After the chimpanzees
experience at Kibale forest, we proceeded to Queen Elizabeth national park to
continue on our Ugandan safari Experience. Our stay there was great as well as
the game drive at Kasenyi Sector, where we were lucky to find lions on a hunt.
In the afternoon, we went on a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel. This was
also another interesting activity, which I recommend if you at visiting queen
Elizabeth National park. There is a great birding opportunity as well as seeing
larger mammals on the shores of the channel. Before heading to Bwindi, we had a
stop over at Ishasha sector for a night at Ishasha wilderness camp (a beautiful
eco-camp). In this area we were lucky to see the famous tree climbing lions
Queen Elizabeth
National Park is understandably Uganda’s most popular tourist destination. The
park’s diverse ecosystems, which include sprawling savanna, shady,
humid forests, sparkling lakes and fertile wetlands, make it the ideal habitat
for classic big game, ten primate species including chimpanzees and over 600 species of birds.
Set against the
backdrop of the jagged Rwenzori Mountains, the park’s magnificent vistas include
dozens of enormous craters carved dramatically into rolling green hills,
panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel with its banks lined with hippos, buffalo and
elephants, and the endless Ishasha plains, whose fig trees hide lions ready to
pounce on herds of unsuspecting Uganda kob.
As well as its
outstanding wildlife attractions, Queen Elizabeth National Park has a
fascinating cultural history. There are many opportunities for visitors to meet the local
communities and enjoy storytelling, dance, music and more. The gazetting of
the park has ensured the conservation of its ecosystems, which in turn benefits
the surrounding communities.
Uganda’s Queen
Elizabeth National Park is truly a Medley of Wonders!
The area currently
occupied by the Queen Elizabeth National Park was previously a grazing area for
local Basongora pastoralists. When British explorers Stanley and Lugard toured
the area towards the end of last century, both reported the area to have been
largely depopulated as a result of cattle raiding (from the Bunyoro and Buganda
kingdoms) and epidemics of rinderpest and smallpox. The Basongora social
economy could not recover from these events and with the exception of remnant
villages around the two lakes, the area was almost completely depopulated.
Those who did remain were forced to turn to fishing. These events allowed the
game populations to increase and vegetation to change significantly, and played
an important role in determining the creation of the national park by the
Protectorate administration. In 1906, the area to the north of Lake George was
declared a Game Reserve, in order to prevent what some administrators believed
to be unregulated hunting by Africans and Europeans and growing pressure for
development of cotton and wheat production.
By 1912, the whole of
the Lake George and Ishasha areas (Lake George Game Reserve) were declared
restricted areas, agricultural and fishing communities moved out to other
non-affected areas and the area was largely abandoned. Further outbreaks of
sleeping sickness continued up until the mid 1930s. The National Park Ordinance
was passed on 31st March 1952 and Queen Elizabeth National Park then, Kazinga
National Park was legally gazetted later that year, following intense lobbying
by the Chief Game Warden of that time, Bruce Kinloch, and the Governor. As a
result, the land area protected within the Lake George Game Reserve area was
expanded considerably to include a large area to the east of Lake Edward and
KAZINGA CHANNEL
No comments:
Post a Comment