Zebras are among the most sought-after animals that safari goers look for in Uganda. However these beautiful animals are found in select places within the country and their numbers are reducing.
There was a time when Uganda had many zebras but today, there are 3000 plus zebras left and majority of the zebras are found in Lake Mburo National Park. Others are hosted in Kidepo Valley National Park with about 100 plus zebras.
A few of Zebras are found in Katonga Game reserve and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve in Eastern Uganda. Due to rampant poaching in Uganda, the number of Zebras goes on reducing as people are illegally hunt them for meat.
Facts about Zebras:
Zebras are single-hoofed animals that are native to Africa. Zebras are closely related to horses and donkeys; in fact, they are in the same genus, Equus. However, zebras have black skin under their white coats! Each species of zebra has a different general pattern of stripes.
It is believed that the zebra’s stripes work like camouflage, according to the National Geographic. When zebras stand together, it is harder for predators to determine how many zebras are in the group. The stripes may also make the zebra appear unattractive to smaller predators, such as bloodsucking horseflies, which can spread disease. In addition, the stripes may work as a natural sunscreen.
Each zebra’s stripes are unique. Just as no two human fingerprints are alike, no two zebras have the same stripe pattern.
Size: The largest zebra is the Grevy’s zebra, according to the San Diego Zoo. It weighs 770 to 990 lbs. (350 to 450 kilograms) and is around 5 feet tall from shoulder to hoof. Their thick bodies make them look like mules with stripes.
Mountain zebras are from 3.8 to 4.9 feet (116 to 150 cm) tall at the shoulder and weigh 529 to 820 lbs. (240 to 372 kg), according to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
Plain zebras are 3.6 to 4.8 feet (1.1 to 1.5 m) at the shoulder and weigh up to 770 lbs. (350 kg), according to the African Wildlife Foundation. Lake Mburo national park is situated 187.6 kilo metres away from Entebbe International Airport. By road the park can be accessed through Kampala, Masaka – Mbarara Highway.
Averagely, Lake Mburo National park is a 4 hrs drive from Entebbe with a health break of 20 minutes. For tourists with limited time or those who want to combine Zebra with primates, Lake Mburo National Park might prove the best place to view Zebras in Uganda because it’s situated on the way to western Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National park and Mgahinga Gorilla National park. The two parks host mountain Gorillas, chimpanzees & Golden Monkeys among others.
Lake Mburo National Park acts as a stopover point for travelers heading to western Uganda parks like Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Zebras in KVNP: Although Kidepo Valley National Park is the most remote National Park in Uganda, the park boasts of being the best places in Uganda where you can see Zebras on the vast Savanna Plains. Here you can see the Plains or Burchell Zebras feeding on grass and water.
