The Fauna of Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve: Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is of no doubt one of the untapped wildlife safari destinations in Uganda. The 2275sq.kms vast protected area boasts of its huge profusion of mammal species, reptiles, birds. This makes it an exceptional Uganda safari destination.
Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is most notable for harboring quite a number of rare animals found nowhere else in Uganda, including a healthy population of Cheetahs and Uganda’s only remaining population of Roan Antelopes.
The low visitor numbers guarantee that all wildlife sightings are private, intimate and personal; dissimilar from the crowds that characterize Africa’s popular wildlife destinations.
The reserve is also home to large herds of ungulates including the Common Eland, a small population of Zebra, Hartebeests, Günther’s Dik Dik, the popular Oribis, and the impalas which were recently relocated here from Lake Mburo National Park. Cape Buffalo, the Uganda Kob, Waterbuck, Blue and Common Duiker, Klipspringers and the Bohor and Mountain Reedbuck also enjoy the homely Pian Upe Game Reserve.
The African Hare, Crested Porcupine, Rock Hyrax, Aardvarks, Ververt and Patas Monkeys, Four-toed HedgeHogs, as well as the Olive Baboons can be found here.
Cheetah sightings measure up to 80% chances, making it the best place in the country to see earth’s fastest mammal. But popular among the other predators in the reserve include the jackals, wildcats, Spotted Hyenas, Serval Cats, Civets, the elusive Leopards and a healthy pride of Lions is reported to periodically travel between the nearby Amudat Wildlife Conservation Area and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.
The reserve is also home to varied species of reptiles including venomous puff adders, savannah monitors, common agama, chameleons, geckos, skinks, rock pythons and crocodiles can be found in River Girik.
Lions, elephants, black rhinos and giraffes once roamed these open plains, but they were hunted into extinction during the era of insurgencies. Uganda Wildlife Authority, however, has plans of reintroducing some of these species into this outsized wilderness.
What Animals to Expect to See
A Uganda safari in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve entirely involves spotting its large variety of species of mammals. These include among others leopards, cheetahs, lions, African bush elephants, Cape buffaloes, spotted hyenas, wildcats, jackals, rock hyrax, hippos, Jackson hartebeest, roan antelopes, mountain reed bucks, Rothschild giraffes, Uganda Kobs, Oribis, Topis.
Other mammal species that makes Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve an endowed wildlife destination include the common elands, blue and common duikers, Aardvark, Four toed hedgehog, civets, zebras, gazelles, dik-dik, porcupine. The reserve is also blessed with a significant population of primate species including the Patas monkeys, Vervet monkeys, Olive baboons. Besides mammals, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is also a host to diverse reptile species including water snakes, monitor lizards, rock pythons, skinks, puff adders, chameleons and geckos.