Narus Valley | Kidepo National Park
Narus Valley is the best hallmark of spotting mammal species in Kidepo Valley National Park because of the permanent water holes that support large herds of livestock within kidepo valley national park. The park bears the semi-arid climatic conditions in the Karamoja region. The word Narus is the local name of Karamojong language meaning “muddy ground”. However, the Narus valley begins from Mount Morungole from the northeast of Apoka travelling across the park’s plains into Sudan in the north.
The Valley has high annual precipitation of over 40% than the Kidepo valley, together with a different soil structure that creates perennial water holes and swamps through the Narus River in the middle of undulating bushland and savannah grassland which draw plains game and are inhabits to the Nile crocodile. The Narus valley has popularly become the park’s tourists infrastructure to many travellers who visit the park on their game viewing experience and seem to be more expansive than northern kidepo valley because they usually migrate there during the dry season.
The Narus valley soils are loamy with clay and water which means that it does not easily seep along the valley but unlike the Karamoja region which receives much rains with sandy soils. During the wet season, the swamp and wetland vegetation grow well in the valley and retain water in pools that can stay for a long period in the dry seasons. The reason has to why Narus valley is good inhabiting herbivorous wildlife species is because of its major resources they survival in from such as watering holes and fresh grass.
The spectacular viewing of hills with gently rolling trees & grasslands towards the north defines the natural terrain mark of the Narus valley. The valley offers a green vegetation cover with large grasslands of Red oats, thatching grass as dominant species and Guinea grass. And what makes the Narus valley to be known as the unique African savannah are the scattered tree species and such trees include; sausage trees, desert dates, thorny acacia among others. At the bottom of the valley, there is Narus River respectively which flow its waters in the whole valley during the rainy season and is the only permanent water source in the park that can support the park’s vegetation throughout the year.
To note, Narus River is the blood vessel of mammal species in kidepo valley national park, of all kinds of size, colours, shapes at any time of the day, they are seen congregate in the Narus valley because of the permanent water source in the semi-arid conditions of kidepo valley national park which is truly known as African wilderness.
In Kidepo Valley National Park, the best area to do game track is Narus valley which rewards travellers with splendid game viewing safari where you can see the large congregation of wildlife species. The notable katurum track also sounds as an interesting kopje with a higher elevation that gives visitors the exceptional view they want on their tour into Uganda in order to observe whatever is taking place in the Narus Valley. The Narus valley is the most highlight location to view or spot a variety of mammal species such as Cheetahs, Reedbucks, Klipspringer, buffalo, side-striped jackals, Jackson hartebeest, warthogs, zebras, giraffes, bush pigs, bat-eared fox, elephants, Oryx, caracal, antelopes like Uganda kobs, Oribs, kudus, dik-dik among many.
In the afternoon the heat of the day turns into burning sun and mammal species are seen linking to the Narus dam and watering hole near to Apoka tourism centre to quench their thirst. This can be truly humbling to travellers to get a high chance of spotting wildlife species in the wilderness.
The bird-watching safaris in kidepo valley national park can be also conducted in Narus valley which wonders in the beautiful savannahs of the valley while on your search of the rare bird species. Note that, the terrain usually flat with beautiful rolling hills that make it less tiring to walk into the wilderness. The short grasses make it easy to spot unique bird species. At the banks of Narus River and the swamps there is rewardable viewing of beautiful water birds,travellers who visits kidepo on their birding destination,they do it in Narus valley where they get opportunities to view a large collection of bird species; such birds include Ostriches, Hooper, Kori bustard, carmine, Black-breasted Barbet, Silver shrink,vivacious bird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, yellow billed horn hill, white-bellied go-away bird, little weaver, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Vivacious bird, little weaver, singing bush lark and many more other unique sighting birds. The hiking experience in kidepo valley national park move over the valley en route to Mount Morungole ranges. The hiking which is done on foot rewards with great exploring of hidden treasures of wilderness and also discovering the natural beauty of the park.
In general, this valley is the area that makes Kidepo valley national park to be called the true African wilderness and the best place to explore the largest wildlife species while concentrating on watering holes or along the Narus valley. Visit kidepo and experience in many ideal areas within the park and also engage the community visiting like the Karamojong people, meet the IK people the original people in the region who live on Mount Morungole and many more.
