Lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park

Lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park; Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest and one of the most visited destinations in Uganda located in western region in Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Rukungiri districts. Queen Elizabeth national park is a home of over 95 mammal species including the big four of the big five mammals which include buffaloes, elephants, lions and leopards, other animals like Uganda kobs, warthogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys and over 600 bird species.

Queen Elizabeth national park is the only destination in Uganda that offers the adventurous lion tracking experience where tourists drive around the park with a researcher allocated by Uganda carnivore project who will help them to spot the lions. Lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park is only carried out in Kasenyi plains and it can either be done in the morning at around 8:00am or in the evening with researchers who drive around the park with radiation trackers which will help them to find lions that have radio collars placed around the neck. During Lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park which takes about 1 to 3 hours, you will enjoy the experience, get a chance to drive close to the lions, monitor and learn about their behaviors among others.

Cost of a lion tracking permit

A lion tracking permit in Queen Elizabeth national park costs 110 USD per person for both foreign non residents and foreign residents and 140,000 UGX per person for East African citizens. Lion tracking experience allows a limited number of people so as not to interrupt or interfere with the peace of the lions and also enable tourists to take clear photos of the lions therefore tourists are advised to book in advance.

Best time to go for lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park

Lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, august, September, December, January and February. During the dry season there is less rainfall in the park therefore vegetation will be thin which helps you to have clear views of the lions and other wildlife species.

Apart from lion tracking experience, Queen Elizabeth national park offers other interesting activities including,

Game drives where you will be able to explore the park in a comfortable 4 WD safari vehicle with a professional driver guide. Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in different areas such as Kasenyi plains, Mweya peninsula, Ishasha sector and it starts very early in the morning at around 6:00 when animals are still active. During the game drive, you will be able to view different animals such as elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas among other if you are lucky, view different bird species among others.

Boat cruise which is done on Kazinga channel a water body that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. Boat cruise activity in Queen Elizabeth national park is carried out in schedules that is the morning schedule which starts at around 9:00am and in the afternoon schedule which starts at around 2:00pm. During the boat ride which takes about 2 to 3 hours, you will be able to view large concentrates of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view animals like elephants, waterbucks, buffaloes, warthog’s drinking water along the shores, view water birds like cormorants, hornbills, kingfishers, fish eagles, bee-eaters among others. During the boat cruise on Kazinga channel, you will also be able to view fishermen along the shores preparing their night fishing among others.

Bird watching

Queen Elizabeth national park is a home of over 600 recorded bird species including savannah birds, water birds, migratory birds among others which make it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. During bird watching which is done in different areas like Maramagambo forest, Kasenyi plains, Ishasha sector, Mweya peninsula and Kazinga channel, you will be able to spot different bird species such as swamp nightjar, squire tailed nightjar, pygmy kingfisher, red chested sunbird, martial eagle, black crowned tchagra, white tailed lark, double toothed barbet, Senegal plover, Nubian woodpecker, black bishop, African finfoot, African emerald cuckoo, helmeted guinea fowl among others.

Nature walk/ hiking where tourists will get an opportunity to get out of the comfort of a safari vehicle and explore the park on foot with the company of an experienced park guide and armed park ranger to protect you from any danger. During the guided nature walk, you will get up-close and personal with different wildlife species such as buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, listen to sweet sounds of bird species singing in trees, view colorful butterflies, take beautiful pictures among others.

Chimpanzee trekking where tourists will move on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in Kyambura gorge and it starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. Chimpanzee trekking takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, birds and once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which helps you to learn about their behaviors, habits, take photos and record videos.

Where to stay during your lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park has a wide range of accommodation facilities where you can stay during your lion tracking experience. the accommodations range from budget, midrange and luxury including Elephant hab lodge, Marafiki safari lodge, Mweya safari lodge, Pumba safari lodge, Park view safari lodge, Elephant plains lodge, Kasenyi safari camp, Enganzi lodge, Simba safari camp, Queen Elizabeth bush lodge, Mweya hostel, Kyambura tented camp, Lake Chibwera camp, King fisher lodge Kichwamba, Kyambura gorge lodge, Katara lodge, Ihamba safari lodge among others.

How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park is located in western part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Kampala through Masaka, Mbarara or Mubende, Fort Portal to the park headquarters which takes about 7 to 8 hours’ drive.

Queen Elizabeth national park can also be accessed by air transport means where you will book domestic flights from Entebbe international airport to Mweya or Kasese airstrip and then connect the lodge or park headquarters by road.

For more information about lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park, you can contact our tour consultants at Achieve Global Safaris to book a lion tracking experience package or combine your lion tracking safari with gorilla trekking.