Updated
Uganda’s elephant population has recovered strongly since the 1980s, when poaching left fewer than a thousand. Today several thousand savannah elephants live mainly in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley, and forest elephants live in Kibale, Bwindi and Semuliki. Elephant families are led by an older female, the matriarch, whose memory of water and food sources guides the group.
Family structure
A family is made up of related females and their calves, often 10 to 20 animals, and several families may join into larger groups. Young males leave at around 10 to 15 years old and live alone or in loose bachelor groups. Elephants communicate with low rumbles that carry for kilometres, and they help each other’s calves and respond to distress calls.
Movement and conflict
Elephants move between parks and forests along corridors, such as those linking Queen Elizabeth with Kibale and with Virunga in Congo. Outside parks they raid crops, which leads to conflict with farmers. Uganda Wildlife Authority uses trenches, beehive fences and chilli barriers along park edges to keep elephants out of fields.
Where to see it
Elephants are seen on most drives in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison and from the Kazinga Channel and Nile boats. Forest elephants are rarely seen but leave clear signs. The gorilla permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our guides to forest elephants in Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls animals and Kidepo game drives.
Frequently asked questions
Several thousand, up from fewer than a thousand in the 1980s.
The matriarch, usually the oldest female.
In Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley.
Yes, forest elephants, but they are rarely seen.
