Karuma Wildlife Reserve, covering 675 sq km directly beside Murchison Falls National Park, extends the same savannah and riverine habitat found in Uganda’s largest park along the upper reaches of the Nile. The reserve takes its name from the Karuma Falls, where a 600-megawatt hydroelectric power plant now operates under environmental safeguards, making Karuma one of the few Ugandan reserves to combine wildlife conservation with major national infrastructure.
The reserve at a glance
- 675 sq km directly beside Murchison Falls National Park in northwestern Uganda
- Named for the Karuma Falls on the Victoria Nile at the reserve’s edge
- Home to elephants, giraffes, hippos, leopards, olive baboons and vervet monkeys
- Site of a 600-megawatt hydroelectric power plant operating under environmental guidelines
An extension of Murchison Falls’ wildlife
Karuma’s habitat blends into Murchison Falls National Park along their shared boundary, supporting overlapping wildlife populations, including elephants and giraffes on its savannah stretches and hippos and leopards closer to the river. Birdlife is also rich along the Nile here, with pied kingfishers, red-throated bee-eaters and giant herons among the species regularly seen.
Wildlife alongside infrastructure
The Karuma hydroelectric power plant, a major national infrastructure project generating 600 megawatts of electricity, operates within the reserve’s boundaries, a reminder that Uganda’s wildlife reserves increasingly coexist with the country’s development needs. The plant is managed under environmental guidelines intended to limit its impact on the reserve’s wildlife and river ecosystem.
Things to do
- Game drives for elephants, giraffes and other savannah wildlife
- Birdwatching along the Nile for kingfishers, bee-eaters and herons
- Combining a visit with a wider Murchison Falls National Park itinerary
Practical information
- Located directly beside Murchison Falls National Park, reached via the same routes into the park
- Best visited as an extension of a Murchison Falls safari rather than a standalone destination
- Reached from Masindi or Kampala on the main routes into northwestern Uganda
Karuma Wildlife Reserve extends Murchison Falls’ wildlife along the Nile’s upper reaches. Offmap Safaris can build it into your Murchison Falls itinerary. To start planning, visit Plan My African Safari, message us on WhatsApp at +256 701 243 304, or email [email protected]. See also our notes on health and safety and responsible travel.