PIAN UPE WILDLIFE RESERVE

Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is one of Uganda’s largest national protected areas covering an area of about 2043sq.km north of Mount Elgon and this makes it the second largest protected area after Murchison Falls National Park. Pian Upe is situated in the Karamoja subregion of Uganda in the north eastern part of the country in Nakapiripirit district. It can be easily be accessed by road from Kampala capital city via Mbale to soroti road which takes about 9 hours road and about 4-5 hours from mbale city town and 5-6 hours from kidepo national park to Pian Upe wildlife reserve. The closest operational airstrip is located in Amudat airstrip.
The reserve holds the quite a number of wildlife species such as the impalas, girafes, plain zebras, common elands among others. Pian Upe is also a haven to a wide aray of birds species with Ostriches being th unique and most sought after bird in the park. Covering an area of 2043 sq. Km, Pian upe wildlife Reserve is the second largest Protected Area (after Murshision Falls National Park) in Uganda and the largest of all reserves. It is located in Karamoja, in eastern Uganda. The Reserve is characterized by dramatic and spectacular landscapes, comprising the volcanic mountain of Napak, the foothills of Mt Kadam, the inselburgs and hills adjacent to Girigirik River, the grasslands and wetlands around Lake OPeta, rivers and springs. This remarkable game reserve has hot springs of hot spring and it is known as one of the incredible destinations with mercury wells at Mount Kadam. This tremendous wildlife reserve derived its name from the Karamojong local dialect which denotes “Friendly Enemy.” It is dominated by tree species like red acacia, desert date, harrisonia Abyssinia, red spike thorns and shrubs like butterfly pea and woodycaper bush.