Semliki National Park lies along the main Fort Portal to Bundibugyo road, 52 km from Fort Portal town. The Park is situated in the remote corner of extreme west of Uganda, in Bundibugyo District. It lies on Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border within the western arm of the East African Rift Valley. To the southeast are the Rwenzori Mountains, to the west is DRC and to the north, Lake Albert.
The 220 sq km Semliki National Park is an eastern extension of the vast Ituri Forest; it is one of the richest areas for both flora and fauna in Africa (Especially for birds).
The Semliki River which forms the international boundary, is a miniature version of the Congo River. A visit to Semliki provides a taste of the Central Africa Just a couple of hours from the comforts of fort portal.
The forest is one of Africa’s most biodiverse forests and particularly noted for its varied bird population. This biodiversity is enhanced by its great age, for its one of the Africa’s most ancient forest. The park contains evidence of even older processes. Hot springs bubble up from the depths beneath Semapaya to demonstrate the powerful subterranean forces that have been shaping the rift valley during the last 14million years.
The low lying park lies on the rift’s sinking floor, most of it just 670m above sea level; hence classified as moist semi-deciduous forest.
Semliki is the only tract of the true lowland tropical forest in east Africa. . The forest contains 336 tree species, a spectacular 441 recorded species of birds; this represents about 40% of Uganda’s total. There are numerous rarities , 46 guinea-Congo biome species are found nowhere else in East Africa while another 35 can be seen in only 2 – 3 other places in Uganda. Five species are endemic to the Albertine rift ecosystem. The is home to 53 mammals, of which 27 are large mammals; duiker-sized and above, several are central African species. Species of interest include blue monkey, re-tailed monkey, de brazza’s monkey, grey-cheeked mangbay, Dent’s mona monkey, potto, and bush baby
