Uganda | Northern RegionKidepo Valley NP

Overview

Kidepo Valley is in the remote northeast corner of the country. The park has a true wilderness feel and is a great destination for the adventurous traveller. It has excellent wildlife viewing during the Dry season, featuring several species not encountered anywhere else in the country. Two valleys (Kidepo Valley and Narus Valley) on either side of predominantly mountainous terrain dominate the park. There are wide, sweeping views of the Narus Valley from many vantage points. Open grassland is interspersed with acacia trees, desert dates and rocky outcrops.

Kidepo has a semi-arid climate that occasionally invites drought in the Dry season (September to March). Average afternoon temperatures sit around 29°C/84°F, except in the park’s higher-altitude areas where it gets colder. The Wet season lasts from April to August. In these months, keep one eye on the sky in the afternoon, when showers arrive like clockwork.

Wildlife

The park has a very impressive mammals list. Twenty species of predator are resident, and several don’t exist in any other Ugandan park (including cheetah and black-backed jackal). Lion is common and leopard also occurs. Elephant, Burchell’s zebra, buffalo and Rothschild’s giraffe are all regularly seen, but black rhino has recently become extinct. Twelve antelope species are present – some of which don’t occur anywhere else in the country. It has arguably the most diverse savannah fauna of any park in the country. It is particularly rich in predators, including lion, leopard, cheetah and bat-eared fox. Black-backed and side-striped jackal are both present. There are large herds of buffalo. Twelve antelope species occur in the park, including Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, eland, Uganda kob and klipspringer.

Kidepo usually offers excellent lion and elephant sightings. Herds of up 1,000 buffalo are often encountered. Cheetah are seen with increasing frequency, and it is home to many dry-country species, among them caracal, aardwolf, greater and lesser kudu, mountain reedbuck and Guenther’s dik-dik. Five primate species are present, including the localized patas monkey. Lucky visitors might spot the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe.

Best Time to Visit

The prime time to see wildlife in Kidepo Valley NP is during the dry season (September to March). Kidepo is however located in a semi-arid region and can be visited throughout the year. The wet season months (April to August) are pleasantly less hot and bring beautiful scenery. Bird watching is at its best at this time as well.