The best places to see buffalo in Uganda are Kidepo Valley National Park, where herds in the Narus Valley can number hundreds or more than a thousand, Murchison Falls National Park north of the Nile, and Queen Elizabeth National Park, especially along the Kazinga Channel and in Ishasha. Lake Mburo also has buffalo on a smaller scale. Buffalo are common enough that most visitors to these parks see them on almost every game drive. This guide explains where and when to find the biggest herds, what to look out for, and why buffalo deserve respect on foot.
About Uganda’s buffalo
The African buffalo is one of the Big Five and one of the most abundant large mammals in Uganda’s savanna parks. Uganda’s buffalo range from the large, dark savanna type in the open grasslands to smaller, reddish forest buffalo in the west, with intermediate forms in between. Buffalo live in mixed herds of cows, calves and young bulls, while older bulls often form small bachelor groups, sometimes called “dagga boys”, that wallow in mud near water.
Buffalo need to drink daily, so herds stay within reach of water. That makes river banks, lakeshores and wetlands the best places to look, especially in the dry months from December to February and June to August. They are a main prey of lions, so a large herd is also a good place to look for predators. See our overview of Uganda’s Big Five.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo, in the far north-east, is known for the largest buffalo herds in Uganda. In the Narus Valley, near Apoka, herds of many hundreds, sometimes over a thousand, move between the grassland and the remaining water, particularly in the dry season. Watching a herd of that size pour across the valley with the mountains behind is one of the great sights of an East African safari. Kidepo is remote, a long drive or a charter flight from Kampala, which keeps visitor numbers low. See our guide to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Murchison Falls National Park
North of the Nile, Murchison’s rolling grasslands and borassus palms support large numbers of buffalo alongside elephants, Nubian giraffes, Uganda kob and Jackson’s hartebeest. Game drives on the Buligi tracks between the Nile and the Lake Albert delta usually find herds grazing or resting in the morning. The boat trip upriver to the falls passes buffalo drinking and wallowing on the banks, often with cattle egrets and oxpeckers in attendance. See our guide to Murchison Falls.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth is the park most gorilla trekkers visit, and buffalo are among its most visible animals. The Kazinga Channel boat trip from Mweya almost always passes buffalo standing in the shallows or lying in the mud next to hippos, which makes for close, eye-level photographs. On the Kasenyi plains, herds graze among Uganda kob. In the southern Ishasha sector, buffalo gather along the Ntungwe River and are among the prey of the area’s tree-climbing lions. See our guide to the best photography spots in Queen Elizabeth.
Lake Mburo and other parks
Lake Mburo, between Kampala and Bwindi, has smaller herds of buffalo around its lakes and wetlands, along with zebra, eland, impala and topi. Because there are no elephants or lions resident in the park, you can walk, cycle and ride horses there with rangers, but buffalo are the reason those walks need an armed ranger. See our guide to Lake Mburo’s animals.
Buffalo also live in Mgahinga, where farmers and the park built a long stone wall along the park boundary to keep them out of the crops, and in the forests of Kibale and Semuliki, where they are seen far less often.
Buffalo safety
From a vehicle, buffalo are calm and easy to watch. On foot they are among the most dangerous animals in Africa, particularly lone old bulls, which can charge without much warning if surprised at close range. On walking safaris, nature walks and gorilla treks, always follow your ranger’s instructions, keep the group together and never approach buffalo for a photo. Lodges in some parks have buffalo grazing near the rooms at night, so use the escort provided after dark.
Most travellers combine buffalo-rich savanna parks with gorillas in Bwindi, where a permit costs US$800 (US$600 in April, May and November). Queen Elizabeth sits on the natural route to Bwindi, while Murchison and Kidepo need extra days.
Frequently asked questions
In Kidepo Valley National Park, where herds in the Narus Valley can number many hundreds, especially in the dry season.
Yes, very reliably, especially on the Kazinga Channel boat trip and on the Kasenyi plains and in Ishasha.
On foot, yes, especially lone bulls. From a vehicle they are safe to watch. Always follow your ranger on walks.
The dry months, December to February and June to August, when herds gather near rivers, lakes and wetlands.
