Mammals in Semuliki National Park include forest elephants, buffalos, leopards, hippos, warthogs and bush pigs. The park also harbors different primates species, and these are protected in an extraordinary diverse fauna that occurs nowhere else in East Africa.
About Mammals in Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park has over 63 mammal species, including forest buffalos, leopards, hippos, warthogs, bush pigs, Uganda Kops, waterbucks, bush bucks, mona monkeys, water chevrotains, bush babies, civets, elephants, and the beecroft’s flying squirrel, pygmy squirrel, little collared fruit bat, water chevrotain and target rat.
Nine species of duikers are found in the park, including the bay duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis), blue and red duiker. Among the listed mammals in Semuliki National Park, 11 occur nowhere in Uganda, including the pygmy antelopes, two types of flying squirrel and six types of bats.
Mammals in Semuliki National Park are great wonders to encounter. The park is the only East Africa’s stronghold for the peculiar water chevrotain, a superficial duiker – like relic of an ancient family which shares the same structural features with pigs.
Semuliki National Park has nine primate species which include chimpanzee, blue, vervet, grey-checked mangabey, black and red tailed monkeys and olive baboons. The park’s nocturnal primates include the pottos and galagoes. However, no factual foundation to date that among Mammals in Semuliki National Park include the isolated population of eastern gorillas. Even though, Semuliki supports a healthy population of forest chimpanzees though not yet habituated like those chimpanzee in Kibale Forest, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Budongo Forest, part of Murchison Falls National Park.
Being a forested park, some of these animals are hard to be sighted. Which means it may not be a guarantee to see these mammals, however on your lucky day, you may sight a good number of them.
About the Park
Located in the western part of Uganda, Semuliki National Park is one of the top safari attraction destinations in Uganda with over 441 bird species. It was made a national park in October 1993, making it one of Uganda’s newest national parks.
Semuliki National Park lies on Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).The Rwenzori Mountains are to the south-east of the park, while Lake Albert is to the park’s north.
Semuliki lies within the Albertine Rift, the western arm of the East African Rift. The park borders Semuliki and Lamia Rivers, which are the major inlets of Semuliki National Park, providing watering places for many animals. The main attraction of Semuliki National park are the Sempaya hot springs.