Kidepo Valley National Park in North-Eastern Uganda Does Not Enjoy a Reputation for Wildlife-Viewing Or Ecotourism
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TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEPHEN CUNLIFFE An unexpected AWAKENING Kidepo Valley National Park in north-eastern Uganda does not enjoy a reputation for wildlife-viewing or ecotourism. Tainted by its proximity to southern Sudan and the infamous Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the park has been all but ignored. But, with the retreat of the LRA, peace is returning to this turbulent region and, as Stephen Cunliffe discovered, those intrepid enough to visit Kidepo will be amply rewarded. 50 AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC • FEBRUARY 2008 SUDAN he morning calm was shattered by a deafening roar KIDEPO Mount VALLEY NP Morungole that was at odds with the 0 25 50 75 100 km 1:3 500 000 remote wilderness. The MURCHISON unmistakable whirl of D E M O C R A T I C FALLS NP helicopter rotors drowned R E P U B L I C O F CONGO Lake Tout the dawn chorus and the alarm Albert Mount calls of oribi, which skipped away with UGANDA Elgon their characteristic rocking-horse gait. Kampala Two Ugandan People’s Defence Force RWENZORI helicopters appeared, flying low above MOUNTAINS NP KENYA LAKE the ground. Their targets? Kraals on the MBURO NP southern slopes of Mount Morungole. TANZANIA Their task? To confiscate weapons from Lake Victoria nomadic Karamajong cattle herders, part of the government’s controversial decision to disarm the inhabitants of PREVIOUS SPREAD, MAIN PHOTOGRAPH this wild land. A recently burnt section of the Narus Welcome to the Kidepo Valley Valley turns green after the arrival of the National Park in Karamoja, a district in rains. The fresh grazing attracts Jackson’s north-eastern Uganda not known for its hartebeest and plains zebra. wildlife viewing and ecotourism. Kidepo lies to the west of Kenya’s Turkana INSETS, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT An region and its northern boundary forms inquisitive Guenther’s dik-dik in the part of the inter national border with arid Kidepo Valley; a usually well- southern Sudan. For most people, camouflaged chameleon is revealed; however, the area is synonymous with the ephemeral Kidepo River flows the infamous Lord’s Resistance Army strongly as the rainy season ends. (LRA), but they may be surprised to learn that the LRA did not operate in northern Karamoja and has never entered the national park. It was the people of Acholiland to the west of Kidepo who bore the brunt of the LRA and the heavily armed Karamajong who kept it out of north-eastern Uganda. There is no disputing that Kidepo has a rough bunch of neighbours, but with the retreat of the insurgents to the DRC and the disarmament of the local Karamajong ‘warriors’, the park is but the park has experienced above slowly opening up to adventurous average rainfall for most of the past The park is slowly opening up travellers looking for an Africa that is decade. Its land scape is best described untamed and undiscovered by the mass as open savannas of long and short to adventurous travellers looking for an safari market. In the 18 months that I grasses, reminiscent of Kenya’s Masai Africa that is untamed and undiscovered called the national park home, the Mara, interspersed boras sus palms and above incident was the total extent of sausage trees. The savanna is broken up by the mass safari market the insecurity that we experienced. further by a sprinkl ing of rocky granite Anyone wishing to drive there should outcrops or koppies. To the west, it definitely enquire as to the situation en gives way completely to the Napore- Ostrich, Clapperton’s francolin, yellow- route, but within the park’s boundaries Nyagia Hills and, in the east, the two necked spurfowl, white-headed buffalo- we did not feel threatened. valleys are separated by the Lokayot weaver, steel-blue whydah and rose- and Natira hills. The park’s altitude ringed parakeet (the only parakeet he park’s 1 442 square kilo metres ranges widely from 914 metres in the found in Africa) are just a few of the comprise the rugged, semi-arid Narus Valley to 2 750 metres at the peak 475 bird species recorded within the TKidepo and more well-watered of Mount Morungole, on its south- Kidepo catchment area. For serious ABOVE The dominant male lion of the Narus river systems. Both rivers flow eastern boundary. birders, big ticks include the Karamoja southern Narus pride surveys his domain roughly north and parallel to each other The Kidepo is an ephemeral river, apalis, Jackson’s hornbill and black- from a favoured rocky outcrop. before converging in the Sudan and, prone to flash flooding, that drains breasted barbet. ultimately, draining into the Nile. The through an arid valley characterised by In terms of wildlife, the Kidepo valley OPPOSITE The view over the Narus area is officially classified as semi-desert, acacia savanna and outstanding birding. has been hard hit by poaching over Valley, looking north towards Sudan. 52 AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC • FEBRUARY 2008 WWW.AFRICAGEOGRAPHIC.COM 53 the years. As recently as 2006, cattle concentrated the majority of its heavily hunted and reduced to a paltry ABOVE A buffalo herd kicks up dust This abundant water, together herders from the Dodoth, Dinka and resources on the Narus River valley, three individuals, but the popula tion during the dry month of January as it with quality grazing and a visible anti-poaching Taposa tribes used this area to water with clear and visible success. The has also been augmented by re- makes its way to a perennial waterpoint and graze their livestock during the dry Narus holds water all year round and introductions from Kenya. Both these on the Narus River. effort, have com bined to create an area where season. The Ugandan government has several of its large tributaries have populations are showing good growth, since prohibited these predominantly perennial springs at the base of the with a number of youngsters and sub- TOP Kidepo is the only national park in wildlife numbers are increasing Sudanese people from occupying the surrounding hills. This abundant water, adults rapidly approaching sexual Uganda where cheetahs are found. These park, but their long-term presence has together with quality grazing and a maturity. cats regularly use firebreaks to track and undoubtedly hastened the demise of visible anti-poaching effort, have com- The plains zebra is currently the only chase oribi, their preferred prey. wildlife in the area. bined to create an area where wildlife mammal showing a dramatic and The only antelope that remains numbers are increasing. The last consistent decline. This is being ABOVE, LEFT The white-browed coucal is abundant is the diminutive Guenther’s comprehensive mammal survey con- attributed to the equine disease, lami ni- one of three coucal species frequently dik-dik. The population of Jackson’s duct ed in the park was back in 1971, tis, an inflammation of the sensitive seen here. hartebeest is increasing, but the lesser when 86 mammal species, including laminae or tissues that connect the kudu is on the brink of local extinction, bats and rodents, were recorded. From hooves to the bone. Research is cur- OPPOSITE, TOP After gorging themselves and Grant’s gazelle, beisa oryx, greater 2006 to 2007, we recorded 43 mammal rently underway to determine whether on a buffalo carcass, these lionesses kudu and roan antelope have dis- species, an excellent count considering this is the sole cause of the popula- climbed a sausage tree to escape the appeared entirely from the national that bats were excluded. tion crash. biting flies and enjoy a cool breeze. park. The last black rhino is believed to Oribis are the most plentiful antelope have been shot as far back as 1984 and in the Narus valley, but there are also redators are well rep re sented and OPPOSITE, BOTTOM A male defassa there have been no sightings of striped healthy populations of defassa water- regularly seen within this section waterbuck joins a herd of plains zebra, hyaenas or African wild dogs for the buck, Jackson’s hartebeest, common Pof Kidepo. Side-striped jackals are taking advantage of both the fresh green past three years. duiker, bushbuck and Bohor reedbuck. the most prolific carnivore, while their grass and the safety of numbers. Eland were believed to be locally extinct less frequently observed black-backed owever, the wildlife picture is until a handful of sightings were cousins inhabit the drier areas. Spotted not quite as bleak as it sounds. recorded in 2004. The following year, a hyaenas are seen (and, more regularly, HThe Ugandan Wildlife Authority group of eland was re-introduced to a heard) and leopards, though shy, leave (UWA), which manages the park and holding boma from Lake Mburo telltale tracks across the dry riverbeds. conducts anti-poaching efforts, has National Park. Rothschild’s giraffes were The drag marks they create reveal 54 AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC • FEBRUARY 2008 WWW.AFRICAGEOGRAPHIC.COM 55 Apoka Safari Lodge offers the only luxury accommodation in Kidepo. INFOTRAVEL It is highly recommended that visitors fly to the park due to the risk of banditry along the roads. Further information on air charters can be obtained from the Kampala Aeroclub and Flight Centre on tel. (+256-75) 690 173 or fax (+256-41) 223 680. Self-drive visitors are urged to contact Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) head- quarters in Kampala on tel. (+256-41) that Bohor reedbuck, oribi, common Narus River and herds can swell into necessities that they require, and 346 287 or via e-mail [email protected] to duiker and tantalus monkeys are their the hundreds. cannot grow themselves, are obtained While it is truly magical to witness obtain the latest information regarding preferred food.