Katonga Wildlife Reserve

Katonga Wildlife Reserve
IUCN category II (national park)
Location in Uganda
Location	Uganda
Nearest city	Ibanda
Coordinates
Area	211 km2 (81 sq mi)
Established	1998
Governing body	Uganda Wildlife Authority

The Katonga Wildlife Reserve is a wildlife reserve in western Uganda, along the banks of the Katonga River. The reserve was established in 1998 and has approximately 211 square kilometres (81 sq mi). Many of the species of plants and animals in the reserve are unique to its wetland environment.

Katonga River

Main article: Katonga River

The reserve is named after the Katonga River, which flows from Lake Victoria in the east to Lake George in the west.

Location

The reserve is located in the Ibanda and Kamwenge Districts in western Uganda. In Kamwenge, it borders with the Biguli subcounty and part of the Mpara subcounty in Kyenjojo District. The reserve is approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi), by road, west of Kampala, Uganda's capital city. The coordinates of the wildlife reserve are 00 02N, 30 25E.

Vegetation

The vegetation of the reserve is mixed savannah with acacia scrubland or woodlands. A large portion of the reserve is either permanent or seasonal wetlands. There are also pockets of riverine and tropical forest.

Wildlife

There are over forty animal species and over 150 bird species within the reserve. The wildlife species within the reserve include:

• Sitatunga
• Reedbuck
• Waterbuck
• Warthog
• Bushbuck
• Colobus monkey
• Elephant
• Otter

The reserve is best explored on foot or by river canoe. The Uganda Wildlife Authority maintains a camping site with guides and a restaurant within the reserve.