Description:

Sango Bay-Musambwa Island - Kagera Wetland System (SAMUKA) are important bird areas in Uganda and the SAMUKA wetlands are gazetted as Ramsar site (weltlands of International importance).

The SAMUKA wetland system covers a total area of 55,110 hectares and it consists of a variety of wetland types stretching from Uganda up-to the Tanzania border (Kagera area).These include; The biggest tract of swamp forest in Uganda (Sango-bay forest reserve), Papyrus swamps, Musambwa island – a three rocky island about 3km offshore in the Sango Bay, herbaceous swamps intermingled with palms and seasonally flooded grasslands, sandy, rocky and forest shores.

The SAMUKA wetland system supports huge flocks of waterbirds, hosting an average of 16.5 percent of the population of Grey-headed Gulls (Larus cirrocephalus). The world’s endangered Shoebill Balaeniceps rex and the migratory White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus can be found on this site.

The site also hosts globally endangered mammals such as Elephant, Black and White Colobus Monkey and a sub-species of the Blue Monkey. Sitatunga Tragelaphus spekii can also be found at this site.

 The site is a source of fish to the local residents, of medicinal plants, of grazing and of raw materials for building and making crafts including chairs and mattresses.  The Sango –Bay forest reserve has 30 species of highland type tree species including Podocarpus sp that is important for its soft wood, as well as 12 restricted range tree and shrub species (Davenport and Howard 1996).

The site is also a breeding ground for several fish species.Tourism has been developed on Musambwa Island.

The site contains Stone Age artifacts, internationally known as the Sangoan industry, which dates to about 200,000 years ago.

For further reading visit:

• Ramsar website
• Sango Bay Forest Reserve

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