Which national park is famous for hippos in Uganda? Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most famous parks holding a huge number of hippos with over 5000 hippos which can be spotted from the park’s rich and diverse freshwater bodies such as around Kazinga Channel one of the main destinations with the highest concentration of the hippos in Uganda and in Africa at large. this captivating waterway connects its water streams between Lake Gorge and lake Edward. another place is the Ntungwe River situated in the Ishasha sector of the park.
Visitors while on a Uganda safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park will get a great opportunity to engage in a boat ride along the Kazinga channel where you will be amazed at a huge concentration of hippos residing along the shore and, in the water,
Hippos are ranked as the second largest land animals in the world and surprisingly Uganda offers quick access to visitors to encounter these fascinating creatures in their natural habitat. most of the lakes and rivers in the country are habitats for hippos. The name hippopotamus is derived from Greek to mean “River Horse”. They are known as the third heaviest animals in the world. These captivating creatures are known as the best eaters with about 150 pounds (about 75kg) of food, which is primarily grass, in a day. They feed on grass, herbivores that they are, and can quite easily strip their habitats down to bubbles. They can weigh close to three tons; however, their massive weight doesn’t slow them down on land. They can run 30 to 40 km per hour on land, which is faster than humans.
The hippos are mammal species that live both on land and in the water. They actually spend quite a lot of their time in water, but cannot swim; they mostly just keep bouncing off the bottom of the water. That’s today during the daytime, these fascinating creatures spend most of their time in the water as a way to shield themselves from the sun due to the fact that their bodies produce a natural sunscreen, something a few humans would be grateful for. The sunscreen is red in color and has often been referred to as blood sweat.
The Hippos have an average lifespan of 40 to 50 years. Physical growth stops at about 25 years of age. Being semi-aquatic, they mate and give birth in water and they live in groups called pods. These usually constitute male females and of course their young. Just like cattle, male hippos are called bulls; the females are called cows while the young ones are called calves. Although herbivores are often thought to be harmless, hippos are considered to be one of the most dangerous species in the world. It is best to keep your distance if you are on foot and near a hippo. They could trample you to death. There have been many deaths due to an encounter with a hippo.
These captivating creatures like any other wildlife species in Uganda and Africa, are threatened by poachers and hunters. The hippos just like elephants have tusks which sold as ivory. Many hippos have been hunted and killed for their hides, and tusks. Some communities hunt them because they are considered dangerous, which they indeed are. These are usually fishing communities located near hippo habitats.
Besides Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, these captivating creatures can also be spotted or seen while on a Uganda boat cruise safari in Murchison Falls National Park, the park offers one of the unforgettable boat cruise experiences to its visitors to cruise along the Nile River. This remarkable boat cruise takes you up the river Nile to the bottom of the most powerful Murchison Falls. During your boat cruise, you will be amazed at quite a number of hippos along the shores of the Nile and in the water while on this boat ride and hence offering the best amazing photo opportunities. More so you can also find some hippos on a downriver boat ride to Lake Albert and as you drive near Lake Albert Nile.
In addition, hippos can also be spotted in Lake Mburo National Park, the national park also offers the opportunity to its visitors to cruise on the lake which gives a chance to see various pods of hippos along the lake shores. More so a boat ride on river Semliki into Lake Albert gives you the opportunity to see some hippos. The number of hippos here has been disturbed by the Congo wars which has harmed a lot of wildlife including the hippos.
Best time to see hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Are you wondering about what could be the best time to see hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park? Well, visitors who are interested in spotting/filming hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park can visit the park at any time of the year, however, there are certain periods that are better than the rest. The dry season from June to September and December to February is the best time to see hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park can be seen along the shores of the lakes or parkland. This is because there is little or no rainfall in the park which keeps water levels low with astonishing views of these fascinating hippos in their natural habitat, during this time the vegetation cover is short inside the park with a clear astonishing view of these captivating hippos during the day or night.
Visitors can also still spot the hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park during the rainy seasons which run from March to May and then October to November, however, visitors should know that there is heavy rainfall which hinders these creatures from moving in water