Kidepo Valley National Park
Encyclopedia
Kidepo Valley National Park is a 1442 square kilometre national park in the Karamoja
region in northeast Uganda
. Kidepo is rugged savannah, dominated by the 2750 metres (9,022.3 ft) Mount Morungole
and transected by the Kidepo
and Narus
rivers.
, in the northeastern corner of Uganda. The park is located approximately 220 kilometres (136.7 mi), by road northwest of Moroto
, the largest town in the sub-region. Its location is approximately 520 kilometres (323.1 mi), by road, northeast of Kampala
, Uganda's capital and largest city
. The coordinates of Kidepo are:03 54N, 33 51E (Latitude:3.9000; Longitude:33.8500).
(1962 - 1971). The forcible eviction of the Ik people
out of the fertile Kidepo Valley contributed to a famine
among the Ik. In contemporary protected area management, this case is often used as an example of the unacceptable consequences of not taking community needs into account when designating reserves.
Perennial water makes River Kidepo an oasis in the semi-desert which hosts over 86 mammal species including lion
, cheetah
, leopard
, bat-eared fox
, giraffe
— as well as almost 500 bird species.
Karamoja
Karamoja sub-region, commonly known as Karamoja, is a region in Northern Uganda.-Location:The subregion, is located in northeastern Uganda and comprises the following seven districts:* Abim District* Amudat District* Kaabong District...
region in northeast Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. Kidepo is rugged savannah, dominated by the 2750 metres (9,022.3 ft) Mount Morungole
Mount Morungole
Mount Morungole lies within the Kidepo Valley National Park, north-east Uganda, Africa. It is in the rugged, semi-arid Karamoja province near the border with the Sudan. Neighbouring peaks are Mount Zulia, and the Labwor and Dodoth Hills reach heights in excess of 2,000 meters.The local inhabitants...
and transected by the Kidepo
Kidepo River
The Kidepo River is a seasonal river along the Kidepo Valley in the Karamoja region of Uganda, and in East Equatoria area of South Sudan.-See also:* List of rivers of Uganda* List of rivers of South Sudan...
and Narus
Narus River, Uganda
The Narus River flows in a northwesterly direction through Kidepo Valley National Park in northern Uganda, joining the larger Kidepo River shortly after entering Eastern Equatoria state of South Sudan."Narus" in the Karamojong language means mud....
rivers.
Location
Kidepo Valley National park is located in Kaabong DistrictKaabong District
Kaabong District is a district in Northern Uganda. It is named after its 'chief town', Kaabong, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
, in the northeastern corner of Uganda. The park is located approximately 220 kilometres (136.7 mi), by road northwest of Moroto
Moroto
Moroto is a town in Northern Uganda, lying west of Mount Moroto. It is the 'chief town' of Moroto District and the district headquarters are located there. The district was named after the town.-Location:...
, the largest town in the sub-region. Its location is approximately 520 kilometres (323.1 mi), by road, northeast of Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda's capital and largest city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
. The coordinates of Kidepo are:03 54N, 33 51E (Latitude:3.9000; Longitude:33.8500).
Overview
The Kidepo Valley National Park was established in the 1960s under the first rule of Milton OboteMilton Obote
Apolo Milton Obote , Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971, then again from 1980 to 1985. He was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda towards independence from the British colonial administration in 1962.He was overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, but...
(1962 - 1971). The forcible eviction of the Ik people
Ik people
The Ik are an ethnic group numbering about 10,000 people living in the mountains of northeastern Uganda near the border with Kenya, next to the more populous Karamojong and Turkana peoples. The Ik were displaced from their land to create a national park and consequently suffered extreme famine...
out of the fertile Kidepo Valley contributed to a famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
among the Ik. In contemporary protected area management, this case is often used as an example of the unacceptable consequences of not taking community needs into account when designating reserves.
Perennial water makes River Kidepo an oasis in the semi-desert which hosts over 86 mammal species including lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
, leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, bat-eared fox
Bat-eared Fox
The bat-eared fox is a canid of the African savanna, named for its large ears. Fossil records show this canid to first appear during the middle Pleistocene, about 800,000 years ago....
, giraffe
Giraffe
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
— as well as almost 500 bird species.
See also
- Uganda Wildlife AuthorityUganda Wildlife AuthorityThe Ugandan Wildlife Authority is one of the governing bodies that regulates wildlife conservation in Uganda.It was established in August 1996 by the Uganda Wildlife Statute, which merged the Uganda National Parks and the Game Department...
- Kaabong DistrictKaabong DistrictKaabong District is a district in Northern Uganda. It is named after its 'chief town', Kaabong, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
- MorotoMorotoMoroto is a town in Northern Uganda, lying west of Mount Moroto. It is the 'chief town' of Moroto District and the district headquarters are located there. The district was named after the town.-Location:...
- KaramojaKaramojaKaramoja sub-region, commonly known as Karamoja, is a region in Northern Uganda.-Location:The subregion, is located in northeastern Uganda and comprises the following seven districts:* Abim District* Amudat District* Kaabong District...
- Kidepo AirportKidepo AirportKidepo Airport is an airport in Uganda. It is one of the forty-six airports in the country.-Location:Kidepo Airport is located in extreme northeastern Uganda, approximately , by air, northeast of Entebbe International Airport, the country’s largest civilian and military airport...