Top locations to film Cape Buffaloes in Uganda

Top locations to film Cape Buffaloes in Uganda – All permits and permissions

The best locations to film Cape buffaloes in Uganda are Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, Lake Mburo National Parks, and Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve. With these National Parks, you will be able to see large herds of Cape buffaloes providing you great insights for filming.

However, among the mentioned National Parks is Kidepo Valley National Park with large herds of Cape buffaloes which can be sighted during a game drive in Narus Valley. Great Adventure Safaris will take care of all filming services required such as Filming permits, local fixer, Kit clearing, Media Accreditation as well as transportation and accommodation.

Kidepo Valley National Park

The southern part of Kidepo Valley National Park in Narus Valley contains the park’s only permanent water points and therefore many herds of buffalo concentrate more in this area. You will take a game safari to film the buffalos in this valley. Kidepo Valley National Park is a home for 86 mammal species with large herds of buffaloes it is the only National Park where you can see the Cheetahs, bat-eared fox, striped hyenas, and cercal. Among other wild animals to see include Elands, Elephants, Rothschild’s giraffes, Lions, Leopards, among others.

Murchison Falls National Park

Top locations to film cape buffaloes – Buffaloes can be filmed during a game drive in the northern part of Murchison Falls National Park in the areas of Pakuba and along the River Nile. Murchison Falls National Park is the biggest National Park in Uganda and with over 76 mammals species and 4 of the big five animals (lions, Leopards, elephants, buffalos) Rhinos which are found along the way to the park in nearby conservation (the Zziwa Rhino Conservation) other animals in the park include Jackson’s hartebeest, Uganda Kobs, Warthogs, Giraffes, hyenas, dikers, the Nile crocodiles and hippos among others. The park is also home to several primates including baboons, monkeys, and Chimpanzees in Budongo Conservation Area.

Toro-Semuliki Wildlife Reserve

In Toro-Semuliki Wildlife Reserve you can film the Buffaloes in the Semuliki savannah grasslands and on the shores of Lake Albert. Buffaloes in this reserve are not very many although increasing in numbers due to the recent great conservation programs by Uganda Wildlife Authority and other conservation agencies in Uganda. There used to be a very large population of Buffaloes in this reserve but due to conflicts at this border with the Democratic Republic of Congo lead to killing many of them hence reducing their numbers. For the past two decades, both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda are now focusing on the Buffalo population increase in the Semliki Wildlife Reserve and the conservation of hippos and other species.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Buffaloes are found and can be filmed mostly in Kasenyi plains, Mweya peninsular and Ishasha sector, they can also be sighted around Lakes George and Lake Edward, Rivers such as Ishasha and Kyambura and isolated crater Lakes that include Nyamunuka, Nyamusingiri among others which they use as treatment and cooling areas. Read more about filming in Queen Elizabeth

Lake Mburo National Park

Buffaloes can be also be filmed along the game tracks in the eastern hinterland of Lake Mburo National Park, providing the chance to see other variety of savannah animals as well including Zebras, Topes among others.

Requirements for Filming Buffalos in Uganda

For you to film Buffaloes in Uganda you will need to process a filming permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority for each national park you will be visiting for filming hippos, you will also need to process media cards from Uganda Media Council to allow you to film in Uganda. Then for your filming equipment, you will also need to clear them with customs at the point of entry Contact us at Great Adventure Safaris we will be able to process both the filming permits and Uganda Media Cards for you as well as guide and help you with clearance processes at the point of entry into Uganda.

Media Accreditation

Your team will need Media cards issued by Uganda Media Council. Each media card costs USD175.00 per card and is valid for 30 days. It only takes 2-3 working days as long as we receive all paperwork from you. Contact Great Film Adventure Safaris here for more information.

Kit customs clearing

On top of the above, you will need to temporarily clear your equipment in and out of Uganda. We also do assist with this and it takes 2-3 working days to handle. All we need from you is a list of all equipment showing type, value, and serial number. Once we have this we will forward it to our clearing agent who will let us know of the fee to be charged. The fee is normally 10% of the total value of your Kit.

Transport and Accommodation

We also handle transport as well as accommodation bookings when required. We have safari vans that go for USD170 per day with a driver and or Land Cruisers that go for USD250 per day including fixer/driver. Fuel depends on the mileage at the end of the shoot. Then for accommodation, this will depend on which range you are interested in staying in that are Budget USD100, Mid-range USD200, and Luxury USD300-500 per person on a full board basis.

Fixer Fee

The company will assign you a local fixer who will help you all through during filming; you will be charged a daily fixer fee to cater for him/her during filming.

Best time for filming Buffaloes in Uganda

Uganda has a modified equatorial type of climate with two rainy seasons and because of this people tend to associate drier seasons to be the best time to visit for filming. This is true because when it is raining, it becomes hard to drive through the park for wildlife viewing because of the heavy rains that make the trails too slippery. The best times for filming buffalos in Uganda are from December to February and from June to October which is relatively dry than March to May and November