Lion Tracking Experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Lion tracking in Uganda takes you to Uganda’s incredible and most visited national park, Queen Elizabeth National Park which is one of the most celebrated National parks where one can experience a true African safari.
Located in the western part of the country, Queen Elizabeth National Park lies on a square area of 1978km and is 410km from the capital city Kampala. It is one of the largest National parks in Uganda offering diverse and stunning landscapes consisting of savannah grasslands, woodlands, plainlands, crater lakes, and forests among others. Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to over 95 mammals including the African Big Five (Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Buffaloes) except for the Rhinos and 360 bird species. Queen Elizabeth National Park is a lion conservation center thus lions are one of the key attractions in the park. It has over 250 lions found in both the northern and southern sectors. Apart from the normal lions, Queen Elizabeth National Park is also famous for sheltering the largest population of tree-climbing lions in the world which are found in the Ishasha sector of the park that is located in the southern sector of the park. Tourists can spot these creatures lazily hanging in the big fig trees during a game drive.
Queen Elizabeth is the only national park in Uganda where tourists can engage in lion tracking. This activity is only open in the Kasenyi plains, north of Queen Elizabeth National Park and it is done throughout the year. Lion tracking is one of the top things to do while on a safari in Uganda because it allows tourists to get close to the lions in their natural habitat, unlike standard game drives. It involves following an individual or group of lions closely to learn about their daily behaviors, daily routines, natural habitat, feeding habits, and social/group dynamics… The activity is led by experienced and knowledgeable researchers from the Uganda Carnivore Program.
Lion tracking is done in three sessions per day that is, early morning, afternoon, and night sessions taking between two to three hours per session and it is easy because of improved technology. A tracking device is put on the dominant lioness of a pride which stays with the group enabling researchers to easily monitor all the other lions including the cubs and alpha males. Lions are not usually used because they move away from the group to mark their territories. Pregnant lionesses plus the old ones are also avoided. Once the target is identified, it’s given a tranquilizer which makes it unconscious allowing researchers to put the tracking device around the lioness’ neck. The lioness takes usually 2 to 3 days to get used to the device. This device sends radio frequencies to show the exact location of the lions every time which enables researchers to track the lion pride movement and know if they are sick or under threat from communities living close to the park.
You will get information about the lions’ biology, habitats, and threats from your researcher guides and know that a lion can live up to 12 years. You will get to know that the lionesses do most of the hunting while the males protect the family and ensure that no intruders come into their territory. A lioness can give birth to 3 cubs at maximum. During lion tracking, the driver can drive off the main road and deep into the savanna depending on the location of these lions which is different from the normal game drives. Use the time to take great photos of the predators at a close distance. If you are lucky enough to come across the whole pride, you will have a chance to observe a lion family up close and witness the juveniles play amidst resting adults. Lions are territorial animals where the dominant male marks territories by creating holes using his legs, rubbing his mane on shrubs, or urinating around the main trees in his territory which leaves a warning to any intruders.
How to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park
You can reach the park either by air or by road. Queen Elizabeth National Park has three airstrips in Mweya, Kasese, and Ishasha and they are all accessible from Entebbe and Kajjansi. Those traveling by road, you need to drive from Kampala up to Mbarara or Fort Portal which takes about 6 hours to reach the park.
Where to stay in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The park has various accommodation options available for you to choose from. It has camping sites for budget travelers, tented camps, and Luxury lodges. You can check out the best lodges such as Ishasha Wilderness Camp (Luxury), Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury), Katara Lodge (Mid-range), Buffalo Lodge (Budget), and Simba Safari Lodge(Budget)