Lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park is such an amazing safari activity that you should look up to on a Uganda safari. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the 10 national parks in Uganda and is most visited because of its diverse wildlife and beautiful scenery. Lions are the most attractive and sought-after mammals in the park. Queen Elizabeth National Park also hosts the rare tree-climbing lions in the southern Ishasha sector. The park consists of different crater lakes, the Kazinga channel, and Rwenzori Mountain ranges in the background, the Kyambura underground forest, and elegant lakes. Additionally, the park is home to over 95 mammals and 600 bird species that keep roaming in the park all year long.
Lion tracking has become one of the interesting adventure activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park and this is done in the Kasenyi sector. This is a research experience where one can get closer to the lions and study their behaviors together with scientists. Tracking is done in the company of researchers under the supervision of the Uganda Wildlife Authority Park rangers. They monitor the daily movements and lifestyle of these lions by use of radio collars.
How much is a lion tracking permit in Uganda?
Tracking lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park is done after acquiring a permit which costs USD 100 for foreigners and 100,000 UGX for members of the East African Community. There are only a few tracking permits offered to visitors since it’s a research activity that requires fewer participants. This, therefore, calls for booking in advance. Lion tracking experience has 2 shifts which include either a morning or evening tracking session. Tracking is done with a pop-up roof 4X4 tourist vehicle.
Limiting the number helps researchers to get accurate and right information and also to avoid stressing the lions. Lions are not used to many people since they are wild and rare to be spotted, so a lot of people can end up stressing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Limiting the number is also important since it will increase trackers’ experience, capturing photos and each member can get a chance to see lions before they are scared away by noise from the excited visitors.
Visitors interested in lion tracking should first consider time since one has to wake up early in the morning to start preparing for the experience of monitoring, tracking, and researching the king of the African jungle. The information collected is normally used during conservation and expanding knowledge about wildlife. It’s amazing to watch a pride of lions consisting of 3 to 25 individuals all at a single glance. You can differentiate male lions from female ones by the black mane which is only on males.
Tracking is done by following the sound of lions (roaring) and also lions can be located near the hyenas since they laugh louder and feed on their leftovers. Tracking the lions can last for 4 to 5 hours but there are other wildlife residents one can enjoy during this experience such as spotted hyenas, antelopes, elephants, buffaloes, and hippos. Birds won’t be missed during this tracking experience in the heart of the endless plains of Savannah, as well as the sunrise and sunset moments won’t be missed.
Lions tracked are usually the normal ones, not the tree-climbing lions and this experience is done under the supervision of the Uganda Carnivore Project which also studies other predators like leopards and hyenas. Tourists are asked to take part in recording and taking part in collecting samples as well.
Apart from lion tracking, there are other activities you can experience while in Queen Elizabeth National Park and these include chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge, game drives, boat cruises, nature walks, bird watching, and more.
