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national park in and underlain by Precambrian metamorphic rocks which dates back more than 500 million years. The park is situated about 30 kilometers by road, east of Mbarara, the largest city in the western region. Lake Mburo National Park was gazetted in 1933 as a hunting area and became a Game Reserve in 1963. The Banyankole and Bahima residents grazed their cattle in the Reserve area. It was gazeted in 1983 to a National Park status. It came at the time of the Operation Bonanza massacre of 300,000. Many people became hostile to park’s formation because pastoralists were not compensated after eviction. The rangeland outside the park was subsequently subdivided into small ranges and subsistence farming plots.
The park has a variety of animals such as zebras, impala, buffaloes and many others. The park still has landscape with rolling grassy hills and idyllic lake shore has a varied mosaic of habitats forest galleries, acacia wood valleys, permanent andseasonal swamps and rich which all support a wealth of wildlife. The park has about 313 species of birds including the White-winged Warbler and Shoebill stork. other species to find are; Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Crested Francolin, Barefaced Go-away bird, Rednecked Spur, common Quails, Black-billed Barbet, Blue-napped Mousebird, Rednecked spurfowl, Black Bellied Bustard, Lilac-breasted Roller, African-grey Hornbill, Nubian Woodpecker, Trilling Cisticola a drive towards Rwonyo camp may reveal;Coqui Francolin, Temminck’s Courser, African-wattled Plover Rufous napped and Flappet larks, Rufuos chested Swallow ,Yellow-throated Long claw and Southern Red Bishop.
Fishing is one of the activities done with in Lake Mburo National park and about six species of fish are found on Lake Mburo such as Tilapia, mud fish ,lung fish, hooks are used by visitors thou it takes more time catching fish, a shade is provided at the campsite to ensure relaxation for visitors while at the lake. Forest walk is also done with in the park which offers a variety of conducive habitat for birds which favours bird watchers. Boat trips are also done which make the visitors to clearly view the crocodiles, Hippopotamuses and birds like Cormorant ,Pelicans, , Heron, Black Crake , Fish Eagle
Lake Mburo National park has accommodation facilities like tents at Rwonyo park headquarters, there are also three campsites. A luxury accommodation is provided at the Montana Luxury Tented Camp and Mihingo Lodge.
Its approximately 240 kilometers (150 mi), by road, west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city to reach Lake Mburo National park.
ACTIVITIES IN LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Fishing
Fishing is one of the activities done with in Lake Mburo National park and about six species of fish are found on Lake Mburo such as Tilapia, mud fish ,lung fish, hooks are used by visitors thou it takes more time catching fish, a shade is provided at the campsite to ensure relaxation for visitors while at the lake.
Hiking and Nature Walks in Lake Mburo
Forest walk is also done with in the park which offers a variety of conducive habitat for birds which favours bird watchers. This is all done with the company of agame ranger.
Launch Trips in Lake Mburo
This makes the visitors to clearly view the crocodiles, Hippopotamuses and birds like Cormorant, Pelicans, , Heron, Black Crake , Fish Eagle. The boat usually takes two hours.
Birding in Lake Mburo National Park.
Species that may be found in lake Mburo National parkinclude the Rufous-bellied Heron, Bateleur, Coqui Francolin, Grey Crowned Crane, Black-bellied Bustard and Brown-chested Lapwing.
Game drive
Game drives in Lake Mburo National park usually start at 6:30pm, and it usually ends in 3hours. The game tracks in the east of the park pass a variety of landscape features; acacia woodland, wetlands, grassy hillsides, rock outcrops and seasonally flooded valley floors.