Enormous African elephants and Cape buffaloes are regularly spotted in great numbers during game drives and launch trips - there are estimated to be around 2500 elephants and some 7000 buffalo in Queen Elizabeth National Park alone.
Lions can sometimes be seen lounging in the fig trees of Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth or prowling across the rocks of Kidepo Valley, eyeing up unsuspecting herds of Uganda kob. You’ll have to be lucky to glimpse a well-camouflaged leopard - though the challenge of spotting this beautiful feline makes a rare sighting even more rewarding.
Rhinos have been hunted to extinction in the wild Uganda - but Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary gives visitors the chance to walk up close to these huge, armoured creatures in the savannah - making Uganda one of the few destinations where you really can see the Big Five in their natural habitat.
Lions in Uganda:Lions are among a few big cats found Uganda’s National Parks and it is among the most wanted to be seen animal while on game drive. Research made by our team at African Adventure travellers indicates that 90% of most clients from all Tour Companies will ask their drivers to look for lions. And there will always be big excitement on spotting the King of the jungle, after the lion, the demand goes on to the Leopard.
A fully grown lion will normally weigh between 150-250kg for males whereas females can weigh between 120-182kgs, and can live in the wild up 14years. And in zoos, they can live for even 20years. Females will normally do most of the hunting. Male lions will need atleast 7kgs of meat per day and 5kgs of meat per day for the females.after a big hunt example a Buffalo, a lion can consume up to 30kgs of meat and can sleep by for a simple digestion to consume more of the meat if other lions fail to finish the hunt.In open areas like Murchison falls National Park over looking the Albert Nile,where there are many thickets,lions will normally pull Uganda Kobs,into the thickets so that they don't get any disturbance from hyenas and moving Safari cars around. Lionesses normally produce by the age of 4 years, and can mate with any male before it conceives and the mating can take up to several days.
The gestation period is 110days after which a female will give birth from 1- 4 cubs normally in a secluded area like thicket which cannot be easily reached especially like the Hyenas who will normally want to kill and eat the cubs.
The cubs will normally weigh 1.2–2.1 kg.With a close look at a cub (baby lion) there are brown spots on their bodies, but they will always fade as they reach adulthood Tree Climbing Lions in Uganda: The lion being found up in the tree branch is a unique adventure moment as lions are often found in the open savannah grasslands roaming around, sleeping, resting or hunting. These lions will normally climb and rest in these fig trees when noon approaches. It is hard some times to find them up in the trees when it is raining, or when it is still slippery in the morning. These tree climbing lions of Uganda are found in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the Southern section near the Congo boarder.
The tree lions will climb and rest in the umbrella fig trees to cover away from the sun, target their prey, and some times run away from the mosquitoes or tsetse flies that are carried by the Warthogs and Cape Buffalos.
Today some families of these tree lions have migrated from the south of the park (Ishasha) and have been sighted by several people and African Adventure Traveller’s clients in the Mweya Section of the park while on the boat ride on the Kazinga Channel and the Park’s main gate of Kabatoro on the few fig trees around.
However, other tree lions have been sighted in Kidepo Valley National Park hanging in the sausage trees (Kigelia Africana) and also their famous resting rock places near the park’s head quarters.
Leopards in Uganda:
The quick and elusive leopards are found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Mount Elgon National Park. They are mostly nocturnal, but you can take a nocturnal Game Drive at Queen Elizabeth Park and just might spot some. You just might spot one during an early game drive in some of the above parks.
Buffalos in Uganda:
Buffalos in UgandaThe African Buffalo is found in most of Uganda's National Parks and stays mostly in open savannah grass lands.but also likes to keep in swampy areas where they flock during hot temperatures to cool off and drink some water.A fully grown Savannah is normally black and dark brown as it ages and will normally weigh about 500-910Kgs with males being slightly larger than females.calves are known to have redish hairs which later turns black as they grow.
Male buffalos are known to split from the herd and form bachelor groups.Some of these herds will consisit of the younger bachelors of about 4-7 years where as other bachelors are of 12 years and above.but the yonger bachelors will normally fight the aging males and completely chase them out of the herd. Young males normally team up and join females for mating especially in the wet seasons and will stay with them through out to protect the born calves.the gestation period of a buffalo runs for up to 11.5months.new born calves will be protected by the mothers for the first few weeks but wlater join the herd and are always kept in the middle of the whole herd.
Elephants in Uganda:
Elephants are the largest wild animals in the world which are also found in Uganda's National Parks.Also called the African/Savannah Elephant,they can leave in the wild for between 50-70years but some elephants can grow up to the age of 80yrs.A fully grown savannah elephant in Uganda will weigh between 3500kgs to 12000kgs. females are known to be slightly smaller than males,a baby elephant ( calf ) will normally weigh about 105kgs after the long gestation period of the mother which runs for 22 months.
Uganda has got the Savannah and forest Elephants.these different species can be well-observed if you travel to places like Murchison falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park more especially in Ishaha and make comparisons with the elephants which cross back and forth into Uganda and Congo from the Ntungwe River.you can notice the difference in size and colour and again, the forest elephants are more distructive than those in the Open Savannah grass lands.
An Elephant will use its trunck for many purposes but most especially to draw water and grass for feeding but will also use the trunck to create way in the wild and some times raise the trunck up with ears wide when it sights danger.the trunck can take in up to 15-litres of water in a single draw.the tusk of an elephant will also help it to draw water especially in clearing the weed away from the water,clear the thickets and get good grass,help push trees down to get fruits and also help in digging salt.these tusks for a fully grown elephant,they can measeure uo to 3meters and can also weigh up to 90kgs. Elephants will spend around 16hrs feeding on grass,shrubs,tree branches and will consume atleast 140-270kgs in a day.they spend most of the time feeding and they will normally rest more or less than 2hrs in the wild. Where to see Elephants in Uganda.
Kidepo Valley National Park Murchison Falls National Park Queen Elizabeth National Park However:Those on Gorilla tracking in Bwindi and also on Chimpanzee tracking/Habtuation in Kibale Forest National Parks might see the African Forest Elephants there.
Rhinos in Uganda: Uganda was home to thousands of Rhinos, both black and white but the civil wars, poaching fueled by the demand for Rhino hors for medicinal purposes in the East and dagger horns in places such as Yemen. Today there is only Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where there is an active Rhino rehabilitation program. A large reserve that allows the Rhinos to roam in the wild and yet in safety. You can see the Rhinos of Uganda at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary which is located near Masindi on the way to Murchison Falls National Park.
The Rothschilds Giraffes in Uganda.
The Giraffe is the tallest animal we have in Uganda's National Parks.There are however different species of Giraffes in the world,Uganda has the Rothschilds type of Giraffe which can measure between 5-6meters high with an average weight of about 1200kgs for the males and 850kgs for the females.Males are slightly larger than females.Giraffes often stay in open savannah grass lands with lots of whistling acaccia plants from which they selectively browse for better leaves. A giraffe can eat up 29kgs of accacia leaves daily.
Giraffes are known to be peaceful and calm animals in the wild but will always defend them selves and theirn calfs from the predators especially lions,leopards and hyenas who hide around in thickets and tend to grab the calfs.However giraffes are know to be good family defenders with strong forward/backward kicks to the predators.1 strong kick of a giraffe can easily harm or kill apredator if clearly placed especially on the head.but Crocodiles are alslo known to grabbing giraffe heads in water swamps as they bend to drink some water.But if not threatened,giraffes can leave up to 25years in the wild and 28yrs in the Zoo.
Giraffes have a funny way of moving if well observed.they will take the left legs first and right legs second and when running,they will use the forward legs first and hind legs second thus moving in a Slow Motion move.actually if seen on video,you may think it was edited to slow motion.