Where to see lions in Uganda

Where to see lions in Uganda: Many tourists coming to Uganda for adventure experiences opt not to miss out lions on their budget list. The lions are Africa’s largest cats which makes tourists look forward to seeing them in the wild where they are named as kings of the jungle. National parks are the best places to see these lions in Uganda, and these are Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Kidepo Valley National Park.

The above national parks offer excellent game viewing and being habitats for lions, tourists have an opportunity of seeing them in the wild once they take part in game drive activities. Well-trained driver guides and armed ranger guides of Uganda Wildlife Authority can help tourists see the lions during the game drives.

Where to see lions in Uganda.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is the best place to see lions in Uganda as it has more than 250 lions. Located in the western part of Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to lions with varying behaviors. The park has tree-climbing lions in the southern part of the park, and the normal lions can’t climb in the northern part of the park.

Both the southern and northern sectors of Queen Elizabeth National Park are open for game drives. Tourists in the Kasenyi plains will have an opportunity to meet normal lions hunting and feeding on their prey while those who pass by the Ishasha sector will have an opportunity to see lions lazily hanging on tree branches. These lions are only spotted in this park and a few in Lake Manyara National Park of Tanzania.

Lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Lion tracking is the best way tourists can encounter lions while on a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This activity can only be done in the Kasenyi plains found in the northern sector of the park. The activity which involves the help of armed ranger guides together with researchers, enables tourists to get close to the lions, unlike the normal game drives. The activity enables tourists to get enough knowledge about the behavior and feeding habits.

To take part in the lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you need to book in advance. The activity costs $200 for foreign non-residents, $150 for foreign residents, $200,000 for citizens of East African member states. The activity fee excludes $10 for the community fee and vehicle fees.

Murchison Falls National Park

Another best park to see the lions in Uganda is Murchison Falls National Park in the northwestern part of the country. Lions of Murchison Falls Park can be easily spotted during game drives, in the northern banks because they have a large concentration of animals. Early morning game drives will enable you to encounter lions before they go back to their hideout places while the night game drives will come with the opportunity of spotting lions enjoying their prey.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park is located in the far northwestern part of Uganda on the border of South Sudan. It’s another hidden park to see lions while on a safari in Uganda, and tourists can see them by taking part in game drives. Morning, evening, and night game drives in Kidepo can help tourists meet the lions when they use different game tracks. Kidepo Valley is said to be one of the parks that offers excellent viewing of wild animals in Uganda.

Other animals to see during game drives in Uganda.

Game drives are activities that bring tourists closer to wild animals in the park. The game drives are carried out in the morning, evening, and night hours to see the nocturnal animals. Animals that can be spotted during game drives include the leopards, buffaloes, elephants, spotted hyenas, giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, hippos, hartebeests, topis, impalas, Uganda kobs, giant forest hogs, side-striped jackals, sitatungas, monkeys, olive baboons, ostriches, warthogs, and crocodiles to mention but a few.

Best time to see the lions of Uganda

The best time to see the lions of Uganda in any national park is early morning before they go back to their hideout places, and at night when they are hunting. The best views are when the vegetation is lower, and this is during the dry season from June to September and December to February. There is little rainfall and plenty of sunshine, which keeps the game tracks dry and easier to drive through.

Tourists may still travel in the low season to Uganda to see the lions, and these months are March to May and October to November. They have plenty of rainfall and little sunshine, and this keeps the game tracks muddy and slippery, limiting accessibility to some areas. The vegetation grows so tall that it can lead to unclear views of the lions and other park animals.