MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK

The Nile squeezes through an 8m wide gorge at Murchison Falls before plunging with a thunderous roar into the "Devil's Cauldron," creating a signature rainbow. Savanna and Borassus palms, acacia trees, and riverine woodland can be found in the park's northern section. The south is dominated by forest patches and woodland. Humphrey Bogart's 1951 film "The African Queen" was shot on Lake Albert and the Nile in Murchison Falls National Park. Murchison Falls National Park is located near the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment meets vast, palm-dotted savanna.
It is Uganda's largest and oldest conservation area, having been designated as a game reserve in 1926. The park is divided in half by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45 meters over the rift valley wall to form the dramatic Murchison Falls, the park's centerpiece and the final event in an 80-kilometer stretch of rapids. The massive cascade drains the river's last energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. This stretch of river is home to one of Uganda's most spectacular wildlife displays. Elephants, giraffes, and buffaloes are frequent visitors to the riverbanks, while hippos, Nile crocodiles, and aquatic birds are permanent residents.
Murchison Falls is home to 144 mammals, 556 bird species, 51 reptiles, and 51 amphibians. Murchison Falls is impressive all year round due to its large population of African elephants. The park is home to many profolic bird species, including the shoebill, which is the most common along the river stretch approaching the Albert delta. The white crested turaco, red winged grey warbler, and other birds are associated with the southern bank's woodland.