Semuliki National Park
Semuliki national park is one of the 10 national parks in Uganda and is the best forest birding destination that boasts for its large number of central African bird species that reach the Eastern limit of their distribution. These may include some of Africa’s most outstanding birds like the Long-tailed Hawk, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Black-wattled Hornbill, Congo Serpent Eagle, yellow-throated Cuckoo, White-bellied and African Dwarf Kingfishers, Ituri Batis, Sassi’s Olive, Xavier’s, Simple and Eastern Bearded Greenbuls, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Lyre-tailed and Zenker’s Honeyguides, Red-sided Broadbill, Capuchin Babbler, Brown-crowned Eremomela, Red-chested Owlet, Forest Francolin, Western Bronze-napped pigeon, White-throated Blue swallow, Simple and Eastern Bearded Scrub Robin, African Piculet, Northern Bearded Greenbelt, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Grant’s Bluebill, Creasted and Red-bellied Malimbes, Forest and Grey Ground Thrushes to mention but a few.
This national park is close to Kibale National Park, therefore on your safari to Semuliki National Park, you can make a stopover in Kibale for some activities like chimpanzee trekking, bigodi wetland sanctuary, and many other activities.
Semuliki national park is located in the remote corner of the southwestern part of Uganda in Bundibungyo district. Semuliki national park is one of those smallest national parks in Uganda covering an area of 220 square km with an altitude of 670 to 760 m above sea level. The largest areas of this low-lying park may flood during the wet season reminding us of the time when the entire valley lay at the bottom of a lake for seven million years.
Semuliki national park was formed in 1932 and later advanced to national park status in 1993. The park has been recognized as the only tract of trust lowland tropical forest in East Africa with moist semi-deciduous forest, dominated by iron-wood with patches of swamp forest and water habitats characterized by the forest streams and oxbow lakes with adjacent swamps, hosting about 441 recorded bird species and 53 mammal species.
Semuliki national park has recorded many mammals most of which are nocturnal, rare and shy. Some of these species include; primates species like monkeys, Oliv baboons, Blue monkeys, Vervet monkeys, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Guereza Colobus and the chimpanzees are may also be spotted in the park. Nocturnal primates in Semuliki national park may include the Pottos. Some of the mammals that can be found include the Bush pi, glimpse elephants, Buffaloes, Zenker’s Flying mouse, water chevrotain, Dwarf antelope, and Beecroft’s Anomalure. Visitors also stand a chance of spotting the lively and agile squirrels, the little collard fruit and Target rats.
Semuliki national park contains evidences of older processes that occurred in the park several years ago not to mention the Sempaya Hot springs. These hot springs bubble up from the depth to validate the powerful subterranean forces that have been shaping the rift valley during the 14 million years. Sempaya hot springs boil at high temperatures of about 103°C and they boil from the rock bottom of the earth to display the underground geographical focuses.
