Semuliki national park is Uganda’s newest protected area/conservation area situated in western Uganda in the districts of Kabarole and Bwamba. Semuliki Forest Reserve was established in 1932 and upgraded to national park level in 1993.
Semuliki lies in the Albertine Rift Valley, north-west of the Rwenzori Mountains. The Semuliki River forms a natural border with the Congo by carrying rainwater from the Rwenzori’s to Lake Albert and the River Nile .Semuliki National Park is part of the Guinea-Congo biome, the only lowland semi-deciduous forest in Uganda with a spectacular scenic beauty enhanced by the presence of Sempaya hot springs.
The national park is characterized by several endemic and endangered species dominated by the Eastern most extension of one of Africa’s most ancient and bio-diverse forests of the Congo Basin. Semuliki’s species have been accumulating for over 25,000 years, the park contains evidence of even older processes, and hot springs bubble up from the depths to demonstrate the powerful subterranean forces that have been shaping the rift valley during the last 14 million years.
The area of Semuliki National Park covers an ecosystem within the larger Albertine Rift, the park has a high diversity of plant and animal species and many micro-habitats. Most of the plant and animal species in the park can also be spotted in the Congo Basin forests, with many of these species reaching the Eastern limit of their range in Semuliki.
The park consist of 435 bird species inclusive of the Albertine Rift Endemics such as the Dwarf Honey guide and Purple-breasted Sunbird can occasionally be sighted. Species with very limited ranges such as White-tailed Hornbill, Capuchin Babbler, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher and the orange weaver occur in the park. The park also has about 300 butterfly species.
53 mammal species have been recorded and these are, mona monkey, forest buffalo, bay duiker, beecroft’s flying squirrel, pygmy flying squirrel, little collared fruit bat, water chevrotain and target rat. A further ten mammals are known to occur in only a few other places in East Africa. Reptiles and amphibians are also abundant.
The park is home to famous hot springs thus male and female and most famous attraction, the “male” spring, known as Bintente, measures 12m in diameter and is set in a lush swampy clearing. The “female” spring Nyasimbi, meaning “the female ancestors”, is a boiling geyser which spurts bubbling water and steam up to two meters high the steam cloud can be seen from as far as 2km away.
Toro-Semuliki Wildlife Reserve is closely Uganda’s oldest game reserve following Murchison falls the game reserve (Toro-Semuliki) was established in 1932. The reserve is also habitat to lions, elephants, reedbuck, hippopotamus, baboons, bush pigs, giant forest hog, warthog, buffaloes, bushbuck, leopard, chimpanzee and waterbuck. Several chimp communities live in the lush river valleys of the reserve.
Enjoyable 4-6 hour guided nature walks in the gallery of Mugiri forest, spot chimps and other primates as well as birds, elephants, buffalo and occasionally a lion, Chimps are commonly found during the rainy season when food is abundant.
Driving distance from Kampala-Fort Portal via Mubende is about 290kms, thus 4-5 hour drive, making it the shortest route, while Kampala-Fort Portal via Masaka, Mbarara and Kasese is longer at 465kms taking between 7-8 hours.
