MEET THE BATWA PYGMIES AT SEMULIKI NATIONAL PARK

Like other national parks, a visit to Semuliki Valley National Park equally rewards travel endeavors beyond thrilling wildlife experiences. There are many local communities that adjacent this park and the Batwa pygmy community is among a few that you shouldn’t miss to pay a visit while on Uganda safari. The Batwa village is found just outside Semuliki National Park and the Batwa per say are renowned little people and traditionally their livelihood entirely depended on the forest. In other words, a forest was truly their treasure! The Batwa originated from the Ituri forest and they featured as hunters and gatherers-mainly depended on the forest for food, shelter, tools, medicine and many more. Currently, Uganda’s forests have massively been turned into farmland and the remaining portion of which belongs to the national parks. While on cultural safari in Uganda, you still meet the Batwa pygmies at Semuliki besides taking a trip to Bwindi or Mgahinga National Park.

The Batwa are a few unique creatures with rare cultural traits. In Rwanda, they are famous as the Twa and feature among the last groups of short statured people popularly called the pygmy people. They are the poorest tribal group and mainly inhabit the equatorial forests of the Great Lakes region of central Africa. In Uganda, they are fewer than 6000 based on the 2002 population census. Majority of them can be found in the southwestern districts of Kisoro, Kabale, Bundibugyo, Rukungiri and Kanungu. The size of the Batwa is a bit different from that of other tribes with men and women rising to an average of 4 feet or less in height, the tallest man in the Batwa community can be the shortest person in Bakiga village. Traditionally, they lived as hunters and gatherers staying temporarily in huts and caves depending on forest treasures especially wild fruits, mushrooms, honey, vegetables and many others. Around 1996, they are believed to live in 53 different settlements within just 41 villages. On average, every settlement comprised of 10 households and the size of the household ranged from single to 17 members. Regardless of them staying in separate settlements, this tribal group have a strong social relation and recognize themselves as a community. They share close attachments to certain areas within concomitant social formations which appear to derive directly from the ancient past. On the other hand, marriages usually occur based on clans but marriage among members of an individual settlement is not common due to close relations amongst such persons. The Batwa still practice social norms and customs that are linked to clanship similar to those in other tribes in East and Central Africa. Unlike other tribal groups, the Batwa do not have a clan leader and where he lives the fact that the resettlement programme was conducted.

Semuliki Valley National Park lies in the remote western part of the Rwenzori Mountain range west of Uganda. The easternmost extension of the Ituri forest of the Congo River basin in DRC makes up part of this protected area. Its valley comprises of varied natural wonders which are linked to Central other than Eastern Africa. The Semliki River is a miniature version of the Congo River and the forest offers refuge to varied wildlife species and not to forget local communities especially the Batwa community which originates from the Ituri forest. This park boasts of its over 441 avifaunal species, 216 of these are forest birds especially the forest ground thrush and Sassi’s olive greenbuls. Other birds to sight at this park include the red billed dwarf, spot breasted ibis, hartlaub’s duck, chestnut flanked goshawk, lyre tailed and zenker’s honeyguides, white throated blue swallow, black wattled horn bills a mention but a few. There are also 53 mammals 11 of which are endemic species-the pygmy antelopes and the 2 flying squirrel species. The other mammal species include leopards, buffaloes, elephants, hippos as well as many primate species including grey cheeked mangabeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet mention but a few.

To get to this park for a safari, the main route takes you via Fort Portal-Bundibugyo road and a 4 wheel drive car is the best option for your travel. To pay a visit to this park, take note that the wet season usually kick starts from March to May and short one begins from October to November and this period is characterized by heavy rainfall and it can be challenging for one to navigate through the remote route and a 4WD becomes the best choice for your journey. The dry season usually starts from June to September and December to February.