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Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest park at about 3,900 km², has around 76 mammal species and over 450 bird species. On a typical visit you can expect elephants, buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, Jackson’s hartebeest, hippos and Nile crocodiles, with a fair chance of lions and a smaller chance of leopards. The Nile delta on Lake Albert is one of the better places in Uganda to see the shoebill, and chimpanzees can be tracked in Budongo Forest at the park’s southern edge.
Mammals you are likely to see
Most big game lives on the grasslands north of the Nile, especially the Buligi area between the river and Lake Albert. These are the main species, roughly in order of how easily they are seen:
- Uganda kob, oribi, waterbuck and warthog, which are common on the northern plains
- Rothschild’s giraffe, in herds on the Buligi tracks
- Jackson’s hartebeest and bushbuck
- African buffalo, often in large herds
- Elephants, on both sides of the Nile and often from the boat
- Hippos and Nile crocodiles, in large numbers along the river
- Lions, mostly in Buligi, and spotted hyenas
- Leopards, seen mainly at dawn, dusk or on night drives
- Patas monkeys and olive baboons in the savannah; black-and-white colobus in riverine forest
Rhinos are not found in the park. The nearest are at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, on the road from Kampala, which many visitors stop at on the way; see our guide to adding Ziwa rhinos. Read about two of the park’s signature animals, Rothschild’s giraffe and Jackson’s hartebeest.
Birds
The delta boat trip, where the Nile enters Lake Albert, is the best chance of a shoebill, though sightings are never guaranteed. Other highlights include the Goliath heron, African fish eagle, Abyssinian ground hornbill on the plains, red-throated bee-eaters nesting in river banks, and the rock pratincole on rocks below the falls. Budongo Forest adds forest species such as the Puvel’s illadopsis. See our guide to the best places to see shoebills.
How to see the most
A morning game drive in Buligi, an afternoon boat trip upstream to the base of the falls, a visit to the top of the falls where the Nile forces through a gap of about 7 m, and a delta boat trip on the second morning cover most of the park in two or three nights. Chimp tracking in Budongo or Kaniyo Pabidi can be added. Our Murchison Falls guide covers lodges and access.
Murchison combines well with gorilla trekking in Bwindi, though the drive between them is long. The gorilla permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our gorillas and Murchison circuit.
Frequently asked questions
It has lions, leopards, elephants and buffaloes, but no rhinos; those are at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Mainly in the papyrus of the Nile delta, reached by boat.
The northern bank, especially the Buligi area.
Yes, in Budongo Forest and Kaniyo Pabidi at the southern edge of the park.
