Lake Mburo

SUMMARY

Size: 370km²

Altitude: 1,220m – 1,828m above sea level

Wetland habitats comprise 20% of the park’s surface

The parks’ precarious past has seen wildlife virtually eliminated several times: firstly in various attempts to rid the region of tsetse flies, then to make way for ranches, and finally as a result of subsistence poaching.

LAKE MBURO IN DETAILS

Lake Mburo National park, the smallest national park in Uganda is about 4 hours drive from Kampala and can connect easily to Queen Elizabeth National park and Bwindi Impenetrable national park; which is home to mountain gorillas that can be tracked on our gorilla tracking safaris.

Lake Mburo National park is blessed with rich diverse animal and bird life with more than 315 different bird species for those interested in bird watching safaris and 68 different mammals that can be seen during game drives, guided walking safaris, horse riding safaris and nocturnal safaris. The mammals include impala, buffalo, leopards, zebras, elands, topis and recently about 16 giraffes were relocated to this beautiful jewel of a national park. You will see lots of hippos wallowing into water on a boat safari on Lake Mburo. Some of the animals in this park are found no where else in Uganda. It is less crowded too so you will likely have the whole park by yourself.

Most of our Uganda safaris include a visit to this beautiful national park. If you are interested in any of our safaris and you would love to explore Lake Mburo national park, contact us.

Wildlife Lake Mburo national park

There are over 68 mammal species in Lake Mburo National Park which can be spotted easily during the game drives and the wildlife boat trips. The park has well maintained tracks that make it easy for game viewing. Animals to look out for are impalas, a type of antelope that is found only in Lake Mburo National park, in the whole of Uganda. Other antelopes include the eland (one of the large and shy antelopes which are found only here and in Kidepo Valley National park), bush backs, Defassa Waterbuck, Topi and other animals that include African Cape buffalo, hyenas, an only lion that comes and goes, warthogs, and Zebras

Birds in Lake Mburo national park

Lake Mburo National Park is home to about 315 bird species which makes birding one of the top activities in the park. Because of its different habitants, there are savanna, forest and water birds in this small underrated national park. Some of the birds include Crested Francolin, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Barefaced Go-away bird, Red necked Spur, common Quails, Black-billed Barbet, Greenwood Hoopoe, Blue-napped Mouse bird, Lilac-breasted Roller, African-grey Hornbill, Nubian Woodpecker, Trilling Cisticola, Bee-eaters and the Cheeky bronze-tailed starling and the crowned crane which is on the Uganda emblem. On the boat safari, you will look out for the African Finfoot, shoebill stork, Malachite, pied and grey headed kingfishers, African fish eagle among others

Top Activities in Lake Mburo National Park

Morning and Night safari Game drives in customized safari vehicles with pop up roofs

Visitors in Lake Mburo national park can go for guided nigh and day safari games drives. Both times are perfect for game viewing since animals are very actives during those times. Uganda Wildlife Authority opened and maintains wildlife game drive tracks that make it easy for visitors to spot the animals in the park.

Lake Mburo national park is one of the few animals where night game drives take place with supervision of a ranger guide from Uganda Wildlife Authority. The night game drives offer chances of seeing the nocturnal animals that include bush babies and leopard. The other animals to look out for are warthogs, zebras, and the different types of antelopes. The game drives normally take about 3 hours

Wildlife boat safaris in Lake Mburo National Park:

One can go for a 2 hour wildlife boat safari on Lake Mburo which is found inside the National park. Animals come to the lake to drink water, offering many animal sightings on the boat safari. Expect to see crocodiles, more than you can possibly imagine hippos, monitor lizards, buffalos and different types of birds that include African Fin Foot, different types of Kingfishers, weaver birds, African fish eagle, lapwings, hamerkop, shoebill stork, and herons among others. You will have stunning views of the distant hills that surround the lake.

Birding in Lake Mburo national park

Lake Mburo national park is a bird watchers haven because it is home to over 315 species of birds. Birding will be better around Ruganga forest with a ranger guide, Warukiri, Rwonyo area, and around the salty lick area. It is so easy to go birding in Lake Mburo National park and the birds to look out for are white winged tit, Bare-faced Go-away bird, White-headed Barbet, Red faced barbet,  Red-shouldered cuckoo-shrike, Long-tailed Cisticola, Brown parrot, Grey crowned crane, Rufous-bellied Heron, Bateleur, and black bellied bastard, night heron, malachite and pied kingfisher, African fish eagle among other birds.

Guided Nature Walks in Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is one of the two national parks in Uganda where a visitor can go for a guided nature walk. You must go with a ranger guide from Uganda Wildlife Authority. We highly recommend this rare activity where you will spot the wildlife of the park on foot.

The ranger will tell you which foot print or droppings belong to which animal and you will approach the wildlife at such a close range. This is an opportunity that should not be missed out while on a safari in Uganda. The early morning walk normally begins at 7am after early breakfast and one has high chances of seeing hyenas returning to their dens and hippos returning to Lake Mburo. The walk too provides opportunities of spotting out some of the forest and savannah birds. The morning guided walk can be done before you proceed to your next destination and is wrapped up by a walk to the top of one a hill that offers stunning views of nine of the fourteen lakes in the region.

Horse back safaris in Lake Mburo National park:

A horse back safari in Lake Mburo National park is one that should not be missed while in this beautiful diverse park. The rides are between 2 to 3 hours on well trained and maintained horses. The horse rides are for all different levels of riders and will offer great opportunities for game viewing of the different animals in the park that include African cape buffalo, Zebras, Topi, Impala, Eland, warthogs, etc

Sport fishing at Mazinga

Lake Mburo is a designated sport fishing area and anglers can go sport fishing at Mazinga. One will need a sport fishing permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority which we can arrange, and better to come with your own fishing equipment. It has 6 types of fish that include lung fish, mud fish, cat fish among others and tilapia is the most common one. The method of fishing in Lake Mburo National park is catch and release

 Community and cultural experiences in Lake Mburo National Park

A visitor in Lake Mburo National park may go for communitu cultural experience in the neighbouring communities. The people in these communities are mainly cattles keepers of the Endangered Ankole lond horned cattle. On these activities, you will learn about their lifestyle, how to milk cows and process ghee as well as listen to stories told by the people. Note that a certain percentage from the money paid to the national park goes to the neighbouring communities to help with conservation and for the communities to benefit from the park