About this event:
Katonga Wildlife Reserve, spanning 207 square kilometers, was gazetted in 1964 as a game reserve to serve as a wildlife corridor between Western Uganda, Tanzania, and Sudan. It became a Wildlife Reserve in 1996 under the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and is managed by the Kibale Conservation Area administration. Located within Kyenjojo and Kamwenge Districts, the reserve is a three-hour drive from Kampala to Kyegegwa Town Council, followed by a 42 km detour southwards.

The reserve's diverse terrain includes savannah grasslands, woodlands, riverine woodlands, swamps, and papyrus. Its unique location between forests, swamps, and savannahs creates a rich ecosystem supporting various species. Dominant plant species include Sporobolus Festivus and Chloris gayana, with associates like Setaria and Hyparrhenia species. The Katonga wetland system is interlinked with the Nile, forming a crucial wetland system for human survival and providing diverse habitats enhancing faunal diversity.

Katonga Wildlife Reserve hosts a viable Sitatunga population and growing populations of waterbucks, hippos, and birds. Historically home to animals like zebra, topi, and eland, these species are no longer present due to poaching and encroachment. However, efforts to restock the reserve have seen successful translocations of impalas and zebras, boosting the impala population to 300. The reserve also harbors over 150 bird species and various mammals, including Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Uganda Kobs, and leopards. The reserve's rich biodiversity also includes reptiles, amphibians, and butterflies.