Lion tracking experience in Uganda : Lion tracking is an activity to add to your to do list when visiting Uganda and it is done in Queen Elizabeth national park. The lion tracking experience in Uganda involves moving into the wild to search for the lions in teh company of researchers as well as ranger guides. The activity is an experiential tourism activity which takes you to the location of the lions in the national park.
Queen Elizabeth national park is among the famous wildlife safari destinations in Uganda which apart from the lion tracking experience is also known for the tree climbing lions which can be seen in the ishasha sector.
The researchers from the Uganda Carnivore Program take part in the lions tracking experience as the lions are being searched for around the savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth national park. Sometimes the researchers also collect samples from the lions like urine, saliva among others to help with their research.
Among the many reasons that the lion tracking experience in Uganda was introduced include the fact that the lions in Uganda were dying. So the project was introduced as a way of monitoring the lions and also to promote conservation in the local community that live in the neighboring areas of Queen Elizabeth national park.
Facilitation of the local community about the importance of wildlife and living in harmony with the wildlife were also encouraged by the Uganda Carnivore Program and the locals also benefit from this program.
The lions in Queen Elizabeth national park during the lion tracking experience are tracked to tier exact location which makes it easy to spot them during a wildlife safari at the destination. Most of these lions can be seen in the northern part of the national park during lion tracking experiences in Uganda.
Some of the moments you could enjoy during the lion tracking experience in Uganda include watching the lions hunt their prey in Queen Elizabeth national park, seeing and hearing the lion roar, watching the lion cubs playing, lions mating among others.
During lion tracking in Uganda, the trackers are put on the lioness which leads her pride which makes it easy to see the lion prides since the lionesses stay with their prides in the wild. The trackers around the lionesses are put by first using a tranquilizer and then putting the collar around its neck. These colors are usually not too tight which means that they are comfortable even for the lions to still move normally around the savannah plains of the national park.
A GPS is used to see the exact location of the lions since the trackers on the lions in Queen Elizabeth national park have radio frequencies. The closer the lions, the stronger the beeping sound of the GPS.
Lion tracking experience in Uganda is also an off the track experience which means that you can drive off the usual paths followed during the Uganda wildlife safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park as you search for the lions making it an exciting experience in the wild.
The lions in Queen Elizabeth national park are tracked using radio collars and this activity makes it easier to observed the habits of the lions in the wild and also watch the lion prides in the wild. The lions can be seen in the norther part of the national park during safaris.
When visiting Queen Elizabeth national park for the lion tracking experience, lions can also be seen in the Kisenyi plains where many other wildlife species can also be spotted during a safari at the destination.
Lion tracking in Uganda starts with a short briefing by the head researcher or tracker and then the visitors proceed to the vehicles to start the activity. You also egt to learn information about the lions in Uganda during this activity such as learning about the lifespan of the lions, behavior of lions in their prides, feeding habits of the lions, roles of the male and female lions in their prides among other things.
Cost of lion tracking experience in Uganda
Lion tracking experience in Uganda is regulated by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Uganda Carnivore Project.
The lion tracking experience in Uganda costs about 60 USD for foreign nonresidents while East Africans are charged about 100,000 Uganda shillings to engage in the activity during safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park.
The fees charged for lion tracking experience in Uganda is exclusive of park entrance fees for Queen Elizabeth national park which is about 40 USD for foreign nonresidents, 30 USD for foreign residents and 20,000 shillings for East Africans.
However, a limited number of people take part in the lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth national park. Lion tracking is done about 3 times each day (morning, afternoon and night time) and it takes about 2 to 3 hours.
Other wildlife species in Queen Elizabeth national park include elephants, buffalos, hippos, warthogs, leopards, hyenas as well as different species of antelopes like waterbucks, elands, impalas among others. The national park also has a variety of bird species which can be seen during a tour.
Apart from lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth national park, other activities to take part in include game drives, boat cruises, bird watching and also community tours, chimpanzee tracking among others. These activities can be combined with the lion tracking experience during a safari.
How to get to Queen Elizabeth national park during lion tracking safaris in Uganda
Queen Elizabeth national park is located in the south western part of Uganda and their ways of getting to the national park during a safari include flight and also by road.
The airstrips for flights to Queen Elizabeth national park include Mweya airstrip and Kasese airstrip. These flights can be scheduled flights or charter flights operated by airlines such as Aerolink.
by road, Queen Elizabeth national park is about 6 hours’ drive from Kampala or Entebbe. The different routes to get to the national park include the route via Mbarara and also a route via Fort Portal.
