Location
The Katonga Wildlife Reserve which is 207sq.km is a savannah grassland ecosystem located within Kyenjojo and Kamwenge Districts. The journey into the Reserve is a three-hour drive from Kampala to Kyegegwa Town Council.Fauna and Flora
Flora
Katonga Wildlife Reserve terrain is predominantly undulating in nature with distinct vegetation types. The vegetation includes grasslands, wooded grasslands, woodlands, riverine woodlands, swamp, riverine grasslands and papyrus. The area is Mostly of mixed savannah with acacia or woodland. However, large portions of the reserve are either permanent or seasonal wetlands. The Katonga Wildlife Reserve also contains various pockets of riverine and tropical forests. It is a unique geographical location between forests, swamps and savannah vegetation which gives the reserve a diverse ecosystem that favours the existence of a variety of animal species.Fauna
The Katonga Wildlife Reserve has a viable Sitatunga population inhabiting the Katonga Wetland System. The reserve also harbors high populations of waterbucks. The population of Hippos and birds is also growing in addition to primates.The reserve was once home to a variety of animals including the zebra, topi and eland, which are no longer seen in the reserve. Elephant, buffalo, waterbuck, bushbuck, reedbuck and sitatunga still occur in the reserve. In 2015 60 Impalas and 5 Zebras were successfully translocated to the reserve in order to restock and boost animal populations. The population of impalas now stands at 300 individuals The current bird checklist is over 150 including species specific to wetlands, savannah and forests. Other mammals include Black and White Colobus Monkey, the River Otter, and Olive Baboon, Uganda Kob, Waterbuck, Leopard, Buffalo, reedbuck, bushbuck and duiker and chevrotain. The reserve is also home to various reptiles, amphibians and butterflies.
The Rare Sitatunga Antelope
The Sitatunga antelope is a rare breed of animal found in swamp dwelling. International trophy hunters spend up to 100,000 dollars, approximately 370 million shillings for permits to hunt the Sitatunga, according to information from conservationists. There are no roads for vehicle safaris, so the park is best explored on foot.
The sitatunga is one of the most
unusual animals found in
Uganda. They are a species of small antelopes that are located throughout much
of southern and central Africa. Sitatunga are known for having strange habits
and living in a weird places.
These are a few of the most
fascinating facts about this type of antelope.
1.
Sitatunga Mostly Live in Swamps
These antelope like to live in
swampy, marshy areas with thick grass, reed beds, and mangrove trees. They make
trails through swamps that normally lead to clusters of reeds where they can
sleep.
Sitatunga generally live in the
swamps of south eastern Africa, near Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda, Angola, Ghana, and
Kenya.
These animals can be found on and
around the Ssese Islands,
in Lake Victoria.
2.
They Have an Unusual Leg Length
The shape of the Sitatunga antelopes
look like they are always hunched over because their rear legs are actually
much longer than their front legs. This strange placement helps them to balance
better in marshy areas.
The sitatunga`s pasterns legs which are
the part of the leg above the hoof, are actually flexible. These unusual leg
construction makes it easy for sitatunga to run on damp surfaces.
3.
Their Coats Have Distinctive Markings
The sitatunga`s coats are a reddish
or greyish brown color with short, coarse fur. Sitatunga have patterns of
vertical white stripes and spots along their body, and their cheeks, legs,
throat, and forehead also have white patches.
The male sitatunga`s have a white
stripe that goes down the middle of their back.
4.
They're in the Same Family as Cows
The Sitatunga antelopes are
technically part of the Bovidae family. They are in the Tragelaphus genus, and
their technical scientific name is Tragelaphus spekii.
The Sitatunga get their scientific
name from John Hanning Speke, the English explorer who described them in 1863.
Unlike cows, sitatunga`s have never been domesticated.
5.
Sitatunga Are Sedentary
The Sitatunga`s spend most of their
day just relaxing and are normally only active at night or in the first couple
hours before and after night. During the day, they mostly lay or stand around
resting in their swamp. Sitatunga`s have this schedule because the heat of
Uganda can be too much during the day.
6.
Males Are Much Bigger than Females
Sitatunga`s are sexually
dimorphic, which means that the guys look much different than the girls.
- The males are roughly 54 to 70 inches long, while females are just 41 to 57 inches long.
- The males weigh up to 262 pounds, while the heaviest females are just 126.
The males are the only ones that have
horns.
7.
No One Knows How Many Sitatunga Exist
Sitatunga antelopes live in hard to
reach areas, hence it is tricky for researchers to estimate their population.
The rough guess is somewhere
around 170,000, though researchers caution that this may be an
overestimation.
8.
Sitatunga Aren't Technically Waterbucks
Sitatunga are technically waterbucks
because they look so similar. These two species live in the same regions and
look very similar. However, sitatunga are spotted instead of having clearly
defined stripes. Since sitatunga spots frequently cluster in stripes, it
can be tricky to tell them apart. Their speckled, stripey coat helps sitatunga
to blend in better in shady marshes.
9.
Their Hooves Are Weirdly Shaped Like Bananas
The
Sitatunga`s have very bizarrely shaped hooves that look like bananas. Their
hooves are split into two sections that splay out from each other.
This lets the sitatunga walk through
muddy regions without sinking in, and they barely make any noise while walking
in water.
10.
They
Get Darker With Age
These
animals reach maturity by age two, but they can live up to 20 years old in
captivity. As the sitatunga get older, their coat will turn from a light russet brown
to a darker greyish brown color. The average lifespan for a sitatunga is around
12 years.
11. Sitatunga Are Social but Avoid Crowds
The
sitatunga spend their time either alone or in groups of two to four. These
groups are typically entirely male or female. However, scientists have observed that some sitatunga antelopes
form groups that contain an adult male with a few females and
juveniles. It is more common for juveniles to go off into their own groups
instead of staying with parents though.
12. They Sound Really Strange
These
animals typically make a sound similar to barking or coughing, and they use
this noise to alert other sitatunga to their presence. While feeding, sitatunga
communicate with very low squeaking noises.
13. Sitatunga Are Picky Eaters
The
Sitatunga antelopes spend most of their active time browsing for food. Instead
of eating anything green, these antelope search for their favorite foods. Most
sitatunga`s prefer sedges, bullrushes, and other aquatic grass that typically
grows along the border of water. The sitatunga`s usually leave human crops
alone, but do like eating sweet potatoes and certain varieties of herbs.
14. Sitatunga Have Unusual Mating Habits
The
Sitatunga do not mate for life, the male and female normally remain apart
except a few days of the year. A male can tell if a female is interested
because she will raise her head and open her mouth. After mating, a male will
stay with the female for a few days and fight off any other males that come
near her. These animals will breed at any time of the year.
15. They Are Great Swimmers
The
Sitatunga`s are one of the best swimmers among antelope species. They
almost entirely submerge themselves, and all you can see is the sitatunga nose
and eyes poking out of the water. Sitatunga`s typically swim to cool off,
escape flies, or travel to other regions of the marsh.
16. Coat Color Changes Depend on Region
The
coats of the Sitatunga`s differ in the different regions of southern and
central region of Africa. Ones in the eastern region tend to have fainter spots
and a greyish brown coat, while the ones to the north have brighter spots. The Sitatunga`s
in Uganda
tend to have more spots instead of stripes and their hair is coarser.
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