National Park Semuliki
One of Uganda’s ten national parks, Semuliki is the finest place to go forest birding because it is home to many kinds of birds from central Africa that are found all the way to the eastern edge of their range. These might include some of Africa’s most remarkable birds, such as the African Dwarf Kingfishers, the Long-tailed Hawk, the Black-wattled Hornbill, the Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, the Black-throated Cuckoo, the White-bellied and African Dwarf Kingfishers, the Ituri Batis, Sassi’s Olive, Xavier’s, the Simple and Eastern Bearded Greenbuls, the Brown-crowned Eremomela, the Red-chested Owlet, the Forest Francolin, the Western Bronze-napped Pigeon, the African Piculet, the Northern Bearded Greenbelt, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, the Grant’s Bluebill, the Creasted and Red-bellied Malimbes, and the Forest and Grey Ground Thrushes, to name a few.
Because Kibale National Park is close to this one, you can stop by Kibale during your safari to Semuliki National Park to engage in activities like chimpanzee trekking, seeing the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, and many more.
Semuliki National Park is situated in the isolated Bundibungyo area of southwest Uganda. Semuliki National Park is one of Uganda’s smaller national parks, spanning 220 square kilometers and rising between 670 and 760 meters above sea level. During the rainy season, the main parts of this low-lying park may flood, reminding us of the seven million years when the entire valley was at the bottom of a lake.
Established in 1932, Semuliki National Park was elevated to national park status in 1993. Around 441 recorded bird species and 53 mammal species can be found in the park, which is the only tract of trust lowland tropical forest in East Africa with moist semi-deciduous forest, dominated by iron-wood, patches of swamp forest, and water habitats characterized by the forest streams and oxbow lakes with adjacent swamps.
The majority of the mammals found in Semuliki National Park are nocturnal, uncommon, and timid. Primates such as monkeys, Oliv baboons, blue and vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, Guereza colobus, and chimpanzees are among the species that may be seen in the park. The Pottos may be nocturnal primates in Semuliki National Park. The Bush pi, glimpse elephants, buffaloes, water chevrotain, Zenker’s flying mouse, dwarf antelope, and Beecroft’s anomalure are a few of the mammals that can be found there. Additionally, visitors have a chance of seeing the small collared fruit, Target rats, and the gregarious and nimble squirrels.
In addition to the Sempaya Hot Springs, Semuliki National Park has remnants of earlier processes that took place there many years ago. The strong underlying forces that have been sculpting the rift valley over the course of 14 million years are confirmed by these hot springs that emerge from the depths. The Sempaya hot springs, which burst from the earth’s rock bottom to reveal the subterranean geographical features, reach high temperatures of roughly 103°C.
