ACTIVITIES IN BOKORA CORRIDOR WILDLIFE RESERVE.

BOKORA CORRIDOR WILDLIFE RESERVE.

Bokora corridor wildlife reserve was established in 1964 with an aim of ensuring freedom movement for the animals during their migration between Matheniko plains and Pian Upe game reserve. The reserve was originally part of central and south Karamoja controlled hunting grounds. The reserve is relatively dry with inselbergs, typical of the southern Karamoja. Bokoro corridor wildlife reserve is covered with wooded grassland savanna on the marginal land, making it impossible for settlement and farming.

The reserve harbors a wide range of animals from the antelopes, spotted hyenas, leopards, eland, Taurotragus oryx, Uganda kob, hartebeests, topi, mountain reedbuck, kob thomasi and so many others.

Location of Bokora corridor wildlife reserve.

Bokora corridor is located in eastern Uganda between moroto and mountain Elgon, between Matheniko wildlife reserve and pian Upe wildlife reserve. Along the south-western boundary of the Karamoja region.

ATTRACTIONS IN BOKORA WILDLIFE RESERVE.

Game drives.

The reserve is gifted with the best terrain for game drives. While on the drives, you will see animals like lions, leopard, the lesser Kadu, cheetahs, oryx, reed bucks, spotted hyena, zebras, gazelles, elands, buffaloes, oribis, Uganda kob, stripped hyena, roan antelopes, topis, Rothschild giraffes among others.

Cultural tours.

Bokora corridor wildlife reserve is in to the Karamojong people. This is a nomadic group of people with unique culture and norms. You can visit the Karamojong homesteads called the Manyattas, participate in their traditional dances, see their jewelry, stools, bows and arrows, spears and their traditional knives. You can graze or milk cows with them. Karamojong and the Ik still live a true African life style, they have not fully embraced modernity. This is a great opportunity for you to experience a true African live style. They tell you stories about their history and culture. You can as well purchase their traditional items as souvenirs. You will be welcomed to the sound of their music and unique dancing moves, you are free to join them and get a feeling of being a Karamojong.

The Karamoja people are similar to the masasi in Kenya and Tanzania because of their pastoralist nature. The communities like the Lorukul village and the Ik people have gained in these community tours. The Karamojong lived in the park, but later got settlements near the park after the government gazzetted it. The Karamojong people have interesting stories about their marriage and marriage ceremonies and raising children. These people value cows a lot, ones’ wealthy is determined by the number of cows one has.

A visit to the IK people will give you a great experience of the true African life. As earlier noted, they are one of the smallest group of people in Uganda, they live near the Karamojong and have a little similar lifestyle. They also have polygamous marriages and leave around mountain morungole ranges. They have interesting stories about their lifestyles like marriage, harvesting bees among others. The Ik are mainly hunters and fruit gatherers, they are good at harvesting honey and have a strong connection with the bees.

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Apart from those activities, you can opt to go to Matheniko wildlife reserve. The reserve is located southeastern part of Kidepo valley national park, away from the park near Kenyan boarder. The reserve is a good spot for game drive due to the availability of the cheetah, hyena, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, buffalos, wild cats, mountain reedbucks, blue duikers and chimps like olive baboons, vervet monkey, patas monkeys among others.

For birders, Matheniko wildlife reserve harbors a wide range of birds like the ox peckers, bronze-napped pigeon, yellow warbler, black headed plover, hartlaub’s turaco, pygmy falcon among other birds.

Bird watching.

Bokora corridor wildlife reserve harbors a lot of birds you will watch when you visit the reserve. Birds found here include; the ostrich, Jackson’s hornbill, mountain yellow warbler, grey cuckoo shrike, hartlaub’s turaco, white headed buffalo weaver, alpine chat, black throated wattle eyes, African hill babbler, eastern bronze napped pigeon, dusky turtle dove, yellow warbler, lemon dove, billed honey guide and so many others.

As early noted, Bokora corridor wildlife is near Matheniko wildlife reserve which means you can as well visit Matheniko. The reserve is a good spot for game drive due to the availability of the cheetah, hyena, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, buffalos, wild cats, mountain reedbucks, blue duikers and chimps like olive baboons, vervet monkey, patas monkeys among others.

For birders, Matheniko wildlife reserve harbors a wide range of birds like the ox peckers, bronze-napped pigeon, yellow warbler, black headed plover, hartlaub’s turaco, pygmy falcon among other birds.

You can as well visit Kidepo valley national park. Kidepo valley national park has a wide range of unique carnivorous animals you can luckily spot while on a game drive, these include; the hunting dog, cheetah, caracal, bat-eared fox, aardwolf and the stripped hyena.

Other animals you can see while on a game drive in Kidepo valley national park include; waterbucks, bushbucks, zebra, giraffe, buffalo. The park has animals that can only be found there, these animals include; the cheetah, Lesser kudu and Eland.

Kidepo valley national park harbors over 400 bird species like the Karamoja Apalis, red-cheeked cordon-blue, black breasted barbet, scarlet chested sunbird, mosque swallow, superb starlings, vinaceous dove, Nubian woodpeckers among others.

There are two sectors for game viewing, the Kidepo sector and the Narus valley river sector. Kidepo valley national park has dry seasons between the month of September to March, then it rains from April to August.

You can also add Pian Upe wildlife reserve on your itinerary when coming to Bokora corridor wildlife reserve. Pian Upe wildlife reserve harbors a wide range of mammals, birds and primates. that stay in the rocks, mountains. While in pian Upe, there are higher chances of you spotting cheetahs.  Mammals in pian Upe include, cheetahs, lions, leopards, serval cats, cape buffalos, patas monkeys, vervet monkeys, elands, zebras, olive baboon, four toed hedgehogs, aardvarks, crested porcupine, rock hyrax, wildcats, civets, jackals, blur, Gunther’s dik-dik, hartebeests, water bucks, klipspringers, spotted hyena among others.

How to reach Bokora corridor wildlife reserve

The reserve is approximately 8 hours’ drive from Kampala Uganda’s capital city, using Kampala-Gulu highway and approximately 7 hours’ drive using Mbale-Soroti road.

When to visit Bokora corridor wildlife reserve.

The reserve can be visited all year round, but the best time to visit in the dry seasons of June to September and December to February.

Where to sleep?

Unfortunately, there are no accommodations inside the reserve, apart from camping. But there are accommodations you can stay in outside the reserve. These include Bokora hotel, and other accommodations in Kidepo valley national park.