Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve
Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve is one of the 12 game reserves in Uganda. The reserve is found in about 300 kms from Uganda’s capital Kampala in Western Uganda within the Albertine Rift Valley. Kabwoya wildlife reserve covers a protected area of 87 sq miles that were officially gazetted in 2002.
The 87 sq miles are a collection of assorted unique vegetation and landscapes that make an amazing habitat for the animals that live there within. The reserve as stated is within the Albertine rift Valley that stretches from south western Uganda up to Mgahinga National park all the way to north western Uganda in Murchison Falls National Park.
In the 1960s and before the different civil wars that have rocked the pearl of Africa, Kabwoya wildlife Reserve had over 100 wildlife species living in the reserve area but all these animals were either killed during cross fire or poached by people that took advantage of the prevailing situation and like that the animal population in the reserve declined and hence made the reserve more less extinct or not popular at all.
But in 2002, the Uganda Wildlife Authority re-established the reserve and through different conservation efforts reintroduced several animal species in the reserve; which efforts have slowly seen the reserve grow back to its original glory making one of the top reserves in the country.
Famous animals in the Kabwoya wildlife reserve include but not limited to the Uganda Kob, the Johnson’s hartebeest, bushbucks, Impalas, waterbucks, olive baboons, colobus monkeys among other animals.
On your visit to the reserve you will be sure to see all these and many more; also if you are a fan of fishing and fish, around the Kabwoya wildlife reserve on the shores of lake Albert there is a fishing village that is always open to tourists who would like to enjoy fishing with them.
Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve, though not so popular in fact it’s one of the less known reserves in the country; but it’s one of most spectacular game reserves with a variety of animals and bird life to view and experience.
Most of the guests to the Game reserve get to enjoy the beautiful ambience of the reserve that includes fresh breezes and views of the Albert lake and since the reserve is somewhat close to the border of Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo, you can also enjoy views of the virunga massifs in the Democratic Republic of Congo on top of just experiencing the wide array of animals, birds and other creatures that live in the park.
On your visit to Kabwoya Wildlife reserve these are some of the things you will be delighted to take part in:
Game drives
You can take a game drive through the reserve to see the different animal species that live in the park. Game drives in Kabwoya Wildlife reserve are done in the morning and afternoon almost daily.
Birding
You can also go out the park on a walk or drive; especially in the morning to experience the different birds in the reserve. On your birding experience you will be delighted to find more than 200 bird species that live in the park.
Hiking and Nature Walks
Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve has a lot of rugged rock formations that form a great place for hiking and rock climbing and nature walks through the reserve as you enjoy the views of the surroundings and see several animals. The rocks are also just beautiful to look at and experience and all the walking trails will have some animal to sight especially the olive baboons.
Fishing
Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve is close to Lake Albert, so if you are interested in fish, you can join the locals in the village for a fishing experience where you will catch the famous Nile perch. When you have this Nile perch you able to take it with you to your accommodation for roasting or for fish sauce whatever you prefer.
Other activities you can do at Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve include fossil hunting, horseback riding, mountain biking and quad biking.
For your accommodation in the game reserve, there is variety of mid-range accommodation around the reserve with the most popular one being Lake Albert Safari Lodge.
