Murchison-Falls-Nationalpark
The Murchison Falls National Park is a national park in north-western Uganda. It has an area of 3,877 km ², the driveway is located about 230 km from Kampala.
Area, flora and fauna
The park comprises the largest single protected area in the country. Together with the adjacent game reserves of Bugungu ( 473 km ²) and Karuma (675 km ²) covers the area under the name Murchison Falls Conservation Area covers an area of 5025 km ².
The Savannah ( grassland ) in the north of the park populate typical species such as lions, African buffalo, elephant, Uganda Kobs - (a common antelope in Uganda ) and as a special feature, the rare Rothschild giraffe. To the south is mainly dry forest. The name derives from the park is the Murchison Falls. There, the Victoria Nile, which belongs to the White Nile, in an impressive manner with 43 m head over a step, after he has forced through a narrow part of the East African Rift crashes. Under the Murchison Falls there are crocodiles, which also feed on animals who are victims of the falls were, hippos and many birds. Even the rare Shoebill can be found there.
In the southeast of the park is the Budongo Forest ( Bodongo Forest Reserve ), in the typical rainforest inhabitants and especially several groups of chimpanzees.
History
The Bunyoro Wildlife Reserve as part of the park was founded in 1910 as a game reserve. The originally anyway sparsely populated area around the Murchison Falls was evacuated in 1930 after a renewed outbreak of sleeping sickness from the British colonial administration to curb the spread of the disease, as there are numerous tsetse flies in the entire area. Only then is the idea of wildlife parks and the protection of the (immediately to the cases) impressive natural landscape was created. 1954 from the reserve in the Murchison Falls National Park. In the period from 1960 and prior to the takeover of Idi Amin was one of the park 's most visited tourist destinations in East Africa, the luxurious lodge in Paraa did not fear comparison with other luxury hotels in the region.
After the beginning of the dictatorship of Idi Amin Dada, the park was renamed in Kabalega Falls National Park in 1972. At the same corrupt officers took over the power in the park, the elephants were on the " recovery " of ivory massacred with machine guns to hundreds, even other species of animals, especially lions and leopards for the pelts and trophies hunted almost to extinction. While in the 60s to the large elephant population had caused severe damage to trees and shrubs with partial onset of desertification and erosion of previous Outback particularly north of the Nile, the large areas were then almost completely free of major vertebrates. Until the late 90s, the West Nile province was considered a trouble spot in the various rebel groups, in particular the so-called Lord's Resistance Army with their child soldiers, were active. From the late 90s, the tourist infrastructure was created and expanded.
Access and security
The park is open from Kampala in about 5 hours driving time via Hoima - Masindi ( paved road to Hoima ) or Nakasongola - Karuma Falls to Pakwach ( consistently paved road ) to reach. For the trip to the park no SUV is necessary; for game drives in the park is an all-terrain vehicle recommended. In the park there are three lodges to international standard as well as simpler hostels and campsites. Security problems by raiding, there are no longer many years. In the park, however, there is a low risk of infection for the sleeping sickness through the bites of the tsetse fly.
Attractions in the park
For this purpose, the cases themselves, which are hiked both a resting and camping above the falls or from Paraa from a boat trip to the foot of the cases include ( there getting off on a small rock in midstream possible) can be explored. Game drives can be undertaken on well-maintained trails; taking along a gamekeeper is not mandatory, but recommended.
Presence
The wildlife population is now as high as in the best times of the park. For game drives regularly giraffes, elephants, lions and buffalo and various antelopes, monkeys, hippos, crocodiles and warthogs can be spotted; with a little luck you meet on a leopard. The bush is tall again, the Versteppungprozess could be reversed in a wide range. In the meantime, visit again a few thousand tourists each year the park.
Interest
Even Winston Churchill had during a visit in the 20s to the idea of building a bridge over the falls. The only way a fixed transition over the Nile was created in 1961 in the form of a pedestrian bridge directly at the top of the falls. This was washed away 14 months later in a flood in 1962. Since the bridge had affected the spectacular panorama both from above and from below ( they would be in every photo of Murchison Falls from almost any perspective in the picture) it was not renewed, although anchored in the rock -concrete columns are still standing today, and a stable make an impression.