Murchison falls national park is a famous destination, known for its beauty and natural composition especially the Murchison fall after which it was named, it is strategically placed in the northern part of Uganda in Nwoya district, the largest of all the present conservation areas in the country, the Victoria Nile bisects the park into two forming the Northern and the western banks along which are Nile crocodiles(Crocodylus niloticus), the reptiles bask along the sand or found floating in the water, they are widely spread in Murchison falls national park and can also be found in Queen Elizabeth national park. Murchison has the highest concentration of crocodiles in Africa spotted on a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
How big are the Nile Crocodile?
Crocodiles have existed in the African ecosystems for a very long time, they are fearsome carnivorous animals with huge teethed mouths, the Nile crocodile is one of the most feared reptiles in Africa about 16 feet long weighing up to 600 pounds, Nile crocodiles have got a large life expectancy of up to 45years of age, female crocodiles exhibit good parental care as they watch over their eggs to the hatching date, they live closely around the eggs and protect them. These reptiles live in freshwater bodies feeding on fish at most times. Young crocodiles live in their mother’s care for two years feeding on small fish and insects. Crocodiles are filled with many wonders and interesting endless facts that many don’t know about for example the force of a crocodile bite is the strongest in the animal kingdom, female crocodiles guard their young ones against predators transferring them using their massive big jaws to a nearby pool after hutching. this make Murchison falls national park qualified to be the number one station for research area.
In 2015 rumors spread allover the park that the Sophia the Dutch girl could have been eaten alive by the Nile crocodile, Marije Slijkerman the mother always make her return back to the country in search of her daughter.
The Local Community & the Nile River
within the park Mubaku community have been one of the major victim as they had poor access to water source, so they were no any alternative than fetching the Nile river hence led them to serious attack.
Nile crocodiles are natural predators and can be very dangerous, feeding on both humans and animals, it is important to take note of safety measures while around the Victoria Nile in Murchison falls national park, the boat rides are normally safe however it is wise to keep your physical body from the water swimming is strictly not allowed as the crocodiles may just have a feast, there are reported cases of crocodiles eating humans one of the man-eaters was relocated by the Uganda wildlife authority to another ecosystem. Crocodiles kill up to 300 people annually these mostly are innocent people with no knowledge of what these creatures can do, while enjoying your African safari and viewing these amazing predators kindly keep at least a 3-meter distance away for safety purposes.
Nile Crocodile in Murchison Falls
Besides Nile crocodiles, the park boasts other several wildlife compositions, it is one place you can see chimpanzees, leopards, Rothschild’s giraffes, hippos, waterbucks, lions, warthogs, Oribi, hyenas, stripped jackal, bushbucks to mention a few, it has an incredible bird list some of these birds are endemics to the Albertine great rift valley region, visits to northern Uganda are colorful with Murchison in it, you can have a stopover at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for Rhino tracking and then proceed to the park, this will give you a chance of spotting all the big five of the animal kingdom(Rhino, elephants, leopards, lions, African buffaloes). Nile Crocodile in Murchison Falls has led to many people around Mubaku village feared death due to the lack of water in the area.