Semuliki National Park, established as a forest reserve in 1932 and upgraded to national park status in 1993, is East Africa’s only true lowland tropical rainforest. Situated on the remote western side of the Rwenzori Mountains, the park is dominated by the easternmost extension of the vast Ituri Forest of the Congo Basin. This is one of Africa’s most ancient and biodiverse forests, surviving the last Ice Age 12,000 to 18,000 years ago. During the wet season, large sections of the park become flooded, offering a glimpse into the past, when the entire valley lay submerged beneath a prehistoric lake for over seven million years. Semuliki’s landscapes and biodiversity bear more resemblance to Central Africa than to the rest of Uganda. The Semuliki River, which forms the international boundary with the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a miniature version of the mighty Congo River. Its meandering waters are lined with West African oil palms, and the forest harbors wildlife typically found in Central rather than East Africa. The park’s human population is equally diverse, with four distinct ethnic groups living nearby: