Uganda is one of the small countries on the African continent but very rich in wildlife. This has impressed and attracted so many tourists all over the world to come and witness the existence of this wildlife in Uganda.
The tropical rainforests that Uganda has, have made the country a beautiful home for different animal species which are categorized as primates, carnivores, herbivores and the reptiles. The animals in Uganda include the following;
Elephant. An elephant is the largest land animal in the world weighing over 6,000kgs. It has got different species like the forest elephants, bush elephants and many more. Elephants feed on green vegetation and therefore commonly spotted in most Uganda’s National Parks like Bwindi Impenetrable forest, Mgahinga National Park, Kibale National Park, Semliki National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Mount Elgon National Park. An elephant is non aggressive unless tampered with. It will use its tusk/teeth to crash an enemy down until it dies. Elephants use their trunks and tusks to dig water ponds/wallows most especially in the dry seasons in search for water.
Leopard. A leopard is a nocturnal mammal that spends most of its day time in hideouts and prefer wooded/rocky habitats. They come out in the night in search for food. Leopards can be easily spotted on morning drives before they return back to their hideouts and on evening drives as they come out to go hunting. These nocturnal drives can be organized at Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park where leopards are so common. They are very dangerous animals therefore viewing them is always done with the help of armed rangers. Tourists are always advised not to come out of the vehicles during nocturnal drives.
Rhinos. A rhino is one of the big five animals in Uganda that can only be spotted at Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a government protected sanctuary. These are only 33 in number and sighting them becomes a lifetime memory and experience.
Lions. This is the king of wildness because of its unique features. It weighs about 680kg and 165cm in height and when it roars, the entire wildlife will hear it. It preys on animals like the antelopes, buffalos, monkeys and other small animals. When it gets its prey, it climbs up in the tree branches and it enjoys it from there. Lions are commonly spotted on drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park.
Buffalos. Uganda harbors both cape buffalos and the forest buffalos which are spotted in open savannah and woodland areas of Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and in Kidepo Valley National Park on game drives. Buffalos love wallowing in water or mud making it easier for tourists to clearly view them at a close range.
Giraffes. This is the tallest mammal in the world. It’s unique in its walking style as it moves with the right legs first followed by its left legs in motion. Giraffes feed on natural green plant cover and therefore found in most National Game Parks in Uganda. There are hundreds of them in Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and many more.
Gorillas. Gorilla trekking is one of the most done activity by tourists in Uganda. These human-like primates give you an amazing memorable experience. The mere watching their life style in the Uganda’s natural vegetation is enough to make you visit them over and over again. These habituated Gorillas conceive, carry and feed their babies just like human beings. They feed on green natural vegetation and found only in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.
Chimpanzees. These habituated and endangered chimpanzees are said to be the most intelligent primates in the world. Just like the gorillas, chimpanzees are also closely related to humans and can be spotted in Budongo National forest, Kibale National Forest and in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Monkeys. Uganda harbors quite a big number of monkey species for example the red tailed monkey, golden monkey, debrazza, baboons, blue monkey, red colobus, black/red colobus, vervet and many more which can be spotted in Kibale National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and in Mabira National Forest.
Hippopotamus. These are large webbed aquatic animals ranking 3rd among land mammals. They weigh over 1,500-1800kgs. Hippos are found in most big water bodies where they spend most of their time cooling off in and along the river shores. They are mostly spotted in Murchison Fall National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.
Antelopes. These have got different species of which some include the greater kudu, Eland, lesser kudu, oribi, bates’ pygmy antelope, reed buck, Impala grey duiker, Uganda kob and many more.
Zebra. Zebras are black and white stripped beautiful animals mostly seen in Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and kidepo National Park.
- Mongoose
- Hyena
- Cheetah
- Otters
- Fox
- Jackals
- … Among others
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