Among many Lake Mburo mammals that can easily be seen in Lake Mburo National Park include antelope species, buffaloes, zebras, leopards, giraffes, mongooses, and spotted hyenas among others.
Lake Mburo National Park is an underrated gem of a park, dominated by the eponymous lake. With its forest–fringed shores, hemmed in by rolling green hills, Lake Mburo is scenically reminiscent of the more celebrated Lake Naivasha in the Kenyan Rift Valley.
Lake Mburo harbors several species not easily observed elsewhere in Uganda. It is the only reserve in the country to support a large population of impalas – the handsome antelopes after which ‘Kampala’ is named. The park is one of the only three protected areas countrywide where Burchell’s zebras can be found, the other two being the far less accessible Kidepo Valley National Park and Pian-Upe game reserve.
Other antelope species like to be seen by casual visitors include topis, bushbucks, common duikers, oribis, Defassa waterbucks, and Bohor reedbucks. In addition, the lake and the lush fringing vegetation support healthy populations of buffaloes, warthogs, bush pigs, and hippopotamuses.
Roan antelope, once common, is thought to be locally extinct, but large herds of majestic elands still move seasonally through some parts of the park. The sitatunga antelope is confined to swamp interiors, and the klipspringer is occasionally observed in rocky areas.
Other Lake Mburo National Park Mammals
Only two diurnal primates occur in Lake Mburo National Park; the vervet monkey and the olive baboon. The eerie rising nocturnal calls of the spotted hyenas are often heard from camps, and individuals are less frequently observed crossing the road shortly after dawn.
Leopards, side-stripped jackals, and various smaller predators are also present, most visibly white-tailed mongoose and three otter species resident in the lakes.
The lions for which Lake Mburo was famed in the 1960s were hunted to local extinction by the late 1970s and their present status is uncertain. One rather skittish pride, thought to have migrated from Akagera National Park in Rwanda was observed sporadically between 1997 and 1999. Recent sightings have not been recorded in Lake Mburo National Park.
A large diversity of Lake Mburo mammals including animals can easily be seen in case you take a boat cruise on Lake Mburo, a nature walk or walking safari, a horse ride, and game drive.
The park has got over 68 mammal species.
You can make an extension to visit Bwindi Forest on a budget gorilla safari to encounter the mountain gorillas. For those that wish to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda, visit Volcanoes National Park, which is famous for gorillas and golden monkeys.