Giraffe population soars to 100 in Lake Mburo National Park

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The giraffe population at Lake Mburo National Park has soared to over 100 from below 50 in recent years.

The increase has created satisfaction among game rangers and is likely to boost tourism.

The park has witnessed a remarkable increase in its giraffe population following their translocation from Murchison Falls National Park in 2015. Originally, only 15 giraffes were introduced, but today their numbers have soared to over 100, marking a significant success in the park’s conservation efforts.

However, despite this achievement, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers continue to face significant challenges, including: poaching, shortage of rangers plus encroachment by local communities, particularly cattle keepers living around the park.

Allen Kenzarwa, a ranger guide at Lake Mburo, remarked that the environment has been ideal for the giraffes, with fewer predators attacking them. However, the proximity of the park to surrounding communities, especially cattle keepers, has heightened the risks.

“Poaching remains a major threat since we don’t have enough monitoring patrols,” she said in an interview on Tuesday, February 17, 2025.

The dry seasons further compound these challenges, as animals struggle to find enough water, creating stress across the park's wildlife. While efforts have been made to construct water dams, Kenzarwa emphasized that more needs to be done to secure a sustainable water supply.

Lake Mburo National Park was first gazetted in 1933 as a controlled hunting area, later becoming a game reserve in 1963 and then a national park in 1983.

Historically, the park was a hunting ground for the king of Ankole, Omugabe, and the local Banyankore people (mainly Bahima) hunted wild animals, fished in Lake Mburo, and grazed their cattle in the area.

Unfortunately, this led to the extinction of several species. Though part of the park has been allocated to the community, cattle and wildlife still mix on occasion.

Poaching continues to be a significant issue, and experts believe that strengthening monitoring efforts is essential. 

“The park should have enough manpower to counter poachers. We need a ranger camp in every corner of the park. Patrols should consist of at least four to six officers to effectively monitor this vast landscape,” Kenzarwa added.

Currently, UWA relies on community informants to report poaching activities, but the lack of sufficient ranger camps and patrol units leaves wildlife vulnerable to ongoing threats.

Despite the rich biodiversity of Lake Mburo, which includes 4,000 zebras and over 2,000 impalas, the only population of impalas in Uganda the park is still lacking sufficient tourist accommodations. Most visitors sleep outside the park due to the limited number of lodges, with only about ten accommodations available, few of which are inside the park. “There is a need to develop more lodges and build new accommodations to attract tourists,” Kenzarwa stressed.

Efforts to manage invasive plant species have contributed to an increase in wildlife numbers, but experts argue that further conservation initiatives are necessary to safeguard the park's unique environment.

The giraffe population in Lake Mburo has grown four-fold since 2015.

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) attributes the boost in numbers to the successful translocation of 15 Rothschild giraffes (four males and 11 females) from Murchison Falls National Park, aimed at enhancing their breeding capacity. Ecological studies were carried out before the relocation to ensure the safety of the giraffes.

Over the span of eight years, the 15 translocated giraffes have multiplied to a remarkable 65 in Lake Mburo National Park. UWA credits this population growth to the park’s favourable habitat and the effective protection of giraffes from poachers and disease.

Bashir Hangi, the head of communication and public relations at UWA, emphasized that the growing giraffe population highlights the success of the conservation efforts to protect these majestic creatures. “This is a positive indicator of how well the park is supporting wildlife conservation,” Hangi said.

Lake Mburo National Park, located in Kiruhura District in southern Uganda, spans 370 square kilometers and is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including zebras, hippopotamuses, impalas, warthogs, elands, buffaloes, and 350 species of birds. The park also features predators like leopards, hyenas, crocodiles, and genets, making it a vital sanctuary for Uganda’s wildlife.

With continued efforts to strengthen monitoring and improve infrastructure, Lake Mburo National Park remains a beacon of hope for Uganda’s wildlife conservation.