Wasa River in Semuliki national park

Wasa River in Semuliki national park is one of the rivers that goes through Semuliki national park in western Uganda. The river gets its waters from Lake Albert which is located north of Semuliki national park. Wasa River is one of the attractions tourists can find in Semuliki national park alongside many others. Semuliki national park is one of Uganda’s protected national parks found in Bundibugyo district.

Semuliki national park was gazetted in 1993 as a national park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the goal was to protect different attractions that were in the park at that time. Uganda Wildlife Authority has played a very good job in protecting the attractions that are in Semuliki national park. Tourists who visit the park today are surprised by the several attractions found in the park

Semuliki national park hosts 435 bird species, 9 primates, 53 mammals, 448 butterflies, hot springs, and rivers among others. Wasa River is one of the rivers that goes through Semuliki national park while connecting to Lake Albert in the northern side of the park. River Wasa attracts different animals, and birds that have Semuliki national park.

Wasa River in Semuliki national park

Wasa River is a very beautiful river in Semuliki national park surrounded by green vegetation all throughout the year. The vegetation is home to different wildlife species some of which include birds, primates, and mammals. Tourists can always see the wildlife around Wasa River when they take part in activities like nature walks and boat cruises.  Most of the wildlife seen has also been recorded in Semuliki national park

Other attractions in Semuliki national park

Animals

Semuliki national park is said to be a habitat of 53 mammals, and 9 primates living in the lowland tropical rainforest. These animals are some of the attractions that make people visit the park. The animals are seen during different park activities but most especially during the guided nature walks. Different nature walk trails are used within the park to search for different wildlife species as well as attractions of the park.

Animals of Semuliki national park include Leopards, forest elephants, Uganda kobs, crocodiles, forest giant squirrels, sitatungas, warthogs, forest buffaloes, bats, hippos, and side-stripped jackals. Primates in this park include chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white monkeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, de brazza’s monkeys, and mangabeys.

Birds

Over 435 bird species are said to be living in Semuliki national park and about 23 are endemic to the Albertine region. Birds of Semuliki national park have attracted several birds to the park who want to see the different bird species found here. Bird watching is among the top activities done within this park and good birders are able to see most of the bird species recorded here.

Semuliki national park bird species include Congo serpent eagle, Blue-billed malimbe, Shoe bill stork, African piculet, Malachite kingfisher, Forbe’s plover, Gabon woodpecker, Black-chinned quailfinch, Leaf-love, Rufous-sided broadbill, Grauer’s cuckoo-shrike, White-crested hornbill, Orange Cheeked waxbill, Red-billed dwarf hornbill, Zenker’s honeyguide, Dwarf honeyguide, Crested Malimbe, Ross’s Turaco, Red-bellied Malimbe, Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch, Great white pelican, and Red rumped Tinkerbird.

Other bird species of Semuliki national park include Gabon woodpecker, Long-tailed hawk, Xavier greenbul, Sassi’s olive greenbul, Long-tailed Hawk, Capuchin babbler, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, White-crested hornbill, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Chestnut owlet, Northern bearded scrub robin, Blue-billed malimbe, White-bellied kingfisher, Black-Dwarf hornbill, Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Grant’s bluebill, White-tailed Hornbill, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Great blue Turaco, White thighed hornbill, Purple-breasted sunbird, and Black-dwarf hornbill among others.

Hot springs

One of the things that make Semuliki national park famous is the hot springs. Two hot springs are found inside the national park not so far from each other. The most loved is the female hot springs which has a geyser that ejects out hot water up to a height of 3 meters into the air. The male hot springs is not visited as much as the female because its waters are not too hot.

Visiting the hot springs of Semuliki national park is done with armed ranger guides. These teach the rules and regulations of the activity and also tell you the history or information about the hot springs. At the hot rings, tourists are allowed to take photos, record videos, and if time allows eggs can be booked until ready to serve.

Butterflies

About 44% of the butterflies in Uganda are found in Semuliki national park. Tourists can always see them during butterfly watching activities that are organized in the park. The butterflies include Boisduval’s tree nymph, chiasmia fulvisparsa, savanna pathfinder, mulberry hawkmoth, common blue banded forester, euphaedra eberti, mung bean moth, angular glider, sarothroceras banaka, cymothoe Cyclades, and nemetes saile.

Veined swordtail, euphaedra edwardsii, andriasa contraria, plain vagrant, common glassy Acraea, violet banded palla, gregori’s brown pansy, common ginger white, haritalodes polycymalis, square winged red charaxes, common nephele, neuroxena ansorgei, chirinda bush brown, fulvous hawk, small black bush brown, hill bush brown, simple orange forester, cymothoe ochreata, and coffee berry moth among others.

Best time to visit Wasa River in Semuliki national park

Tourists can visit Wasa River in Semuliki national park at any time of the year however the dry season is the best period to visit. The dry season in Semuliki national park happens from June to September and December to February when the park is receiving little or no rainfall. During this period, the river might not have too much water because of the little rainfall but this is the period when most of the park activities are best done.

Tourists especially budget travelers can visit Wasa River in Semuliki national park during the rainy season because the park is always open. The rainy season happens from March to May and October to November when the park is receiving too much rainfall and little sunshine. The rainy season favors budget travelers because accommodation is cheap and it also favors bird lovers because this is the period when migratory birds are within the park.