Facts about Queen Elizabeth national Park : Queen Elizabeth national park is a wildlife national park of Uganda that is situated in the south western region of the pearl of Africa. The park hosts exceptional and fascinating tourist attractions and activities which offer unforgettable memories about safari in the Pearl of Africa. This article presents to you are some of the fascinating facts about Queen Elizabeth national park;
Queen Elizabeth national park in known as one of the oldest national park which was gazetted in 1952 together with Murchison falls national park which is the largest national park in the Pearl of Africa famous home for the intriguing Murchison falls. Queen Elizabeth national park covers an area of about 1978 square Kilometres and it is home to unique diversity of wildlife animals such as various species of antelopes, Nile crocodiles, hippos and it harbours over 600 bird species plus impressive species of butterflies.
Queen Elizabeth national park is well known for the largest population of Hippos, elephants, buffaloes and lions in the entire East Africa. The park has about 5000 hippos, 1000 buffalo’s and3000 Elephants. There are numerous types of antelopes in the park such as duikers, Uganda kobs, reedbuck, sitatunga, topis among others. Biggest number of Sitatunga Antelopes can be spotted on the shores of Kazinga channel, and the Kasenyi sector of the park has the largest number of antelopes-the Uganda kobs in Uganda. The Kasenyi plains acts as a breeding home for the Uganda kobs. Kazinga channel is the main water source of Queen Elizabeth national park and it host most of the various wildlife in the park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the birders paradises with over 600 bird species where some of the birds are internationally rare, such as shoebill stork. It is one of the best ideal places for bird watching experience. The types of birds in the park are sighted depending on the numerous ecological habitats with in the park. Therefore, the park is internationally known as an international birding destination.
Queen Elizabeth national park is situated within the western branch of the African Rift valley and it lies within the commonly known Albertine rift valley escarpment of Uganda which runs from Uganda towards Malawi. The rift valley has given identity to the Kazinga channel which flows west from the famous Lake George to Lake Edward though it is very difficult to know its direction of flow. The Rift valley movement in Queen Elizabeth national park has formed fascinating natural features such as the intriguing crater lakes with mazing flora and fauna.
After the visit of Queen Elizabeth of England to Uganda, the park was given a new name as Queen Elizabeth national park in commemoration of the queen’s visit to the pearl of Africa but initially after gazetting the park in 1952, the park was named Kazinga national park.
Queen Elizabeth national park is shocking a twin park the queen Elizabeth country park of England. The two parks have been twined in natural support, cultural exchange project interest. The main intention of combining the parks was to support and promote conservation by closely and empowering together while involving the local communities so as they can be part of the conservation implemented plan.
About 1000 years ago, the park did not have a single crocodile in the Kazinga channel, the crocodiles left the water body during the volcanic eruptions that took place in the great western rift valley which is believed to have filled lake Edward with ash after eruption thus making the water toxic and on this life there was no life left in the lake including the crocodiles. Later after some time crocodiles came become to the water body through river Mubuku and apparently they are one of the exception attractions in park and they have been significant in balancing the ecosystem of the park.
Before Queen Elizabeth national park became a national park, the land was home to indigenous Basongola who were African pastoralist tribe. Unfortunately, the Basongola indigenous people vacated away from this place due the raiding of their cattle by the Bunyoro and Buganda kingdom. They were also affected by an epidemic disease of small pox, sleeping sickness which forced them to live their homeland, the remaining people became fishermen on Lake George thus they formed fishing villages such as Kasenyi, Katunguru, Busonga. After the Basongola left the land they gave chance to vegetation to grow and animals increased and by 1952 the park was declared a national park.
The First European Explore to visit Queen Elizabeth national park was Sir Henry Marton Stanley who had visited Uganda in the 1889 but on his visit to the park, he did not recognize the place as a human settlement due to the small population but instead he referred to it as vast empty land. He is believed to be the starting point of gazetting the park.