Facts about Kidepo valley national park

Facts about Kidepo valley national park: Located far in the northeastern part of Uganda, Kidepo valley national park is one of the remote national parks in the country. This park lies in the rugged semi-areas between Uganda’s border with Kenya and South Sudan. It was gazetted as a game reserve in 1958 and later when Uganda got independence in 1962 it was upgraded into a national park.

Facts about Kidepo valley national park are those things that are known or proven to be true in the park. Facts about Kidepo valley national park is that information that can help you know what the park is about before visiting or while they’re on a safari. Facts can be about the history of the present thing in the park.  Below are some of the facts about Kidepo.

It’s the oldest national park in Uganda

Kidepo valley national park was first gazetted as a game reserve in 1958 and this makes it the oldest national park/protected area within the country. In 1962 when Uganda got its independence, the government decided to upgrade the area as a national park. It’s today managed and protected but Uganda wildlife authority a government body in charge of tourism within the country.

It’s the most isolated park in the country

Even though Kidepo valley national park ranks among the most beautiful national parks in Africa, it’s visited by few people. The national park is located very far in the northeastern part of Uganda in Kaabong district and getting there takes 10 to 12 hours. There are different routes to the park and one of them can even make you not access the park in a day.

The fact that the park is located very far from Kampala, a few tourists have travelled there however those who have taken their time to visit say it’s worth it. Kidepo has a lot to offer to tourists and these include wildlife and culture. The beautiful Kidepo valley national park hosts over 67 mammals, 476 birds, and two different cultures living around the park.

It’s the third biggest national park in the country.

Kidepo valley national park is the third largest national park in Uganda covering a total area of 1442 sq. km. Murchison falls national park is the largest with 3893 sq.km followed by Queen Elizabeth national park with 1978 sq.km and then Kidepo valley national park becomes next.

It has several wildlife species

Kidepo valley national park harbors a wide range of wildlife that tourists can see in one protected area. Kidepo park harbors 76 mammals, 476 bird species in the kidepo, and a few primates all of which can be seen when one takes part in different park activities. There are game drives and nature walk activities to allow tourists to see the wildlife of Kidepo valley national park.

It has the highest number of endemic animals

Kidepo valley national park has over 76 mammals but 28 are endemic o the region meaning they are not seen anywhere else in the country apart from this park. The endemics of Kidepo valley national park include cheetahs, mountain reedbucks, aardwolves, caracals, greater kudus, black-backed jackals, bat-eared foxes, lesser kudus, dik-diks, hunting wild dogs, and klipspringers among others.

It had the highest number of giraffes

Kidepo valley national park had the highest population of giraffes in the whole country in the 1960s. The park had over 400 giraffes but the number kept on reducing due to poaching. In 1997, some giraffes were transferred to Lake Nakuru national park. In 2018 the population had decreased so Uganda Wildlife Authority decided to translocate 15 giraffes from Murchison falls national park to Kidepo valley national park.

It has seasonal rivers

Kidepo park comprises two major rivers but these are seasonal. River Kidepo and River Narus are the two main rivers in this park. They are a source of water to park animals and they have fresh vegetation covers on their shores which is a food to animals within the park. During game drives, tourists do get close to the shores of the rivers to increase the chances of seeing park animals

Kidepo can be visited all throughout the year.

Kidepo valley national park is open for tourists to explore the park all throughout the year. Tourists can visit the park in the rainy season and can still visit during the dry season. The game tracks are passable even during the rainy season because too much sunshine dries all the mud, the vegetation is always short since it’s an area of short grass open tree savannah vegetation easing the spotting of wildlife and other attractions.

Kidepo has a few accommodation facilities

Kidepo is not like other parks that have several accommodation facilities. The protected area has a few facilities and these include Apoka Safari Lodge, Zebra Safari Lodge, Apoka Rest Camp, Kidepo Savannah Lodge, Karatunga Safari Camp, and Nga Moru Wilderness Camp among others. Tourists that want very good accommodation facilities in Kidepo are advised to book very early in advance when the space is still available.

It’s surrounded by one of the finest cultures in the country

Kidepo valley national park is surrounded by the IK and Karamojong people who are some of the famous tribes in the country. Both of these tribes are said to have come from Ethiopia or Somalia and settled in the present-day Kidepo. They were later evicted when the park was being gazetted and they settled around the park boundaries.

Visiting the IK or the Karamojong is the best way of knowing about their culture and what they do for a living. A local guide takes you to any of the communities around the park where you interact with the locals. The local guide acts a translator to ease communication between the tourists and the local people. While at the homes of the locals the tourists learn about their history, what they do for a living and you are entertained by traditional dancers.