Updated
Uganda has a few hundred wild lions, living mainly in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley national parks. They live in prides of related females and their cubs, defended by one or a few adult males. Queen Elizabeth’s Kasenyi plains and Ishasha sector, Murchison’s Buligi area and Kidepo’s Narus Valley are the best places to see them.
Pride life
Females stay in the pride they were born in and do most of the hunting, often working together to ambush kob, buffalo and warthog. Males defend the territory and the pride from rival males, and when new males take over they often kill young cubs. Young males leave the pride at two to three years old and may roam for years before taking over a pride of their own.
Threats in Uganda
Uganda’s lion numbers are small and under pressure. The main threats are poisoning in retaliation for cattle losses, snares set for bushmeat, and loss of prey and habitat outside the parks. Several mass poisonings in Queen Elizabeth in recent years led to stronger community programmes and lion monitoring with radio collars.
Where to see it
Early morning drives give the best chances, when lions are active; guides often use kob alarm calls and other drivers’ reports to find them. The gorilla permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our guides to the tree-climbing lions, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls animals and Kidepo game drives.
Frequently asked questions
A few hundred, mostly in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo.
Kasenyi and Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth, Buligi in Murchison, and Kidepo’s Narus Valley.
Not a resident population; lions only pass through occasionally.
Mainly Uganda kob, buffalo and warthog.
