THEBESTPLACESTOVISITINUGANDA3 - MUCHSION FALLS NATIONAL PARK

Murchison National Park
Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) is a national park in Uganda and is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

It is in northwestern Uganda spreading inland from the shores of Lake Albert around the Victoria Nile up to the Karuma falls. Together with the adjacent 748 Square Kilometers (289sq mi) Bugungu Wildlife Reserve and 720 Square Kilometers (280sq mi) Karuma Wildlife Reserve, the park forms the Murchison falls conservation Area (MFCA)
Map of Murchison falls national park

CONTENTS

Location
History
Overview
Wildlife
Gallery
References
External links

L0CATION
The park straddles Ugandan districts of Bulisa, Nwoya, Kiryandongo, and Masindi. The distance from Masindi the nearest large town to Kibanda area of the national park is about 72kilometres. This area is about 283kilometres by the road, North West of Kampala the capital city of Uganda. The coordinates of the park near the Kibanda area are 02011115.011N, 31045153.011E (Latitude: 2:187499; Longitude: 31:781400)

HISTORY
The explorers John Speke and James grant were first European to visit the present day in 1862. It was more thoroughly explored by Samuel and MFCA Florence baker in 1863-1864. Baker named the falls Murchison falls after the geologist Roderick Murchison then the president of geographical society.
Between 1907 and 1912, the inhabitants of the area about 1300sq kilometers were executed due to sleeping sickness spread by tsetse flies. In 1910, Bunyoro game reserve was created south of river Nile. That area roughly corresponds to the part of MFNP that is in the districts of Bulisa, Masindi, and Kiryandongo. In 1928, the boundaries were extended north of river Nile into modern day Nwoya district. In 1952, the British administration established the national park act in Uganda. The area described above became Murchison falls nation park

OVERVIEW
MFNP is Uganda’s national park. It measures approximately 3,893square kilometers. The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile from east to west for a distance of about 115kilometres. The park is the location of the Murchison falls where the waters of the Nile flow through narrow George only 7metres (23ft) wide before plunging 43metres (141ft). Also in the park, adjacent to Mandi-Gulu highway are the Karuma falls, the location of 600megawatts Karuma power station, which will be Uganda’s largest power station when it comes online circa 2018.
WILDLIFE
MFCA and the adjacent Budongo’s forest reserve have76 species of animals as well as Uganda’s largest population of crocodiles. 450 bird species are present ranging from easy variety of water birds, including the rare shoe billed stork, budongo’s 59 restricted range species, dwarf kingfisher, Goliath heron, white thingies horn bill, and the great blue turaco.

GALLERY