Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park is Uganda’s most magnificent park along the border of Uganda with Southern Sudan in the northeast. The park covers an area of 1,442 sq. kilometers and offers scenery unparalleled in any other national park within East Africa.
The park is within Uganda in which visitors can watch both Zebras and Giraffes. There is also an opportunity to see the uncommon White Buffaloes and a variety of wildlife. Other wildlife includes elephants, leopards, bush duikers, jackals, bush bucks, bush pigs, kavirondo bush babies, buffaloes and lions, a lot more which are sometimes seen from the verandas of Apoka lodge a luxury in the wilderness.
The more uncommon ungulates are: the greater & Lesser Kudu, roan antelope, Chandler’s mountain Reedbuck, beisa Oryx, Klipspringer and Bright’s Gazelle, have been greatly decreased by poachers within the past few years.
Among the other big ungulates are: elephants, oribis, Burch ell’s zebras, Jackson’s hartebeests, bush pigs, bohor reed buck, warthogs, Rothschild giraffes, defassa water bucks, cape buffaloes, elands, bush duskier and bush bucks . Five primate species are found within the park of which the most endemic is the Kavirondo bush baby. Carnivores existing include: lions, side-striped jackals, leopards, black-backed jackals, various small cats as well as spotted hyenas, the jackals are the easiest to spot.
Hiking and Sightseeing in Kidepo
Hiking is done on Lamoj Mountains a few kilometers from the Headquarters of the Park. Visitors may as well go to see the marvelous Kidepo River Valley covered with Borassus palm forest; its broad flat bed is dried out through the biggest part of the year. From the Kidepo Valley, also you can visit Kanangorok Hot Springs that are situated just 11 km from the Kidepo river valley.
The mountain as well as the Savannah landscape of this park is breathtaking. The Narus valley is found within the South West part of this park; the rocky Napore Nyagia mountain range actually forms the western boundary. Splitting it from Kidepo Valley in the north-east, are the stunning Natira plus Lokayot Hills. Then to the north in South Sudan are Lotukei Mountains as well as the Morungole range which represents the southern border of this park.
Game viewing in Kidepo
There is a variety of species to view on the game drive like the Hunting dog, Bat-eared Fox, Cheetah, Striped Hyena, Caracal, the aard Wolf, elephants, oribis, burchell’s zebras, Jackson’s hartebeests, bush pigs, bohor reed buck, warthogs, Rothschild giraffes, defassa water bucks, cape buffaloes, elands, bush duskier, bush bucks, lions, side-striped jackals, leopards, black-backed jackals, various small cats as well as spotted hyenas.
Bird Watching in Kidepo
The park is renowned for its exceptional variety of birds. Out of the Fifty eight recorded birds of prey, fourteen are thought to be specifically endemic to the Kidepo as well as the Karamoja region. Included in these are: the pygmy Falcon, Verreaux’s Eagle plus the Egyptian Vulture, in addition to many other species.
Cultural Performance
The local communities possess teams of cultural entertainers that are normally accessible to offer performances on request. These performers have a wide range of traditional dances as well as songs for example the Emuya of the Nyangia as well as the Naporre ethnic groups along with Larakaraka plus Apiti dances performed by the native Karamajong people.