Updated
Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve is Uganda’s oldest protected area, first set aside in 1926, covering about 542 km² of savannah, Borassus palms, riverine forest and swamp on the floor of the Albertine Rift between the Rwenzori foothills and Lake Albert. It is quiet and little visited, and it is known for savannah-dwelling chimpanzees, Uganda kob, and birding along the southern shore of Lake Albert, where shoebills are sometimes seen.
Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve
Wildlife
Uganda kob, waterbuck, bushbuck, warthogs, buffaloes and hippos are the animals most often seen. Elephants and leopards are present but shy. A community of chimpanzees lives in the gallery forests and has been studied for how chimps survive in open, dry habitat. Birdlife is rich, with over 400 species recorded across savannah, forest and lake-shore habitats.
History
The reserve suffered heavy poaching during the conflicts of the 1970s and 1980s and later insecurity in the region, and wildlife numbers fell sharply. Since then, protection has allowed kob and other species to recover, though populations are still smaller than in the national parks.
Visiting
The reserve is about two hours from Fort Portal, descending the escarpment into the rift valley, and combines with Semuliki National Park’s hot springs and forest. Accommodation is limited. The gorilla permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our guides to Fort Portal, Uganda’s protected areas, the Uganda kob and where to see shoebills.
Frequently asked questions
It was first protected in 1926, making it Uganda’s oldest protected area.
Uganda kob, waterbuck, buffaloes, hippos, elephants, leopards and chimpanzees.
By road from Fort Portal, about two hours.
Sometimes, on the southern shore of Lake Albert.
