Tree climbing lions in Uganda.
The Ishasha sector in the southern region of Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to tree climbing lions, which are one of the places in Uganda that are well-known for having them. The second-largest and most popular national park in Uganda is Queen Elizabeth, which is spread over four districts in the western part of the country: Kasese, Rukungiri, Kamwenge, and Rubirizi. In addition to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Tanzania’s Lake Manyara National Park is home to tree-climbing lions.
During the wildlife drive in the Ishasha area, visitors will see tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park lounging on the branches of fig or acacia trees. Elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, topi, warthogs, and hippos are just a few of the wildlife you may see.
Why do Ugandan lions climb trees?
Lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Ishasha Sector are said to climb trees for a variety of reasons, such as to shield themselves from the heat of the ground and to cool down from the tree branches, particularly during the dry season.
on the Ishasha sector, lions scale trees to have a good view of their prey. Since they are at a high altitude, they can see the Uganda kobs grazing on the open savannah plains.
After eating, tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha area use the trees as a place to relax.
Because the grounds get plagued with breeding insects that attack lions during the rainy season, lions in the Ishasha sector climb trees to escape from biting insects like mosquitoes and tsetse flies. This allows the lions to defend themselves from the ground insects.
In the Ishasha area, lions are also thought to climb trees as a behavioral adaption from previous generations that they may teach their offspring once they are born.
Along with the unusual tree-climbing lions, Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, hippos, Nile crocodiles, topi, giant forest hogs, and more than 600 bird species, including palm nut vulture, African skimmer, shoebill, swamp flycatcher, and great blue turaco.
The ideal time of year to see Uganda’s tree-climbing lions
The best time to visit Uganda’s tree-climbing lions is during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February. This is because the national park receives less or no rainfall during this time, making the access roads to the Ishasha sector dry and passable, as opposed to the rainy season, when they are muddy, slippery, and wet.
Compared to the rainy season, when the park’s grass is tall, tourists have a better chance of seeing the tree-climbing lions during the dry season because they climb trees to shield themselves from the heat of the ground and because there is less vegetation, making it easier to see them.
How to go to Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Ishasha Sector
In Uganda, tree-climbing lions can be found in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. To get to the park, visitors must drive from Kampala or Entebbe via Mubende, Fort Portal, or Mbarara. From there, they must connect to Ishasha sector, which takes roughly seven to eight hours.
It takes around three to four hours to travel from Buhoma sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Travelers can also take scheduled or charter flights with Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kasese or Mweya Airstrip, and then connect to Ishasha Sector, which is approximately two hours’ drive away. This is another way to get to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Where to stay in Uganda while on safari
Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Ishasha Jungle Lodge, Ishasha Ntungwe River Camp, Topi Lodge, At the River Ishasha, Enjojo Lodge, Savannah Resort Hotel, Bull bush River Camp, and several other lodging options are available in Queen Elizabeth National Park for your tree climbing lions safari.
