# Kyambura Game Reserve

Kyambura Game Reserve or Chambura Game Reserve, which includes the Kyambura Gorge, adjoins the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. It is home to a variety of wildlife. The area is an important water source for many animals and is surrounded by savanna, but is generally noted for its high concentration of primate life located in the gorge.

## History

Kyambura Game Reserve was formed as the Kyambura Controlled Hunting Area in 1962, and upgraded to game reserve status in 1965. In the 1980s the southern area was colonised, but these people were evicted in 1990, and the land rented out to a private concessionaire called Zwilling. After the Uganda Wildlife Statute of 1996 changed the name of all game reserves to wildlife reserves, the reserve became formally known as the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve. The hunting concession was terminated in 1999 due to illegal hunting.$^{:11,12}$
It serves as a buffer zone to the Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP).

## Geography

Kyambura is located on north-eastern side of QENP, approximately 30 km from QENP Headquarters. Kyambura Gorge spans a distance of 11 km and links to the Kazinga Channel, which forms the northern bInfobox protected areaoundary of the reserve. Village and plantations lie to the south. The reserve's mean altitude is 1100 m.a.s.l. The total area of the reserve is 156 sq. km.
Kyambura and QENP, together with Maramagambo Forest and Kigezi Game Reserve, all adjoin, and are referred to as the Queen Elizabeth Protected Area (QEPA), this borders Parc National des Virunga (Virunga National Park) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and together these areas completely encircle Lake Edward. Other nearby protected areas are Kibale National Park to the northeast and Rwenzori Mountains National Park to the northwest.$^{:2}$
The landscape is gentle rolling savanna grassland, but is deeply cut by the 16 km Kyambura Gorge, which supports a thick riverine forest and the Kyambura River.$^{:2}$
Dominic Johnson classifies the bird communities of the game reserve according to thirteen habitat types.

## Wildlife

Kyambura is the only place in QEPA where habituated chimpanzees are seen. Other types of primates include red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus, baboons and vervet monkeys. The park is also known for its variety of avian species including various falcons, the blue-headed bee-eater and the African finfoot. The chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge were isolated after the forests connecting it to larger forests like Kalinzu and Maramagambo were cleared. Conservationists are worried that this could lead to inbreeding and mutations. While tracking chimps, visitors are treated to views of the "underground forest" (the forest growing in the gorge), birds and smaller primates.

### Tourism

Kyambura Game Reserve is a growing ecotourism destination due to its unique landscape and primate population. The Kyambura Gorge is one of the main attractions, offering chimpanzee trekking experiences led by trained Uganda Wildlife Authority guides. The chimpanzees in the gorge are habituated, allowing for closer observation by visitors. However, conservationists have raised concerns that this isolated population may suffer from inbreeding due to habitat fragmentation.[1]
In addition to chimpanzee trekking, visitors to Kyambura Game Reserve can engage in birdwatching, as the area is home to over 300 bird species, including the blue-headed bee-eater, African finfoot, and martial eagle. Guided nature walks and photography tours are also popular, especially along the Kyambura River, where the forested gorge contrasts with the surrounding savanna landscape.[2]
The reserve serves as a buffer zone to Queen Elizabeth National Park, allowing visitors to combine a trip to Kyambura with game drives in the wider protected area. Wildlife such as elephants, hippos, and antelopes are frequently seen in the surrounding grasslands.[3]
Kyambura Game Reserve is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), and permits are required for chimpanzee trekking. The best time to visit is during the dry seasons (June–September and December–February), when the trails are more accessible, and wildlife is easier to spot.[4]