Location
The Sango Bay Forest Reserve with an area of 578 km2 is located on the shores of L. Victoria in Rakai District in Uganda. The forest is part of the Minziro Sango Bay swamp that lies on the border of Tanzania and Uganda at the western shores of Lake Victoria. It is the only extensive swamp forest in Uganda.
Importance of the forest
The forest is a home of Sango Bay wetland, Kagera wetland and Flood Plain which acts as water catchment area. The forest has 331 species of vascular plants belonging to 88 families of these 122 are herbs, epiphytes or hemi-epiphytes belonging to 35 families; 68 lianas belonging to 38 families and 141 trees and shrubs belonging to 42 families.
Vegetation
Sango bay represents a unique natural wetland with vegetation like herbaceous swamps with palms and seasonally flooded grassland.
Attractions
- The forest’s attractions include huge flocks of water birds, endangered mammals such as Elephant, Black and White Colobus Monkey and a sub-species of the Blue Monkey.
- The site is also a breeding ground for several fish species.
- The site contains Stone Age artifacts, internationally known as the Sangoan industry, which dates to about 200,000 years ago.