Queen Elizabeth National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is the author of the Bradt guidebook to Uganda.

Elephant and buffalo are very common, and lion are surprisingly easy to spot. There are many interesting antelope species, such as Uganda kob, topi and bushbuck. Hippo and crocodile are common in Kazinga Channel. A troop of chimpanzee has been habituated for tracking and nine other primate species are found, including the black-and-white colobus monkey. Giraffe and zebra are absent.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeNone

HippoAbundant

BuffaloCommon

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

ChimpanzeeOccasional

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionCommon

LeopardOccasional

CheetahNone

Wild DogNone

Wildlife Highlights

Tree-climbing lions are a specialty of the Ishasha sector of the park, where they can often be found resting in huge fig trees. Giant forest hog is unusually easy to see, both on drives and boat trips. Buffalo are particularly attractive as they are often reddish brown due to interbreeding with forest buffalo from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Chimp trekking is available in the steamy, tropical forest of Kyambura Gorge.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Queen Elizabeth National Park can be visited throughout the year, but the best times for wildlife viewing are the Dry seasons (from June to July and January to February) when animals are concentrated near rivers and lakes. Some of the roads can become impassable after heavy rain.