Kidepo Valley National Park – Uganda’s true Wilderness

Tacked 700kms from Kampala, on the S. Sudan and Kenya boarder, Kidepo valley national park is by every description; Uganda’s wilderness and home to lots of localized and unique game! Kidepo possesses 4 of the big five including Elephants, Lions, Buffaloes, Leopard – missing only the Rhino that’s no longer found in any of Uganda safari parks. Rhinos can only be found at Ziwa rhino sanctuary in Uganda.

Lions surveying their prey in Kidepo Valley National Park

At the mention of Kidepo national park, many come to think of elephants but Kidepo Valley National Park is a biodiversity park. It is not only about elephants but also the famous giraffes. The towering giraffes are the tallest mammals in the world with babies standing at a height taller than a human being making them one of Kidepo’s pride.

The giraffe is the only mammal that spends most of its life standing because it even sleeps and gives birth standing. Giraffes often spend 10 minutes and two hours asleep making it the only mammal with the shortest sleep requirements and a regular sighting in Kidepo!

Kiedpo valley national park has the most exciting fauna of any Ugandan national park with 77 species of mammals, several of which are (in Uganda) restricted to Kidepo Valley National Park.

Explore those localized carnivores, the bat-eared fox, Aardwolf, Caraca, the stripped hyena, and Cheetah, leopard, spotted hyena and black-backed and side stripped jackal, these are not in any other park.

Besides the carnivores and towering giraffes, there are other large ungulates animals that make up the main tourist attraction at Kidepo valley and these include water bucks, lions, reedbucks, oribi, buffaloes, crocodiles, elands, Jackson’s hartebeest zebras, bush pigs, warthogs, , and five species of primates are also found in the park, including the endemic Kavirondo bush baby.

As though the magical wildlife and tranquil wilderness isn’t enough reason to visit Kidepo, the park also boasts an extensive bird list of 463 species confirmed and 26 unconfirmed, second only in Uganda to Queen Elizabeth National park

Visiting Kidepo Valley National Park; a visit to Kidepo will take you to the extreme ends of north eastern Uganda and the challenging terrain and road network makes it necessary that you contact a tour operator to organize a stress free safari including flights by Aero link (twice a week)!