The Ajai Game Reserve is situated on the western bank of the magnificent White Nile in the Arua district of the northern part of Uganda, characterized by savannah grasslands, forests, woodlands, swamps, and highlands. The reserve is at an elevation of 658 meters above sea level.
Ajai Game Reserve was mainly established to conserve the white rhinoceros, which are now extinct in the country due to heavy poaching. The reserve was under private protection by an influential chief in the year 1937. Ajai Game Reserve had 60 of 80 Ugandan rhinoceros in 1965.
Ajai Game Reserve derives its name from the local leader who used to protect the reserve; he was called Ajai. There are now plans by the Ugandan government with the rhino fund to reintroduce the white rhinoceros in the reserve. The reserve covers an area of 148 square kilometers.
In the year 2002, 12 kilometers of the Ajai Game Reserve were cut off for human settlements, and in the year 2008, the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which used to take charge of the Ajai Game Reserve, privatized the operation. The concession went to a tour operating company known as Uganda Wild Safaris Limited. This company specializes in tours, photography, and hunting.
In 1962, the anti-poaching project was carried out at the reserve with support from the World Wildlife Fund, but this did not stop the poaching until the rhinos became extinct. The reserve is one of the least visited places by tourists, but it is being conserved for future generations.
In addition to being renowned for its large population of rhinos, the Reserve also boasts other animals that can be seen, such as oribis, bushbucks, warthogs, and lechwe. The reserve is home to a variety of wildlife, including Ugandan kob, lions, leopards, Sitatunga antelopes, zebras, duikers, as well as various primates such as the vervet monkey, olive baboon, black and white colobus monkeys, and reptiles such as pythons.
The communities surrounding the reserve have very rich cultural values that tourists would love to explore. For example, they can get entertained with the arakaraka dance that involves women carrying over eight pots on the head without hand support and many more things to learn about the School and Lugar people. Tourists can also visit the villages and acquire handmade crafts to take home for remembrance.
Ajai Game Reserve is also a birder’s paradise, with various woodland birds to be seen all year round. Some of the birds are endemic to this area.
The Ajai game reserve trip can be combined with that of Murchison Falls; the reserve receives heavy rainfall most times of the year due to its tropical climate. Combining Murchison Falls and Ajai will give you a more thrilling Uganda safari experience.
There are no accommodation units at Ajai Game Reserve at the moment, but tourists can do camping at the reserve with meals and basic camp facilities provided. Other accommodation units outside the park include Wall Vile Suites, The Pagoda, Hotel Nok Continental, and Royal, among the rest.
The Reserve is 4 hours from Gulu town and 40 minutes’ drive from Arua town; it’s a six- to eight-hour drive from Kampala and one hour using a standard chartered flight to Arua airstrip, where you can then access it by road.
