This national park enjoys a fabulous rift valley location at the foot of Mount Rwenzori between lakes George and Edward. Geographers will say that the park has around 57 types of vegetation but in actuality, it has five levels of vegetation; Namely bushy grassland, Acacia woodland, Lakeshore or swamp vegetation along with forest grassland which is complimented with open water that inhabits a wide range of animals and various bird species.
The park is also famous for its volcanic features, comprising of volcanic cones and deep craters, many with crater lakes such as Lake Katwe, from which salt is extracted. The park was founded in 1952 as Kazinga National Park and renamed two years later to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II(RIP) of England. It’s home to over 95 mammal species and 600 bird species. With an astonishing 5,000 hippos, 2,500 elephants and over 10,000 buffalo thriving in its grasslands and shorelines, Queen guarantees sightings of some of Africa’s most iconic species. Hearing the elephants’ calls reverberate around Queen’s crater-filled valleys is a magical experience.
Other common herbivores include warthogs, waterbuck, Uganda kob and topi, as well as the sitatunga antelope. Queen’s most elusive inhabitants are its felines: lion, leopard, serval and some smaller cats. Lions are found throughout the park, but the most renowned live in the southern sector of Ishasha where they rest on the limbs of fig trees. Solitary leopards are nocturnal and fiendishly well-camouflaged, making a glimpse all the more rewarding! The smaller cats are also predominantly nocturnal and best spotted on night game drives.
The Katwe explosion craters mark the park’s highest point at 1,350m above sea level and the lowest point is at 910m at Lake Edward. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most popular tourist destinations with different sectors like kasenyi, mweya, kyambura, maramagambo and ishasha sectors plus activities like game drives, chimpanzee trekking, boat cruises, experiential tourism and nature walks.
NOTE
Queen Elizabeth National Park and Queen Elizabeth Country Park in England are twinned in a project of cultural exchange mutual support and has its main emphasis on supporting conservation through working closely with and empowering local communities.
