Chances of Spotting the Big Five on a Uganda Safari
Chances of Spotting the Big Five on a Uganda Safari are about 70% if you’re to explore all the destinations around the country. This is because the country is blessed with abundant wildlife species that are well distributed across the entire country.
The Big Five is a term that dates back to colonial times when hunting down wildlife was seen as a sport. These species were hunted by trophy hunters who would earn trophies. Hard wildlife species to get were named the Big Five. These animals include lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, and rhinos. Over the years, trophy hunting was stopped and the Big Five became an iconic attraction for tourists on wildlife safaris in Uganda.
Uganda is among the top destinations in the world where one can have a Big Five safari adventure. The country has 10 national parks with only about 5 of these harboring some of the Big Five. With these many national parks hosting these Big Five species, one can be rest assured of spotting them on a Uganda safari.
History of the Big Five Animals in Uganda
It is important to note that among the Big Five on a safari in Uganda, the Rhino is the rarest of all. This is because rhinos are highly endangered wildlife species and are highly targeted by poachers because of their horns. It is so unfortunate that their incredible beauty and distinctive look are the main cause of their poaching.
Uganda had a relatively high population of Black and White rhinos, but they were poached to extinction in their natural habitats. The last eastern Black Rhino in the wild was killed in 1983 in Kidepo Valley National Park. A year before, in 1982, the last White Rhino was found dead in the swamps of Murchison Falls National Park. During the 1970s and 80s, the country was in a dark place that was characterized by heavy insecurity and civil wars. This made wildlife vulnerable to poaching as there was no government body to protect them.
In the year 2005, rhinos were reintroduced in Uganda with six southern white rhinos arriving at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Over the years, this number has successfully increased to about 45 rhinos currently. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the only place in the country to encounter southern white rhinos. This adds to your chances of spotting the Big Five on a Uganda safari.
Where to see the Big Five on a Uganda safari?
With an insight into the Big Five in Uganda provided above, below is a list of destinations where you can spot them.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
For any Big Five adventure in Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park is always at the forefront. The park is best known for its incredible safari adventures. Queen Elizabeth National Park hosts 4 of the Big Five including lions, buffaloes, elephants, and leopards. Like most other destinations, the rhino is the only wild animal of the Big Five missing in this park.
This Park was established in 1952 by the colonialists and was referred to as Kazinga National park. In 1954 that is two years after it was established, the park was thrilled to host the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II. This led to the changing of the park’s name from Kazinga National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park to commemorate this visit.
Visitors to Queen Elizabeth National Park have chances of spotting the Big Five on a Uganda Safari. The park adds a twist to this adventure with tree-climbing lions in its Ishasha sector.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park is the furthest Big Five destination in Uganda. It is located on the border with Southern Sudan with a vast wilderness of over 1,442 square kilometers. The size of the park and its diverse ecological system favor safari activities with the most notable being game drives. The Narus valley is the best spot for Big Five encounters with vast grasslands covering a wider area and synthetic views of hills and mountains from a distance. The valley holds a permanent water source, which is the Narus River that provides water to the wildlife and anchoring grounds of the wildlife during the dry season.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is the epitome of the Big Five adventures on a Uganda safari. This is because of its strategic location close to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This sanctuary hosts the only population of Rhinos in Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park spans over 3,893 square kilometers, making it the largest protected area in Uganda. The park neighbors districts of Buliisa, Nwoya, Kiryandongo, and Masindi.
What to combine on your Big Five Adventure in Uganda
Uganda is well structured for incredible adventure series of all kinds. It is in this case that we introduce you to other attractions that can be added to the Big Five adventure encounters in Uganda.
Mountain gorillas
Mountain gorillas are a species of primates that dwell in the mountainous regions of Virunga. This area engulfs Uganda’s two main national parks, Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks. This conservation area also includes Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mountain gorillas are the most sought-after primates in Uganda. These unique creatures share with us humans over 98% of our DNA. This explains why they have a social lifestyle built like that of humans. They live in groups known as families headed by a dominant male gorilla called a silverback.
Encountering Mountain Gorillas on your trekking leaves visitors yearning for more. Uganda has more than half of the remaining world population of mountain gorillas, hence an assurance to visitors on Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris.
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees are also not far from their giant cousins, the mountain gorillas. They give visitors who track incredible wildlife experiences. Uganda hosts over 5,000 chimpanzees in the wild making it the best to spot these primates.
Chimpanzee destinations in the country include Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Kalinzu Forest Reserve, Budongo Forest Reserve, etc.
Birdlife
The diverse ecological systems in the country have played an incredible role in hosting the various birdlife. There are two categories of Bird species and these are migratory and resident birds. Resident bird Species are always around permenately whereas the migratory birds fly into the country in different seasons.
Uganda has over 1088 bird species and that’s over 11% of the world’s total population. Some of these birds include Denham’s bustard, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Long-tailed Nightjar, Long-toed Lapwing, Black-billed barbet, Rock Pratincole, Giant Kingfisher, Red-winged Grey Warbler, African Darter, Standard-winged Nightjar, etc.
Best time to See the Big Five in Uganda
The Dry season of June, July and August is the best time to see the Big Five. Uganda experiences an equatorial climate, meaning it has two dry and wet seasons yearly. The dry season runs from June to September and December to February, with dry conditions of little or no rainfall. This climate type allows visitors to traverse the savannah plains of different destinations for a Big Five experience on a Uganda safari.
