Star Uganda

National Parks

There are several parks in the Albertine Rift.

Protected Areas within the Albertine Rift

Uganda

Uganda hosts several protected areas within the Albertine Rift belt. National Parks in Uganda include Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Semuliki National Park, Kibale National Park, Mountain Elgon National Park, Mountain Rwenzori National Park, Lake Mburo National park and Mgahinga National park.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is internationally recognised for its conservation of mountain gorillas.

It covers 321 square kilometres and is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an Important Bird Area (IBA).

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, though smaller at 34 square kilometres, connects to the Virunga chain and supports gorilla and golden monkey tourism.

Queen Elizabeth National Park straddles the floor of the rift between Lakes Edward and George. Its 1,978 square kilometres include the Kazinga Channel, explosion craters, and Ishasha’s fig-tree lions.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park rises sharply from the valley floor. It is UNESCO-listed and encompasses glaciers, alpine flora, and headwater systems that feed Lake Albert.

Semuliki National Park, located in the Semliki Valley, holds a transitional forest ecosystem. It shares floristic characteristics with Congo’s Ituri region and supports rare bird and primate species.

Rwanda

Rwanda’s Albertine Rift coverage includes two high-priority zones.

Nyungwe National Park, established in 2004, protects one of the most extensive continuous montane forests in East Africa. It contains over 1,000 plant species and more than 300 bird species, many of which are endemic.

Volcanoes National Park forms Rwanda’s section of the transboundary Virunga range. It is the site of all gorilla trekking activity in Rwanda and contains five volcanic peaks, including Karisimbi and Sabyinyo.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Virunga National Park is Africa’s oldest national park. Established in 1925, it spans over 7,800 square kilometres. It includes alpine zones, lava plains, montane forests, and parts of Lakes Edward and Kivu. It supports both gorilla conservation and scientific volcanology around Mount Nyiragongo.

Kahuzi-Biega National Park lies further west near Bukavu. It protects Grauer’s gorillas and a large block of Congolese montane forest. This park is also World Heritage listed.

Itombwe Nature Reserve is a newer designation covering forest corridors in South Kivu. Though under development, it supports vital chimpanzee and bird habitats.

Burundi and Tanzania

In Burundi, Kibira National Park lies along the rift crest and extends southward from Nyungwe. It protects headwaters and steep montane forest.

Western Tanzania includes the Mahale Mountains National Park, which borders Lake Tanganyika. It is less developed for tourism but hosts wild chimpanzees and lake-accessible forest trails.

National Park Rules and Guidelines

Uganda Tourism Board in conjunction with Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) set rules and Regulations to govern all the ten national parks in Uganda.

  • Avoid making Campfires except under the guidance of rangers – Camp fires only allowed at the officially designed camp site places. If not guided, fire can gut wild animals, birds and their habitats. unauthorized fire setting can also scare away animals.
  • Do not off track – off tracking should only be done under the guidance of rangers. Unauthorized off tracking attracts fine. Safari guides are strictly advised to drive through the legalized routes in order to protect bushes, forest, animals and birds.
  • Avoid motor horn sounds while in the park. The sound scares animals and birds and may end up turning armful. The horn sounds may also affect people with heart diseases found in the park.
  • Driving through the park at night is not allowed unless guided by the rangers. Night game in parks like Semliki are paid for and strictly guided by the rangers. This is done to avoid knocking nocturnal which move at night in the park. Also note that, the vehicle doing night game drives should be able to give maximum light.
  • Do not enter the park with pet animals like Dogs, snakes, birds among others. This is done to minimize the spread of diseases from the one animal to another.
  • Avoid carrying firearms to the park. Such ammunition can destruct the security in the park. You may be looked at as a threat to the wildlife and other visitors in the park.
  • Avoid destroying vegetation by plucking leaves, flowers or uprooting plants, setting fire in the park. Learn that, the parks are natural habitats for wildlife which should be conserved for future generation. The destroying of wild life habitat can force them to migrate to another location.
  • Lower the speed to 40km per hour (25mph) to avoid accidents in the park. Knocking animals or birds will attract fines to pay for each knocked animal.
  • Carry all your documents and present them for verification at any entry point. Move with your receipts, Identity Cards, passports, and or driver’s license for inspection.