Wildlife species of Mountain Elgon National Park

Wildlife species of Mountain Elgon National Park- The park is a man and biosphere reserve located in the eastern part of Uganda at the border with Kenya. The park is located in the districts of Mbale, Bududa, Manafwa, Kapchorwa, Sironko, and Suam. Inside the park, there is a 4321-meter mountain Elgon which is an extinct volcano that last erupted over 24 million years ago.

Mountain Elgon features the largest caldera in the whole world which measures about 40km2. It is because of the vulcanicity activity that forced magma from deep inside the earth’s surface that later led to the collapse of the cone. Its believed that mountain Elgon was the highest in Africa but due to erosion forces, the size and height were reduced to 4321meters making it the 4^th highest in East Africa.

Mountain Elgon features volcanic soils that have facilitated the growth of variable vegetation types on alternate altitudes. The different vegetation types on Mountain Elgon National park include montane forests, bamboo forests, basically on higher altitudes, and the alpine moorland

Animal species in Mountain Elgon National Park

Wildlife species of Mountain Elgon National Park especially big mammals such as buffaloes, elephants reside in the forests of the mountains but it’s rare to spot such animals while on the tour to the park. These animals do lie on the lower side of the mountains and some of the animals here include bushbuck, Defassa silverback, Oribi, hyena, and primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, red and blue-tailed monkeys.

Plants and bird species in Mount Elgon National Park

Mountain Elgon National park is a good destination for birding as it harbors over 300 bird species that inhabit the different vegetation zones surrounding the park. Some of the bird species in Mountain Elgon National Park include African blue flycatcher, endangered lammergeyer, crown hornbills, Chubbs Cisticola, Crowned Hornbills among others. The park still has over 400 species of birds and it h6arbours half of Uganda’s butterfly species including the endangered Mathais Long leg dragonfly.