August 29, 2023 | Bujo Safaris
Experiential lion trekking is one of the recently added activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the largest and oldest parks in Uganda. Lion tracking is an activity where tourists track lions with the help of guides and researchers to make sure that they see these big cats in their natural habitats. Established in 1952 Queen Elizabeth National Park is the only park where lion tracking is done in the whole of Uganda. This magnificent park is located in Kasese District, Western Uganda and it’s the only park offering lion tracking experience and activities in the country. So, the lion tracking experience takes you to the most visited national park in Uganda which is worthy of more visits due to its uniqueness. Several visitors and guests can witness that for a true real African tour, Queen Elizabeth is the right spot to be in Africa so you can anticipate an extraordinary experience.
Queens has a variety of mammal species from leopards, elephants, and buffaloes, to mention a few, and not forgetting the unique climbing tree lions in the Ishasha sector. Lions are one of the park's major attractions and are well-conserved. Surprisingly, if you are lucky unlike the country's other parks, lions are easily spotted in the Queens, especially during game drives. This is one of the right spots for lions in Africa and the best place to encounter these endangered species with about 250 large cats situated in the northern and southern sectors of the park.
In the southern sector of the park, Ishasha is a well-conserved sector home to the largest population of tree-climbing lions in the entire world, different from the normal lions found in other parks. This feature alone makes the park a unique tourist destination and one of the tops in Africa and the entire globe.
Lion tracking activity in Queen Elizabeth National Park is done along the Kasenyi Plains located in the northern sector of the park and offers a one-to-one encounter with these lions and visitors in their natural habitats. From the Uganda carnivore program, are the experienced rangers and researchers who will guide you through and lead you during the lion tracking activity that entirely involves following a group of lions and learning about their feeding habits, social dynamics, behaviors, and their natural habitats. Such an eye-catching tremendous activity that always forces several visitors to add and push for a few days on their Uganda safari.
The whole lion tracking activity is normally divided into three different sessions in a day, each session lasting for about two to three hours. The three lion tracking sessions include the morning session, the Afternoon session and lastly is the evening session that sometimes stretches to night hours, especially during peak seasons. Visitors are therefore advised to report at the park office in time as early as 7:00 am for a quick briefing on how, where, and what to do before they can commence the lion tracking activity and there is always a limit on the number of people to engage in this activity.
The whole tracking experience is such a tremendous and interesting one for there has been a modern advancement in the lion tracking sector that involves using battery-powered collars put on the lions or the dominant of the group where these collars can be tracked through radio signals read by the GPS to know their location. Sometimes lions can move up to 40 km in search of food especially in times of scarcity in the game so tracking might be complicated without these tracking machines.
As the lion tracking activity is going on, a lot of information is being shared by the researchers and game rangers especially on how the males dominate territories and their role in protecting lions and cubs in various interesting ways to limit the intruders such as urinating on some trees to mark territories. The female lion gives birth to about 3 cubs on average and their lifespan goes up to 12 years.
Lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park can be done throughout the whole year but there is a perfect time for doing it so that you have the best experience on your Queen Elizabeth NP safari. The best time to go for lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park is during the dry season of June, July, August throughout December, January, and February. This is because the tracking trails will be dry which makes them accessible with tourists’ vehicles.
Lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park costs about USD 110 for international visitors, approximately $90 for foreign residents, and about Ugandan shillings 140,000 for East African nationals.
The Uganda Carnivore Program (UCP) is in charge of lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This program was started to ensure the protection and study research on the predators in the park. Since lions move in groups of approximately 3-25 individuals, some lions are put to sleep and electronic collars with inbuilt GPS are put around their necks by experts. So, during the activity, these lions are tracked with the GPS in the lions’ collars which send signals to the experienced guides. These collars also help in monitoring the movements, and numbers, and also fight poaching of the lions in the park. When the lions are located, you will watch them from a safe distance and you will not be allowed to get off the vehicle or travel van since you are dealing with predators. Flashless photos can be taken with permission from your guide.
Unlike some other activities that can be done in Queen Elizabeth National Park, yes! There is an age limit on the lion tracking activity in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The age limit for lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park is 15 years and above.
You should always remember and keep in mind the instructions being given to you by the guides or researchers. Remember that the lions love peace so you should keep your noise at a minimum range. You should also remember to make early bookings if you are interested in the lion trekking activity. Before doing anything during the tracking period, you should always first ask for permission. Feeding or throwing food at the lions is not allowed at all. In case a lion approaches you, you should remain calm and lock the doors of the travel vehicle or van. About what to put on for lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you should consider putting on clothes that you are comfortable in. Though comfortable they should have neutral colors that do not attract the attention of the wild animals. Lion tracking activity in Queen Elizabeth National Park takes about 2-3 hours while driving off-track looking for lions.
Queen Elizabeth National Park can be accessed by both air and road transport. By air, you can get a chartered flight from Kajjansi/ Entebbe International Airport and fly to Mweya, Ishasha, or Kasese airstrip then connect by road to the park headquarters. By road, you will either use private or public transport means and drive from Kampala to Kasese via the Masaka – Mbarara- Mubende-Fort portal – Kasese where Queen Elizabeth National Park is located. For more information about lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park, bookings, or inquiries, feel free to contact our company consultancy group we shall be glad to help.
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