Narus Valley
Narus Valley
Narus valley: Narus loosely translates to muddy ground or soggy place in Karamojong language. Bearing in mind that the semi arid climatic conditions in the Karamoja region, the popularity of Narus among the Karamojong as a watering place for their large herds livestock must be legendary. The Narus valley starts from Mount Morungole northeast of Apoka traversing the Kidepo valley national park plains onto South Sudan in the north.
Unlike much of the Karamoja region with sandy soils, the Narus valley soils are loamy with clay and water does not easily seep through. During the rainy season, swamp and wetland vegetation thrive in the valley and retain water in pools that persist for long periods in the dry season. The herbivorous wildlife species in Kidepo valley national park throng to the Narus valley because it guarantees major resources for survival, i.e. fresh grass and watering holes.
Magnificent hills gently rolling towards the north define the natural terrain setting of the Narus valley. The vegetation cover is in the Narus valley is largely grassland with red oats, Guinea grass, thatching grass as dominant species. Thorny acacias, sausage trees, desert dates and other tree species scattered in all corners to give the valley the perfect definition of beautiful African savannas. At the bottom of the valley is River Narus, which floods the entire valley during the rainy season and the only permanent water source in Kidepo valley national park rest of the year. River Narus is the blood vessel of wildlife species in Kidepo valley national park. Wildlife species in all colors, shapes and size at any time of the day congregate in the Narus valley because it the permanent oasis in the semi arid conditions of Kidepo valley national park.
A network of clear track system traverses the Narus valley and gives visitors on game viewing safari to Uganda access to secret spots with large congregation of wildlife species. Katurum track is of special interest notably the Katurum kopje a higher elevation that gives travelers on tour into Uganda exceptional views to monitor wildlife events in the rest of the Narus valley. The valley is the most ideal location to spot lions, elephants, zebras, kudus, elephants, Oryx, caracal, Bat eared fox, hyenas ,Cheetahs, giraffe, bushbucks, water bucks, Jackson hartebeest, oribi, Uganda kob, bush pig, side-striped jackals, warthogs, Reedbucks, Klipspringer, buffalo, the dikdik, and many more. In the heat of the afternoon burning sun, mammal species trek to the Narus dam and the watering hole close to Apoka visitor center to quench their thirst. This gives visitors an opportunity to spot their ideal wildlife species of interest.
Bird watching safaris in Kidepo valley national park wander in the beautiful savannas of the valley on search of unique bird species. The terrain is generally flat with gentle rolling hills that make it less tiring to walk into the wilderness. The beautiful savannas with short grasses make spotting of birds an easy undertaking. The edges of the river Narus and the swamps are prime spots to sight beautiful water birds. Visitors exploring the Narus valley on bird watching expedition have opportunities to spot a large collection of birds. The Ostrich, Carmine, Hoopoe Nubian woodpecker, Secretary bird, Kori bustard, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Karamoja apalis, Little Weaver, Black-breasted barbet, Silver shrike, Vivacious bird, Scarlet chested sunbird, Yellow billed hornbill, White-bellied go away bird, Singing bush lark amongst others are notable sightings. The hiking expeditions in Kidepo valley national park traverse the valley en route to Morungole mountain ranges. The hike is a great opportunity of exploring the wilderness and discovering the beauty of nature hidden from the crowd of other travelers at their own pace.