Lake Mburo National Park has witnessed a remarkable increase in its giraffe population since their translocation from Murchison Falls National Park in 2015. Initially, only 15 giraffes were introduced, but today, their numbers have soared to over 100.
However, despite this conservation success, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers continue to grapple with challenges such as poaching and encroachment by local communities, especially cattle keepers living around the park.
Allen Kenzarwa, a ranger guide at Lake Mburo, highlights the struggle rangers face in protecting wildlife from illegal hunters.
"The park is surrounded by communities, especially cattle keepers, and poaching remains a major threat since we don't have enough monitoring patrols," she says.
Dry seasons further compound the problem, as animals struggle to find enough water, causing stress among the park's wildlife. While efforts have been made to construct water dams, Kenzarwa says more needs to be done to secure a sustainable water supply.
Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda was first gazetted in 1933 as a controlled hunting area. It was then upgraded to a game reserve in 1963, and finally declared a national park in 1983.
The park was historically a controlled hunting area for the king of Ankole, Omugabe. Before its gazettement, people especially Banyankore (mostly Bahima) hunted wild animals, fished in Lake Mburo and grazed their cattle in the area.
Hunting and grazing led to the extinction of several species. Today, while a portion of the park has been given to the community, cattle and wildlife still mix occasionally.
With poaching persisting, experts believe that strengthening monitoring efforts is critical.
"The park should have enough manpower to counter poachers. We need a ranger camp in every corner of the park. Ranger patrols should consist of at least four to six officers to effectively monitor this big landscape," she said.
Currently, UWA relies on community informants to report poaching activities, but without sufficient ranger camps and patrol units, wildlife remains at risk.
Despite the rich biodiversity in Lake Mburo, including 4,000 zebras and over 2,000 impalas—the only population of impalas in Uganda—the park - still lacks sufficient tourist accommodations. Visitors to the park frequently spot a variety of animals, but there are only about ten lodges, with very few inside the park.
" Most tourists who visit the park sleep outside it. There is a need to develop more lodges and build new accommodations to attract tourists," Kenzarwa emphasizes.
Efforts to manage invasive plant species have also contributed to increased wildlife numbers. With continued conservation initiatives, the park remains a vital sanctuary for Uganda’s diverse wildlife.