Ajai Wildlife Reserve : Are you planning to make a safari to North western Uganda, and you are wondering what attractions/destination you can visit for an ultimate Uganda safari experience? Well dear the love for adventure should not drive you far away from one of the game reserves in Uganda. Ajai game reserve in the northern parts of Uganda should one of considerations while on a Uganda safari tour. Ajai Wildlife reserve is located in an area with higher elevation but is relatively small (166 sq km). The reserve gained world attention when expedition Theodore Roosevelt, a former American president visited in 1910 on a hunting tour. Characterized by a prominent island that is surrounded by Savannah vegetation’s and swamps river Acha and Ala feed this seasonal swamp, in rainy seasons the swamp is maximum flooded hence closing out the island from the foreign world.

Brief history about ajai wildlife reserve
Well as to say, the Reserve was managed by a local chief named “Ajai” in the 1930s and that is where the reserve inherits its name from. Up to 1980, Originally, this wildlife reserve was under private protection and it was under Mr. ajai`s management. The reserve supported over around 35 kilometers of papyrus swamp along with grassy floodplains and Savannah woodland. It was one of the homes to the few White Rhinos in Uganda and that is why it used to be called Ajai Rhino Sanctuary, It used to shelter over 60 white Rhinos out of the 80 animals that Uganda had at that time.

What happened to the rhinos that used to stay there? Well this could be the question you’re asking yourself at the moment, due to the habit of poaching that grew in the north eastern parts of Uganda the rhinos become so insecure and they were killed on a very high rate which come as a result of people encroaching on the reserve for grazing and farming. As the human population increased, poachers hunted down animals in the reserve for food. And it even become more worse when they come to understand how expensively rhino horns were sold in south Sudan and this greatly contributed the decrease of rhinos In the reserve.
But not to worry! Uganda still has some rhinos left and these are well protected in the Ziwa rhino sanctuary as you head to Nakasongola district. But that is a say for another day.
Other attractions in ajai wildlife reserve.
Black and White Colobus monkeys, black cobras, red monkeys, buffaloes, civets, bush-buck, the Common Duiker, puff adders, zebras, pythons, foxes, Vervet Monkeys, green snakes, Leopards, Sitatunga, Oribi, hartebeest, hippopotamuses, Dik Dik, Monitor lizards, Olive baboons, the Uganda Kob, warthogs and waterbucks. All those lovely wild life can be spotted in the reserve most especially when on a game drive in the reserve. Leaving all those fascinating animals aside, Ajai Game reserve is great for birding in Uganda, swamps and woodlands combine to provide perfect habitat for countless bird species which include: Marabou Stocks, weaver birds, African Fish Eagles and Grey Crowned cranes. Tourism potential is what you can choose to call it because there are countless species of wildlife to sight at ajai wildlife reserve.
Fun activities in ajai wildlife reserve
Nature walks: for nature walks or taking a safari vehicle right to the heart of the reserve you can easily spot out the animals and even get to see the when they are feeding or even doing other activities, nature walks help you to get to learn more about the area and the behaviors of these different animals.
Bird viewing: due to the fact that there different species of birds in the reserve bird viewing also turned out to be one of the major activities in the area and while on the walk through the reserve you can get a chance to see all the different birds in the reserve with the help of binoculars that can help you zoom near and get to see better details of the species spotted.

Game drives: the reserve is a home to several species of animals and these can be well spotted out in the open areas of the reserve Animals like, leopard, various species of antelopes can all be viewed during the game drive. And the guide will help in spotting and giving relative information while on game drive.
Nature photography: the reserve with its strikingly diverse landscapes, incredible wildlife and myriads of uniqueness, makes it the perfect backdrop for aspiring for photography and all these will stay as memories for you to carry back home and share with your future generations and friends too.
How to get to ajai wildlife reserve.
It takes 6 hours of driving by road to reach Ajai Wildlife Reserve. Tourists can also book a chartered flight from Kampala directly to Arua Airstrip which is close to the reserve, or much better one can use a well trusted Uganda safari tour company to avoid all the stress of the arrangements and the needed permits like Achieve Global Safaris .
Accommodation at ajai wildlife reserve.
Tented facilities within the reserve are available for tourist who want to stay near the reserve, whereas Visitors who wish to have more comfortable facilities have to book with hotels in Gulu or Arua towns before proceeding for activities in the reserve early in the morning. Another alternative is to stay in a hotel in the Murchison Falls National Park and proceed to the reserve for activities.
Best time to visit Ajai Wildlife Reserve
Ajai Wildlife Reserve is open to tourists throughout the year though the best time to visit is during the dry seasons, seasons fall between December to March and June to October other months are considered rainy season’s animals can be seen and this helps one to avoid the flooding of the swamps that get flooded in rainy seasons.
Honestly let there be color, green, smiles that last much longer. Praise for nature, love for the wild. Trees standing tall, vision. Flight, and wind under the wings. As you’re on your Uganda safari tour u wont miss to go back home with all the fun and yarn to come back next time to Uganda for more adventure.
