The Aswa-Lolim Game Reserve is one of the lesser-known conservation areas in Uganda. Located in Northern Uganda, it was one of the wildlife reserves established in 1959.
However, it was de-gazetted in 1972, which is one of the main reasons why few tourists are aware of it, even though it is a great place to visit on a Uganda safari.
It was located just north of Murchison Falls National Park, which is Uganda’s oldest and largest national park. The reserve served as a migration and dispersal area for many wildlife species, including black and white colobus monkeys, blue duikers, oribis, vervet monkeys, giraffes, buffaloes, olive baboons, Lelwel hartebeests, Uganda kobs, warthogs, and waterbucks.
It shared a 68-mile border with the Nile River in the west. The name of the reserve comes from its location between the Albert Nile and Northern Uganda’s Gulu region, along the western banks of the Albert Nile.
The area has high hills, shaped by rivers like Lolim and Aswa.
This game reserve covers 4,998 square kilometers (499,800 hectares or 1,235,000 acres) across several counties, including Purongo, Anaka, Koch-Goma, and Alero.
The area is mainly made up of grassy hills with palm trees, small valleys with streams, and scattered forests. Along the Nile River, there are thick forests and large papyrus swamps.
In 2010, the Aswa-Lolim Wildlife Association, a private organization, was given a concession by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to oversee wildlife migration routes in the area.
Although UWA still protects the wildlife in the reserve, the land is now mostly used for ranches and farms. The traditional camp in the reserve is located about 305 kilometers (190 miles) from Kampala City and has six thatched bungalows and four en-suite tents overlooking the valley below.
The reserve is also home to many bird species, including shoebill storks (Balaeniceps rex), piapiacs (Ptilostomus afer), Heuglin’s masked weavers (Ploceus heuglini), gray-headed olivebacks (Nesocharis capistrata), and Emin shrikes (Lanius gubernator). Because of these rare birds, the reserve is a great place for birdwatchers and a must-visit destination for safaris in Uganda.
Other wildlife reserves in Uganda include Katonga, Bokora Corridor, Pian Upe, Matheniko, Bugungu, Karuma, Kigezi Mountain Gorilla Game Reserve, Ajai, and Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserves, as well as Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, in addition to Aswa-Lolim.
