Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park | |
---|---|
Location | Bundibugyo District, Uganda |
Nearest city | Fort Portal |
Coordinates | 00°49′30″N 30°03′40″E / 0.82500°N 30.06111°E |
Area | 219 km2 (85 sq mi) |
Established | October 1993 |
Governing body | Uganda Wildlife Authority |
Semuliki National Park is a national park in Bwamba County, a remote part of the Bundibugyo District in the Western Region of Uganda that was established in October 1993.[2] It encompasses 219 km2 (85 sq mi) of East Africa's only lowland tropical rainforest.[3] It is one of the richest areas of floral and faunal biodiversity in Africa, with bird and butterfly species being especially diverse. The park is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.[2]
Location
Semuliki National Park lies on Uganda's border with the
The park experiences an average rainfall of 1,250 mm (49 in), with peaks in rainfall from March to May and from September to December. Many areas of the park experience flooding during the wet season. The temperature at the park varies from 18 to 30 °C (64 to 86 °F), with relatively small daily variations.[2]
The park borders the
From 1932 to 1993, the area covered by Semuliki National Park was managed as a forest reserve, initially by the
The park is part of a network of protected areas in the Albertine Rift Valley. Other protected areas in this network include:
- Rwenzori Mountains - In Uganda
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - In Uganda
- Kibale National Park - In Uganda
- Queen Elizabeth National Park - In Uganda
- DR Congo
- Volcanoes National Park - In Rwanda
Park visitors can engage in birdwatching, walking to the savannah grassland, hiking through the 13 km (8.1 mi) Kirumia Trail, and visit the hot springs where the water is hot enough to cook eggs and plantain.[6]
Flora and fauna
The area of Semuliki National Park is a distinct
The park has more than 400 bird species, including the lyre-tailed honey guide.[3] 216 of these species (66 percent of the country's total bird species) are true forest birds, including the rare Oberländer's ground thrush (Geokichla oberlaenderi), Sassi's olive greenbul (Phyllastrephus lorenzi) and nine hornbill species.[4] The park provides habitat for over 60 mammal species, including African buffalo, leopard, hippopotamus, mona monkey, water chevrotain,[3] bush babies, African civet, African elephant,[5] and the Pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel (Idiurus zenkeri). Nine duiker species are found in the park, including the bay duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis).[4] The park has eight primate species and almost 460 butterfly species.[7]
Human population
The forests in the park are of great socio-economic importance to the human communities that live near the park. The local people practise
Past practises of the managing authorities that excluded the local people created resentment among them. This reduced the effectiveness of conservation practices and contributed to the occurrence of illegal activities. Since the 1990s, the Ugandan Wildlife Authority has involved the local communities in park planning.[4]
Civil unrest took place in the Bundibugyo District between 1997 and 2001. On 16 June 1997,
References
- ^ UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area Profile for Semuliki from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed 22 March 2022. [1]
- ^ a b c d e f Uganda Wildlife Authority (2006). "Semliki National Park". Entebbe: Uganda Wildlife Authority. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ ISBN 0-691-12219-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Chege, F. (2002). "Kibale and Semuliki Conservation and Development Project" (PDF). IUCN. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
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(help) - ^ a b c National Commissions for UNESCO Annual Reports. "Uganda, the pearl of Africa". Retrieved 10 October 2006.
- ^ "Semuliki National Park - Activities". www.ugandawildlife.org. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ Forbes, S. (2018). The butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidia) of Semuliki National Park, western Uganda. Metamorphosis 29: 29–41.
- ^ http://www.survivalinternational.org/material/20
- ^ "Cultural Encounters in Semuliki". www.ugandawildlife.org. Retrieved 29 February 2016.