Mammals in Semuliki national park
Mammals in Semuliki national park: Covering 220 sq. km of land, Semuliki national park is one of the most visited national parks in western Uganda. Known for being the only lowland tropical rainforest of East Africa, this destination is a habitat to many wildlife species. Semuliki national park as small as it is harbors 435 bird species, 53 mammals, and 9 primates. The national park is also home to the highest number of butterflies which are over 448 in number.
Semuliki national park has a variety of mammals, ranging from large forest elephants to tiny bats. In this article, we are going to look at different mammals that have been recorded in Semuliki national park. These mammals have found a peaceful home in the lowland tropical rainforest where they get plenty of food, water, and shelter. Semuliki national park was gazetted in 1993 and animals are very safe here.
Which mammals are found in Semuliki national park?
Over 53 mammals have been so far recorded in Semuliki national park and we hope there is more to record. These mammals have found a peaceful home in the gazetted lowland tropical forest of the park. The mammals here include forest elephants, Uganda kobs, warthogs, crocodiles, sitatungas, forest giant squirrels, forest buffaloes, hippos, leopards, and side-stripped jackals.
Semuliki national park is also home to 9 primate species that have been so far recorded within the park. These primates include the famous chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, black and white monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, de brazza’s monkeys, vervet monkeys, and mangabeys.
Semuliki national park is home to several bats among which are Mauritian tom bats, straw-colored fruit bats, cyclops roundleaf bats, yellow-winged bats, and little collard fruit bats among others. All these mammals are within the Semuliki national park and tourists have a chance of seeing more than half of them if they spend some quality time within the park searching.
The best way to see mammals in Semuliki national park
The best way tourists can see wildlife of Semuliki national park is by taking part in nature walk activities. There are no game drives within Semuliki national park therefore the next best alternative to see mammals is taking part in nature walks. Nature walks are guided by well trained armed ranger guides that take you around the forest protecting you from dangerous wild animals.
Nature walks in Semuliki national park are done using different trails for example the red tailed monkey trail, Nyabsurogo gorge hike trail, Batwa cultural trail, Sempaya nature trail, and Kirumia trail among others. Using different walking trails while in Semuliki national park will increase the chances of seeing many wild animals that live in the park.
Nature walks in Semuliki national park do last different hours and the time taken depends on the length of the trails. During nature walks, other attractions of the park for example vegetation, water sources, birds, and much more are spotted. It’s from here that we advise tourists that visit Semuliki national park to take part in nature walks so as to increase the chances of seeing so much wildlife that has been recorded in the park.
Best time to visit Semuliki national park
Talking about the best time to visit Semuliki national park, the park is open for tourism activities throughout the year however it’s said that some months are better than others. The dry season months which occur from June to September and December to February are the best time to visit Semuliki national park. This is because they are dry due to little or no rainfall and plenty of sunshine received. In the dry period, the vegetation is short with unclear views of wildlife and the nature walk trails are passable.
Tourists especially budget travelers can visit Semuliki national park during the rainy season of March to May and October to November. This is when the trips are affordable because everything is discounted. The lodges lower prices to attract the few tourists within the country and the tour operators reduce package prices. During the rainy season, tourists should know that there is plenty of rainfall in the park, the vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife and the nature walk trails are muddy and slippery.
