Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, covering 2,275 sq km in Uganda’s Karamoja region, is the country’s second-largest protected area, a vast stretch of semi-arid grassland and wooded savannah near the town of Mbale. Once home to lions, elephants and even black rhinos before poaching wiped them out locally, Pian Upe is now the focus of an active recovery effort, including the reintroduction of giraffes from Murchison Falls National Park in 2019.
The reserve at a glance
- 2,275 sq km, Uganda’s second-largest protected area, in the Karamoja region near Mbale
- A semi-arid landscape of grassland, wooded savannah, riverine woodland and rock outcrops
- Lions, elephants and black rhinos were once present but are now locally extinct due to poaching
- Fifteen giraffes were reintroduced from Murchison Falls National Park in 2019
A vast, dry landscape
Pian Upe’s single annual rainy season shapes a landscape dominated by red acacia and desert date trees and grasses that burn away each year, giving the reserve a stark, open character distinct from Uganda’s wetter, greener parks. Oribi are the most commonly sighted mammal here, alongside plains zebra, common eland and Grant’s gazelle, while the reserve’s dry terrain also supports rock pythons, puff adders and savannah monitor lizards.
A recovery in progress
Like several of Karamoja’s reserves, Pian Upe has suffered significant wildlife loss to poaching over past decades, and the 2019 giraffe reintroduction marks a deliberate step toward rebuilding its larger mammal populations. This makes a visit here as much about witnessing an active conservation effort as it is about classic big-game viewing, appealing to travelers drawn to Uganda’s less-visited, still-recovering landscapes.
Things to do
- Game drives for zebra, eland, gazelle and the reintroduced giraffes
- Wildlife spotting among the reserve’s rock outcrops and grassland
- Combining a visit with the wider Karamoja and Kidepo Valley circuit
Practical information
- Accessed via Mbale or Moroto in Uganda’s Karamoja region
- Best combined with Kidepo Valley National Park given its shared remote region
- Tourist infrastructure is limited, so visits are best arranged through an experienced operator
Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve offers a stark, vast Karamoja landscape and a front-row view of wildlife recovery in progress. Offmap Safaris can build it into a wider Karamoja 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.