Uganda: Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged, semi arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya, some 700km from Kampala. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species as well as around 475 bird species.

Kidepo is the most magnificent and ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses. From Apoka, in the heart of the park, a savannah landscape extends far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges.
During the dry season, the only permanent water in the park is found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus Valley near Apoka. These seasonal oases, combined with the open, savannah terrain, make the Narus Valley the park’s prime game viewing location.

Kidepo Valley National Park is a 1,442 square kilometres (557 sq mi) national park in the Karamoja region in northeast Uganda. Kidepo is rugged savannah, dominated by the 2,750 metres (9,020 ft) Mount Morungole and transected by the Kidepo and Narus rivers.

Kidepo Valley National park is located in Kaabong District, in the northeastern corner of Uganda. The park is located approximately 220 kilometres (140 mi), by road northwest of Moroto, the largest town in the sub-region. Its location is approximately 520 kilometres (320 mi), by road, northeast of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.
The northwestern boundary of the park runs along the international frontier with South Sudan and abuts against the Kidepo Game.

Dodoth pastoralists and Ik farmers lived in the area before it was gazetted as a game reserve by the British colonial government in 1958. The purpose was both to protect the animals from hunting and to prevent further clearing of bush for tsetse fly-control.The eviction of the resident people and the resultant famine, especially among the Ik, is cited in contemporary protected area management as an example of the unacceptable consequences of not taking community needs into account when designating reserves.The newly independent Government of Uganda under Milton Obote converted the reserve into the Kidepo Valley National Park in 1962.

The first Chief Warden of the National Park was Ian Ross, a Briton. In 1972 Paul Ssali, a Ugandan, replaced him. Their handover and training was the subject of the 1974 American documentary film, "The Wild and the Brave."

The park consists of the two major valley systems of the Kidepo and Narus Rivers. The valley floors lie between 3,000 feet (910 m) and 4,000 feet (1,200 m) AMSL.
Kanangarok (also spelled Kananorok or Kanatarok) is a tepid hot spring in the extreme north of the Park, beside the South Sudanese boundary. This spring is the most permanent source of water in the park. The soil in the park is clayey. In the Kidepo Valley black chalky clay and sandy-clay loam predominate, while the Narus Valley has freer-draining red clays and loams.

Most of the park is open tree savannah. Because of differences in rainfall with annual averages of 89 centimetres (35 in) in Narus and 64 centimetres (25 in) in the Kidepo basin vegetation and animal populations vary between the two valleys.

Narus Valley
Primary grasses in the Narus Valley are the shorter red oat grass and taller bunchy Guinea grass and fine thatching grass. Common trees in the drier areas are red thorn acacias, desert dates, and to a lesser extent drumstick trees. The iconic sausage trees and fan palms line the water courses.Euphorbia candelabrum and the shorter monkey bread (or camel's foot) and Buffalo thorn trees are also found.
Perennial water makes River Kidepo an oasis in the semi-desert which hosts over 86 mammal species including lion, cheetah, leopard, bat-eared fox, giraffe as well as almost 500 bird species.

Kidepo Valley
Streams in the Kidepo Valley are likewise dotted with palms. Higher areas have whistling thorn acacias bush.

During the 1960s Kidepo had a sustainable Rothschild giraffe population of over 400 animals. By 1992 this had been poached down to only three animals, including a single female. In 1997 Warden Peter Möller obtained funding from the Frankfurt Zoological Society to translocate giraffes from Kenya's Lake Nakuru National Park. One female died in the holding facility in Lake Nakuru. Two females and one male were flown to Kidepo. In Kidepo one male was eaten by lions shortly after being released.

Game viewing is possible by vehicle on dirt roads that crisscross the southern and western parts of the park. A few trunk roads are improved with murram and are passable in all weather.

BIRD WATCHING
The Apoka Rest Camp and Park Headquarters overlooking the swallow, southern Narus Valley is a great spot to begin your Kidepo birding. The attractive Silverbird and small bands of Yellow-billed Shrike frequent the thorn trees around camp, as do a number of other widespread species such as Vinaceous Dove, Hoopoe, Nubian Woodpecker, Mosque Swallow, Ruppell’s and Superb Starlings, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Little Weaver and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. A small permanent water hole at the edge of camp attracts swallows and a variety of seedeaters including Yellow-rumped Seedeater and is visited at night by Four-banded Sandgrouse, Elephant, Buffalo and occasionally Lion. Clapperton’s Francolin, Black Coucal, African Moustached and Broad-tailed Warblers, Marsh Tchagra and Crimson-rumped Waxbill may be seen in the rank grass along the normally dry stream bed adjacent to camp or along the track to Apoka lodge.

Key Species of Birds

Ostrich
African Swallow-tailed Kite
Eastern Pale Chanting Goshawk
Pygmy Falcon
Fox Kestrel
Stone Partridge
Clapperton’s and Heuglin’s Francolins
Yellow-necked Spurfowl
Kori
White-bellied and Hartlaub’s Bustards
Violet-tipped Courser
Black-headed Plover
Four-banded Sand Grouse
Bruce’s Green Pigeon
Rose-ringed Parakeet
White-crested Turaco
White-bellied Go-away bird
White-faced Scoops Owl
Long-tailed and Standard-winged Nightjars
Little Green Bee-eater
Abyssinian and Rufous-crowned Rollers
Abyssinian Ground
Eastern Yellow and Jackson’s Hornbills
Red-fronted and Black-breasted Barbets
Brown-backed Woodpecker
Singing Bush Lark

Red-winged Lark
Ethiopian Swallow
Pied, Isabelline and Heuglin’s Wheaters
African Grey Flycatcher
Foxy and Red pate Cisticolas
Karamoja Apalis
White-bellied Tit
Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit
Northern White-crowned and Yellow-billed Shrikes
Slate-coloured Boubou
Fan-tailed Raven
Superb Starling
Red billed Oxpecker
Eastern Violet backed
Pygmy and Beautiful Sunbirds
Rufous and Chestnut Sparrow
Yellow-spotted Petronia
White-headed and White-billed Buffalo Weavers
White-browed and Chestnut- crowned Sparrow Weavers
Grey-capped Social and Speckle-fronted Weavers
Green-winged Orange-winged and Red-winged Pytilias
Black-bellied and Black-faded Waxbill
Steel-blue and Strawtailed Whydahs
Brown-rumped Bunting

OTHER WILDLIFE
Kidepo’s mammal list of over 80 species includes 28 that are found in no other Ugandan National park. Amongst these are such charismatic African animals as Bat-eared Fox, Carcal, Cheetah and Klipspringer. Unfortunately, Kidepo suffered the same fate as many other Ugandan parks during the Amin era and is still recovering from years of poaching that left game herds depleted. Striped Hyena, Lesser Kudu, Grant’s Gazelle and Beisa Oryx have not been seen at all in recent times and are presumed to be locally extinct. Other large mammals have shown a remarkable recovery and there are now healthy population of Elephant, Common Zebra, Buffalo, Bohor Reedbuck, Waterbuck and Kongoni. Predators are plentiful and Spotted Hyena, Leopard and Lion are frequently seen. Oribis is abundant in the Narus Valley, whilst the dry thorn thickets in the north are home to Guenther’s Dik Dik. Senegal Galago and Sidestriped Jackal may be found in the rest camp at night and White-tailed Mongoose is common but more likely to be found on a night drive. The park also has a very rich and diverse reptile fauna.



ACCOMMODATION
Apoka Rest Camp, run by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, offers comfortable bandas within the national park, including bedding, mosquito netting and showers. It is recommended that you bring all your own food although it can be cooked for you if necessary.
A more upmarket option is the exclusive Apoka Lodge. This luxury lodge is located in the middle of Kidepo National Park with spacious rooms and private veranda. Each room has a sitting room and ensuite bathroom. A restaurant and swimming pool are available as well.
It is recommended that a ranger-guide accompany you at all times whilst at Kidepo Valley National park and this can be arranged on arrival at Apoka. Patrick is an excellent ranger who knows many of the birds. Park officials also suggest that all vehicles travelling north into the Kidepo Valley be escorted by multiple armed guards due to the periodic presence of poachers and cattle rustlers in the area.

GETTING THERE
Kidepo Valley National Park is accessible either by road or by air. The most commonly driven route from Kampala is via Gulu and Kitgum, an 600 km journey taking a minimum of 12 hours and a sturdy 4WD to complete.

Activities

1 Game Drives
2 Game Walk
3 Karamojong Community Village walk
4 Bird watching

The park can be reached by both road and air. Driving is more rewarding, as much of karamoja, like Kidepo itself, is a vast and unspoiled wilderness. However, road conditions ar sometimes difficult and 4WD vehicles are usually essential.

There are four possible routes by road: routes via Mbale pass to the east of Lake Kyoga to reach northern Uganda; routes via Karuma pass to the west.

Kampala-Mbale-Soroti-Moroto-Kidepo = 792kms

Kampala – Mbale-Sironko-Kotido-Kaabong-Kidepo = 740kms

Kampala- Karuma-Lira-Kotido-Kidepo =705kms

Kampala-Karuma-Gulu-Kitgum-Kidepo =571km

Visitors should note that the road mainly in use from kotido to kaabong passes via kanawat not via Losilang as indicated on most maps. Enquire at Kotido.

Prospective visitors should contact UWA Headquaters or Wildplaces (the Apoka lodge operator) to obtan up-to-date advice about road conditions and safety to identify the preferred choice of route.

Charter flights to Kidepo may be arranged from Kampala (Kajjansi), Kampala Aeroclub, or Entebbe with Eagle Aviation. Flights take about two hours. The Civil Aviation Autority has plans to make Lomej, to the east of Apoka, an international airport to enable visitors to fly direct to Kidepo from other countries.

Flora And Fauna
Kidepo’s expensive vistas, largely uninhibited by woodland and forest, are the result of the open tre savannah habitat that dominates the park. Hill have been colonized by dry mountain forest while some watercourses support Acacia forests. Many of the hilltops are capped by rock kopjes which provides habitats for klipspringer and give panoramic 360o views.

The park contains one of the most exciting faunas of any Ugandan national park with 77 species of mammal, several of which are (In Uganda) restricted to the Kidepo and Karamoja region. Localized carnivores include the bat-eared fox, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal and cheerah. Other carnivores present are lion, leopard, spotted hyena, and black-backed and side-striped jackal. Less common ungulates include the greater and lesser kudu, chandlers Mountain reedbuck, klipspringer and Guenther’s dikdik. Other large ungulates include elephant, Burchell’s zebra, bushpig, warthog, Rothschild’s giraffe, Capped buffalo, eland, bushbuck, hartebeest and oribi, Defassa waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, Jsckson’s hartebeest and oribi. Five species of primates are found in the park including the endemic Kavirondo bush baby.

The park boasts an extensive birdlist of 463 species confirmed and 26 unconfirmed-second only in Uganda to Queen Elizabeth NP. A few species of note, at least in a Ugandan context, are the Ostrich, kori bustard, secretary bird, carmine, little green and red-throated bee eater, Abyssinian scimitarbill, yellow-billed and Jackson’s hornbills and the Karamoja apalis. Kidepo is also notable for its birds of prey. Of the 56 species recorded, 14, including Verreaux’s eagle, Egyptian vulture and pygmy falcon, are believed to be endemic to the Kidepo and Karamoja region. There has however been no comprehensive survey of birds in Kidepo and visitors stand a good chance of adding to the current list.



Local people
Most of the people bording the park are Karamajong. A cattle-keeping people who are adapting slowly to changes to their traditional way of life. Interested visitors may be able (by arrangement) visit Karamajong manyattas (homesteads) to see traditional customes, stools, spears, head dresses, knives, bows and arrows and jewelry.
Around the park

Since, for much of the year, the park’s wildlife congregates in the Narus valley, this area is well provided with game tracks. Three loop circuits explore the valley around Apoka. At the southern end of the Katurum loop, Katurum kopje (the site of a noe derelict lodge) provides superb views north across the valley towards the Morungule mountain range. Visitors without transport can arrange game drives using a park truck. This is charges per kilometer.

Morungule Mountain
The Morungule range rises from the plains a few kilometers north east of Apoka. This can be explored on foot with a ranger guide escort.

KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK NOMINATED AS AFRICA’S LEADING NATIONAL PARK 2013
Kidepo Valley National Park was nominated as Africa’s leading National Park 2013 by the World Travel Award. This Park lies in the rugged, semi arid valleys between Uganda’s boarders with Sudan and Kenya, some 700km from the capital city Kampala. Its Uganda’s most isolated national park but also the most magnificent in terms of wildlfe, actually its the melting pot of all Uganda’s Carnivores.

The park contains two rivers ie Kidepo and Narus which disssappear in the dry season ,leaving just pools for the wildlife. The local communities around the park include the pastoral Karimojong people similar to the Masai in Kenya and the IK , a hunter gatherer tribe.

Some of the Carnivores expected to bee seen in this park include, Lions,Leopards,Cheetas,Hyenas,Bat Eared Fox,African Wild Cats,African Golden Cats to mention but a few.

Ugandans who take holidays abroad are leaving behind a better deal in their own motherland.

This follows the listing of Kidepo National Park in north eastern Uganda as one of the 10 best parks in Africa by CNN Travel, a publication of CNN (Cable News Network), a US television of global repute.

According to the publication, Africa is regarded as a destination for safari, but Kidepo Valley National Park, covering 1,442 square kilometres is one of the top 10 parks where travellers can find the most outstanding trips.

Kidepo was rated highly by the CNN Travel for its spectacular landscapes and great buffalo herds. “With sprawling savannah and soaring mountains, Kidepo National Park might be the most picturesque park in Africa,” stated the publication.

This comes hot on the heels of another landmark rating of Uganda as one of the top 10 tourism destination globally in the year 2013 by the National Geographic.

The National Geographic is an international travel channel affiliated to the National Geographic Society. Also, the Lonely Planet, a travel magazine, rated Uganda as the best travel destination for 2012.

Foreigners who have been to Kidepo rate it highly because it is one place that gives you value for money, poaching by the Toposa, a tribe from South Sudan, remains a challenge.

Sharing borders with South Sudan and Kenya, Kidepo is Uganda’s most beautiful, remote and least-explored park. Regarded as a hard-to-reach place in northern Uganda because of the poor state of the roads, Kidepo gets fewer visitors than any other grassland park in Uganda.

“Those who take the trouble to get here are rewarded with phenomenal wildlife sightings and a level of exclusivity that can rarely be got at any cost in neighbouring countries,” stated CNN Travel.

“Kidepo Valley Park landscapes are never ending and simply take your breath away - and a stillness only broken by the cry from the wild,” stated a source who has visited. “The sounds of the winds sweeping through the valley, you are amazed that such a place as Kidepo Valley Park even exists.”

There is an abundance of wildlife, stunning scenery and an absence of people with no caravans of vehicles meandering down the game tracks.

Apart from huge herds of buffaloes, Kidepo is also endowed with lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, ostriches, stripped hyenas and hunting dogs.

Others are antelopes such as eland, bush buck, bush duskier, defassa water buck, bohor reed buck, jackson’s hartebeest and oribi. In addition to the ostriches, it also has plenty of bird life.

Please visit Kidepo Valley National Park