Which Wildlife Species Can I See In Uganda Uganda is a landlocked country located astride the Equator in East Central Africa. It has a small land area of about 236,040 km2 but possesses a wide diversity of wildlife species. In terms of vertebrate wildlife species diversity, Uganda hosts 344 species of mammals, 1,288 species of birds, 150 species of reptiles, 175 species of freshwater fish, and 98 species of amphibians. The geographical location at the point where the East African savannah meets the West African rainforest distinguishes Uganda as a unique, wild, and richly diverse country in the world. Uganda is home to most of the East African savannah animals and has the highest concentration of primates.
The near despoliation of tropical forests in nearby countries has increased the significance of Uganda’s remaining forests for the conservation of forest species. These forests also host an excellent avian fauna, which includes many regional specialties found nowhere else in the Albertine Rift forests. Uganda has a great diversity of ecosystems that support a variety of plants, wildlife, and bird species. The habitats range from the remote and varied mosaic of forests of Mount Elgon, Ruwenzori, and Bwindi, to the Pilis of Karamoja, the undulating thickets of Acacia and Commiphora in the semi-desert savannah thorn in the arid north, the open Mianya and Nakasongola grasslands of the central and northern regions, which are cut by streams of permanent and seasonally swamps, and the string of crater lakes that dot the central and western parts of the country. The wide variety of habitats, altitudinal differences, and swampy surroundings account for the remarkable differences in Uganda’s wildlife from park to park and throughout the year.
Uganda offers the best examples of adaptability to life by even the most feared wild creatures like man. Nowhere in the world have so many populous breeds of animals been protected from predators of their natural habits and known localities, that they now merge freely with man, his highly cultivated lands and small towns. It’s as if indeed the two have genuinely developed to rely on the other’s existence. This guide sheet is designed to introduce Uganda’s tourists to the various species found within its territory, when and where to find them, their local names, what they look like and many other interesting facts and traditions about them. Each species is treated individually with its Latin name first given followed by an approximate number in Uganda.
Uganda is indeed well known not only for harbouring typical savannah animals but also a large variety of less typical and very interesting sub-species found nowhere else in the world. Because it is found astride the Equator, this land of “eternal sunshine and fertile land” is able to maintain this rich biodiversity by supporting a great variety of habitats.
These include but are not limited to equatorial rainforests, acacia semi-arid savannah, Kaziranga type open grass star lands, montane and bamboo forests, craggy peaks, montane grasslands, deep and crudely sculptured valleys and vaccine dotted grass and water bloated swamps. Here are some of the wildlife species in Uganda such as elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, Chimpanzees, elephants, Lhotse’s monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, white and Black colobus monkeys , giraffes, Mountain Gorillas, golden monkeys, black and white rhinos,zebras,big cats among other many that can be found within this country .
Uganda boasts a variety of world life species which are found in different national park and wildlife reserves such as Kidepo Valley National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison falls National Park among others that offer a blend of nature and rich biodiversity of Uganda hence a best destination for wildlife viewing in East Africa.as a visitor who is into wildlife, on a Uganda safari you are definitely assured of satisfaction.
