Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most visited wildlife area and one of the most biologically diverse national parks in the world. Straddling the Albertine Rift Valley in western Uganda, it contains an extraordinary range of habitats — open savannah, tropical forest, wetlands, crater lakes, and the Kazinga Channel connecting two rift valley lakes — that support an exceptional diversity of wildlife. In 2027 a three-day visit to Queen Elizabeth gives you access to one of Africa’s great wildlife assemblages.
The park has recorded over 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species — more bird species than any other park in East Africa. This guide covers the major species you can expect to see on a standard Queen Elizabeth safari itinerary.
Big Cats
Lion: Queen Elizabeth is famous for its tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector in the south. These lions habitually rest in large fig trees during the heat of the day — a behaviour rarely seen elsewhere in Africa. The northern Kasenyi plains also have lion prides. This is Uganda’s best location for reliable lion sightings.
Leopard: Present throughout the park but secretive. Night drives give the best chances of sightings. The Kasenyi area and Mweya peninsula have the most frequent leopard reports.
Elephants
Queen Elizabeth has a large and growing elephant population of over 2,500 animals. Elephants are seen daily, particularly in the Kasenyi area and along the Kazinga Channel. The channel boat trip regularly produces close encounters with elephants drinking and bathing at the water’s edge. The population includes large bulls with impressive tusks.
Buffalo
African buffalo are extremely common throughout Queen Elizabeth. Herds of several hundred are regularly encountered on game drives. Large bulls often accompany herds of cattle egrets that ride on their backs. Buffalo are one of the park’s most reliable sightings and old bulls — “dagga boys” — are frequently seen along the Kazinga Channel.
Hippo and Crocodile
The Kazinga Channel boat trip passes some of the highest hippo densities in Africa — over 5,000 hippos use the channel. Nile crocodiles are equally abundant and visible throughout the park’s waterways. Both species are best observed on the twice-daily channel boat trips.
Primates
Chimpanzee: The Kyambura Gorge sector has a habituated chimpanzee community that can be tracked. Sightings are not guaranteed but are successful on most days. This is the most accessible chimpanzee trekking in Uganda for visitors combining Queen Elizabeth with gorilla trekking at Bwindi.
Other primates: Olive baboon, black-and-white colobus, red-tailed monkey, and l’Hoest’s monkey are all present in the forest areas of the park.
Other Mammals
Uganda kob — an antelope with the male’s striking orange-brown coat — is the park’s most abundant antelope and the species featured on Uganda’s coat of arms. Topi, warthog, bushbuck, waterbuck, and reedbuck are all regularly seen. Hyena and jackal are present and visible particularly on night drives. Giant forest hog is found in the forest areas.
Birds
Queen Elizabeth’s 600-plus bird species include: shoebill (Katunguru area), African skimmer, African fish eagle, martial eagle, African crowned eagle, goliath heron, saddle-billed stork, and all five Uganda kingfisher species on the Kazinga Channel. The Maramagambo Forest holds forest species including hornbills, turacos, and numerous forest specials.
Best Time to Visit Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth is open year-round. The dry seasons (June-August and December-February) give the best game viewing on the savannah. The Kazinga Channel boat trips are excellent throughout the year. The Ishasha tree-climbing lions are most reliably seen during the June to August dry season when animals concentrate under fig trees for shade.
Plan Your 2027 Queen Elizabeth Safari
The gorilla trekking permit costs $800 in 2027. Queen Elizabeth is Uganda’s most popular national park and is easily combined with gorilla trekking at Bwindi, just 2 to 3 hours away. A 5 to 7 day itinerary covering both parks gives you mountain gorillas, tree-climbing lions, and over 600 bird species. Contact us to plan your 2027 Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi safari.
