Wildlife to see in Uganda.

Wildlife to see in Uganda is what comes to everyone’s mind  planning an adventure holiday in Uganda. From the forest treks and hikes to game drive and walking safari. Some looking forward for the famous big five on their safaris, others concentrating more on primates in the thick jungles of Uganda.

Burchnell zebra and Rothschild giraffe in Uganda’s Lake Mburo National park

The official checklist of mammals found in Uganda numbers 345 species with both West and East African mammals being well represented. Using the same distinction between small and large mammals as that of the checklist, 132 of the species recorded in Uganda can be classified as large mammals and the remainder are small animals, as latter grouping comprising 94 bat species, 70 rat and mice, 33 shrews and otter, 8 gerbils, 4 elephant shrews and a solitary golden mole.

Primates in Uganda.

Primates are exceptionally well represented in Uganda. There is a wide spread disagreement about the taxonomical status of many primate species and subspecies, but the present checklist includes 13 diurnal and six nocturnal species. Six of the diurnal primates found in Uganda are guenon monkey, member of the taxonomically controversial family cercopithecus. The vervet monkey and blue guenon monkeys for instance are both widespread African species known by at least five different common names and both have over 20 recognized races, some of while are considered by some authorities to be separate species. Having been forced to try to make sense of this taxonomical maze in order to work out what is what, I might as well save you the effort and provide details of local races where they are known to me.

Apes of Uganda

The great apes of the family Pongidae are closely related to humans that a very partial observer might well place them in the same family as us.  Its though that chimpanzee is more closely related to human than it is to any other ape.

There are four apes species, of which two are found in Uganda.

The gorillas

Gorillas are the bulkiest member of the primate family; an adult gorilla may grow up to 1.8m high athough they seldom stand fully upright and weigh up to 210kg. Three subspecies of gorilla are recognized. The most common race, the western lowland gorilla (G.g.gorilla)  is not present in Uganda, but an estimate of 40,000 live in the rainforest of west and central Africa. The endangered east lowland gorilla (G.g.gaueri) is restricted to patches of the forest in eastern Congo, where there is an estimate of 4,000 animals. The most threatened race of gorillas is the mountain gorilla (G.g.beringei). in 1993, their number was estimated to be 640 but now there is an increase to 1063 due to conservation boost.

Mountain gorilla and baby in Bwindi impenetrable national park

In Uganda, mountain gorillas are residents of Bwindi impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla Park and they regularly visit Mgahinga gorilla national park.

The chimpanzees.

Chips (Pan troglodytes) is a distinctive black coated ape, more closely related to human than any other living creature. Chimps live in loosely-bonded troops of between 10 and 120 animals, normally based around a of related males with an internal hierarchy topped by an alpha male. Females are generally less strongly bonded to their core group than are males; emigrating between communities is not unusual. Mother-child bonds are strong. Daughters normally leave their mother only after they reach maturity, at which point relations between them may be served.

Mother-son relations have been known to survive for over 40 years. A troop has a well defined core territory which is fiercely defended by regular boundary patrols.

Chimpanzee in Budongo forest

Chimpanzees are primarily frugivorous(fruit eating) but they do not eat meat on occasion; young baboons, various types of monkeys, small antelopes and bush pigs. Most kills are opportunistic, but stalking of prey is not unusual. Cannibalism has also been observed. The first recorded instance of chimp using a tool was at Gombe stream in Tanzania, where they regularly use modified sticks to fish in termite mounds. I n west Africa, they have been observed cracking nuts open using a stone and anvil.

Chimpanzees are amongst  the most intelligent  of animals; in language studies in the USA , they have been taught to communicate in American sign language, and have demonstrated their understanding in some instances by even creating compound words for new objects (such as rock-berry to describe a nut)

Chimpanzee are typical animals of the rainforest and woodland form Guinea to western Uganda. Their behavior has been studied since 1960 by Jane Goodall and others at Gombe stream (Tanzania) and their sites across Africa, including the Budongo and Kibale forest in Uganda. Chimpanzee live in most of these forests in western Uganda and they have been habituated for tourists in areas of Kibale forest national park, Kyambura gorge and Kalinzu forest of Queen Elizabeth national park, Bugoma forest and Budongo and Kanyiyo Pabidi forests in Murchison falls national park.

Monkeys

All the monkey found in Uganda are members of the family Cercopithecidae (old world monkey). They fall into five genera; colobus (closely related to the leafy-eating monkeys of Asia) cercopithecus (guenons), papio (baboons), erythrocebus (patas) and cercocebus (mangabeys).

Baboons (Papio spp) are heavily-built terrestrial primates, easily distinguished from any other monkey found in Uganda by their large size and distinctive dog-like head. They live in large troops with a complex and rigid social structure held together by matriarchal lineages. Males frequently move between troops in their search for social dominance. Baboons are omnivorous and highly adaptable, for which reason they are the most widespread primate in Africa. Four types of baboon live in sub-Saharan Africa. The olive baboon, the only type found in Uganda, is accorded full species status(P.anubis) by some authorities and is regarded as a race of the savannah baboon (P. cyanocephalus) by other. Baboon are widespread and common in Uganda: they occur in all but the three montane nationa parks and frequently seen on the fringes of forest reserves and even along the roadside elsewhere in the country.

The patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas) is another terrestrial primate, restricted to the dry savannah of north-central Africa. The patas  could be confused with the vervet monkey, but it has a light reddish- brown coat and a black stripe above the eyes (the vervet is  greyer and has a black face mask). In Uganda, patas monkey is restricted to the extreme north, where it can be seen in Kidepo and Murchison falls national parks. It is also known as the hussar monkey. The race found in Uganda is the Nile patas or nisras (E. p. pyrrhonotus)

The vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) is a light grey guenon readily identified by its black face and the distinctive blue genitals of the male. The vervet is associated with a wide variety of habitats; it is the only guenon you are likely to see outside  of the forest and it is thought to be the most numerous monkey species in the world. The vervet monkey is also know as the green, tantalus, savannah and grivet monkey.

More than 20 races are recognized, and some authorities group these races into four distinct species. At least four races are found in Uganda: C.a. centralis (black-faced vervet) C.a.callidus (Naivasha vervet) C.a.marrensis(Jebel Mara tantalus) and C.a. stuhlmanni (Stuhlmann’s green monkey). Vervet monkeys are widespread and common in Uganda,  absent only from forest interiors and afro-alpine habitats.

The blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis) is the most widespread forest-dwelling guenon in East Africa. It is a uniform dark blue-grey colour expect for its white throat and chest patch, with thick fur and backward-projecting hair on its forehead. The blue monkey is common in most Ugandan forests, where it lives in troops of between four and 12 animals and frequently associated with other primates. It is also known as the diademed guenon, samango monkey, skyke’s monkey and white- throated guenon. Over 20 races are identified, of which three are found in Uganda, including the so-called golden monkey, which in Uganda is restricted to Mgahinga Gorilla national park. Blue monkeys occur in all but two of Uganda’s national park (Murchison falls and Lake Mburo being the exceptions) and in practically every other forest in the country.

The red tailed monkey (Cercopithecus ascinius) is another widespread forest guenon, brownish in appearance with white cheek whiskers, a red tail and a distinctive white, heart-shaped patch on its nose. The red tailed monkey is normally seen singly, in pair or in small family groups, but it frequently associates with other monkeys and has been known to accumulate in groups of up to 200. It is also know as the black-cheeked white-nosed monkey. The race found in Uganda is C.a.schmidti. The confussion over guenon taxonomy is further complicated by the fact that red-tailed and blue monkeys regularly interbreed in the Kibale forest. Red tailed monkeys occur in Kibale forest, Bwindi, Semliki and Queen Elizabeth national parks, as well as in the Budongo and several other forest reserves.

DeBrazza’s monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus) is a thickset guenon with a realatively short tail. It has a hairy face with a reddish-brown patch around its eyes, a white band across its brow and a distinctive white moustache and beard.

DeBrazza’s  monkey is primarily a west African species and it is very localized in East Africa, where it is most likely to be seen in the vicinity of Mount Elgon and Semuliki national park.

L’Hoest’s monkey (Cercopithecus lhoesti) is less well known and more difficult to see than most guenons, largely due to its preference for dense secondary forest and its terrestrial habits. It has a black face and backward projecting whisker which partially covers its ears, and it is the only guenon which habitually carries its tail in an upright position. In Uganda, L’Hoest’s monkey is most likely to be seen in Kibale forest, but it also occurs in Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth and possibly Rwenzori mountain national park.

Grey cheeked mangabey (Cercocebus algigena) is a grayish-black monkey with few distinguished features. It has baboon-like mannerisms, a shaggier appearance than any guenon, light grey cheeks, and a slight mane. Grey cheeked mangabeys live in  lowland and mid-altitude forests. In Uganda, the are most likely to be seen in the Kibale forest, where they are common, though they are also known to occur in Semuliki national park. The race found here in Uganda is also known as the Johnstone’s mangabey (C.a. johnstoni).

Black and white colobus monkey (Colobus guereza)  is a beautifully-marked and distinctive animal with a black body, white facial markings, long white tail and in some races, a white side stripe. The black and white colobus lives in small groups and it is almost exclusively arboreal. An adult is capable of jumping up to 30 metres, a spectacular sight with its white tail streaming behind. This is probably the most common and widespread forest monkey in Uganda, occurring in most sizable forest patchesand even in well developed riparian woodland. The Rwenzori race of the closely related Angola colobus (Colobus angolensis) occur alongside the black and white colobus in the forested parts of Rwenzori national park.

Red colobus monkey (Colobus badius) is relatively large reddish-grey monkey with few distinguishing features, though in some races the crown is slightly tufted. It is highly sociable and normally lives in scattered troops of 50 0r more animals. About 15 races of red colobus are recognized, many of which are considered by some authorities to be distinct species. In Uganda, red colobus monkey are now restricted to Kibale forest national parkand its environs, though they formally occurred in semuliki national park.

Nocturnal primates.

Bush babies or galagos are small, nocturnal primates, distantly related to their lemurs of Madagascar and widespread in all woodland habitats in sub-saharan Africa. The bushbaby’s piercing cry is one of the distinctive sounds of the African night. If you want to see a bushbaby, trace the cry to tree, then shine a torch into it and you should easily pick out its large round eyes. Five bushbaby species are found in Uganda, of which the lesser bushbaby (galago senegalensis)is the most common.

An insectivorous creature only 17 cm long excluding its tail, the lesser bushbaby is a creature of the woodland as opposed to true forest, and it has been recorded in all Uganda’s savanna reserves. The eastern  needled-clawed bushbaby  (G.inustus), Thomas’s bushbaby (G. Thomas) and dwarf bush baby (G.demidovii) all occur in the Kibale and Bwindi forests and the dwarf bushbaby has also been recorded in Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth national parks. There claims of sightings  the Matschie’s bush baby  (C. matschiei) but distribution is not yet confirmed.

The potto (Perodicticus potto) is reasonably larger, sloth-like creature which live in the forest interiors, where it spends the nights foraging upside down from tree branches. It can sometimes be located at night by shinning a spotlight into the forest. Pottos occur in Kibale, Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth national parks, and are most likely to be seen in guided night walks in Kibale forest.

CANIVORES

A total of 38 carnivores have been recorded in Uganda; five canine species, seven felines three hyenas, ten mangooses, six mustelids (otters,badgers and weasels) and seven viverrids (civets and genets)

Felines

The lion (Panthera leo)  is the largest African carnivore, and the one animal that everyone wants to see when on safari. Lions are the most sociable of the large cats, living in loosely structured family  groups known as prides which typically consists of between five and fifteen animals. They normally hunt at night taking advantage of their good sight in the dark than their prey. However, they are also very capable of hunting during day. Their favorite prey is a medium-to-large antelope such as wildebeest, gazelle and impala. Females working in a team of up to eight animals are responsible for most hunts. Rivalry between male lions is intense: prides may have more than one dominant male working in collaboration to prevent a take-over and young males are forced out of their home pride at about 3 years of age. Pride takeover are often fought to the death ; after a successful one, it is not unusual for all the male cubs to be killed. Lions are not very active during the day, they most often seen lying in the shade looking the picture of regal indolence. They occur naturally  in most woodland and grassland habitats, but due to heavy poaching,  they are now throughout Uganda and are residents in only 3 national parks; Murchison falls, Queen Elizabeth and Kidepo valley national park.

The leopard (Pantera pardus) is well know for its solitary nature. They hunt using stealth and power often getting within 5m  of their intended prey before pouncing, and they habitually store their kill in a tree to keep it from being poached by other large predators and most commonly hyenas. They can be distinguished from cheetahs by their rosette-shaped spots and more powerful build as well as by their preference for wooded or rocky habitats. Leopard are found in habitats that can offer them adequate cover, and are present in 4 savanna national parks; Kidepo valley, Murchison falls, Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo national park.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) though superficially similar to the leopard, its is the most diurnal of africa’s cat species and it hunts using speed as opposed to stealth. Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals. Capable of running up to 70km /hr in short bursts. Male cheetahs are strongly territorial and in some areas they commonly defend their territory in pairs or trios. Cheetahs are the least powerful of the large predators; they are chased from a high percentage of their kill and 50% of cheetah cubs are killed by other predators before they reach three months of age. Like leopards, cheetahs are heavily-spotted and solitary in their habitats, but their greyhound-like build, distinctive black tear-marks and preference for grassland and savannah habitats precludes confusion. In Uganda, cheetahs are present in the Pian Upe game reserve and Kidepo valley national park.

The Caracal (Felis caracal) is a medium sized cat found in open habitats and easily identified by its uniform reddish-brown coat and tufted ears. In Uganda, it occurs only in kidepo valley national park. The slightly larger serval (Felis serval) has pale spotted coat, making it possible to confuse it with some genet species. It favours moister habitats than the caracal, ranging from woodland to forest and it is wide spread in Uganda. The African golden cat (Felis aurata) is a rarely seen creature of the west African forest; it is wide spresd in western Uganda, where it has been recoeded in every forested national park except Semuliki. The African wild cat (Felis silvestris) is reminiscent of the domestic tabby, with which it has been known to interbreed successfully and it is found in most savannah habitats in Uganda.

Canines

The most widespread canine in Uganda is the side-stripped jackal (Canis adustus) which occurs in all the savannah parks as well as Bwindi and Mgahinga. The only other canine species which is definitely found in Uganda are Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) and bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) both of which of which are restricted to Kidepo valley national park and else where in the dry northeast.

The golden jackal (Canis aureus) appear on the Ugandan checklist but has not been recorded in any national park and its presumably a vagrant.

The African hunting dog  (Lycaon pictus) is an endangered animal which lives in pack of ten or more and can be distinguished by its cryptic black, brown and cfream coat. Hunting dogs are widely distributed in sub-saharan Africa; but despite being highly effective pack hunters, they are threatened with extinction due to their susceptibility to canines diseases. They were probably extinct in Uganda until a pair was re-introduced at CTC conservation center a year back. However, there were unconfirmed records in kidepo valley national park some years back.

Other carnivores;

The civet (Civetticus civetta) is a bulky, long-haired cat-like viverrid, which has been kept in captivity for thousands of years (its anal secretions were found in making perfumes until a synthetic replacement was found. Surprisingly, little is know about their habitat in the wild. Civets are widespread and common in most wooded habitats and they have been recorded in most of Uganda’s national parks but they are seen very rarely due to their secretive, nocturnal habitats .

Genets are a closely related group of cat-like viverrids characterized by spotted coats and extraordinally long tails. They are secretive and little known scientifically but as they are attracted to human waste, they are often seen slinking around camp sites and lodges after dark. The servaline genet (genetta tigrina), large spotted genet (Genetta tigrina) and small spotted genet (Genetta genetta) are all widespread in Uganda, with the latter two generally occurring in more lightly wooded areas than the former. A west African species, the giant forest genet (Genetta victiriae), has been recorded in forest in the Queen Elizabeth national park.

The spotted hyena  (Crocuta crocuta) is the most common member of the hyena familyin Uganda. Although dog-like in appearance, hyenas are more closely related to mongooses and cats than they are to dogs. Despite its image as a scavenger, the spotted hyena is an adept hunter capable of killing an animal as large as a hartebeest. In the ancient times, the spotted hyena was thought to be hermaphrodite; the female’s vagina is blocked by a false but remarkably realistic-looking scrotum and penis. Most hyena species live in loosely structured clans of around 10 animals.

Clans are led by female, which are stronger and larger than males. The spotted hyena is bulky with a sloping back, light brown coat marked with dark brown spots and an exceptionally powerful jaw which enables it to crack open bones and slices through the thickest hide. The spotted hyena is found in all of Uganda’s savanna national parks.

The secretive stripped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) and the insectivorous aardwolf (Proteles cristatus) are dry country hyenas which in Uganda are more or less restricted to kidepo valley national park.

Of the various mustelid species found in Uganda, the most remarkable is the ratel of honey badger (Mellivora capensis). The honey badger has a puppy-like head, black sides and underparts and a greyish-white back. It is an adaptable creature eating whatever comes its way (Ever heard a story that a honey badger killed a buffalo by running underneath it and biting off its testicles! Which, if its true, is certainly taking opportunism to a wasteful extreme). When they are not bobbiting bovines, honey badgers occasionally indulge in symbiotic relationship with a bird called the great honeyguide; the honey guide takes the honey badger to a bee hive, which the honey badger then tears open, allowing the honey guide to feed on the scraps. According to some sources, the honey badger fumigates the bee hive with its anal secretions. Honey badgers are wide spread in Uganda, but uncommon and rarely seen. Other mustelids found in uganda include three types of otters, the zorilla (striped polecat) and striped weasel.

Of the ten mongooses recorded in uganda, five are widespread and common enough to have been recorded in atleast half the national parks. They are the marsh mongoose (Atilax paludinosus) Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon)  slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus),  white-tailed mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda) and banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) quite very common.

Antelope.

A total of 29 antelopes species are included on the checklist for Uganda. Of these, eight fall in the category of large antelopes, having a shoulder height of above 120cm (roughly the height of a zebra), eight are in the category of the medium sized antelopes having a shoulder height of 75cm and 90cm, and the remainder are small antelopes, with a shoulder height of 30cm and 60cm.

Large antelopes

The world’s largest antelope is the eland, of which there are two species, the widespread common eland (Tragelaphus oryx) and the localized and endangered Derby’s eland (Taurotragus derbianus)

The common eland can measure over 180cm in height, and it has a rather bovine appearance. It is fawn-brown in colour, with a large dewlap and short spiralled horns and in some cases light white stripes on its sides. The common eland occur in open and often relatively arid habitats throughout East and southern Africa. In Uganda, it is common in Lake Mburo national park.

Derby’s eland is locally extinct in Uganda. They used to occur only in the savannah habitats west of the of the Albert Nile, and it wasn’t recorded in any of Uganda’s national parks.

The greater Kudu  (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is another ver large antelope, measuring up to 150cm in height. It is strikingly handsome creature, with a grey-brown coat marked by thin white side-stripes. The male has a small dewlap and large spiraling horns. Greater kudu live in small groups in woodland habitats. In Uganda, they are found only in Kidepo valley national park.

The hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) is an ungainly-looking, tan-coloured antelope with large shoulders, a sloping back and relatively small horn. It lives in small herds in lightly wooded and open savannah habitats. The typical hartebeest of Uganda is Jackson’s hartebeest (A.b.jacksoni). The closely related and similarly built topi (Damaliscus lunatu) has much darker coat than the hartebeest and distinctive blue-black marking above its knees. Jackson’s hartebeest is most frequently seen in Murchison falls national park, Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park, Kidepo valley and Lake Mburo national park.

The Defasa waterbuck (Kobus ellipsyprymnus)is a shaggy-looking animal with a grey-brown coat and a white rump. The male has large curved horns. It is considered by some authorities to be a distinct species K.defasa (the common waterbuck found east of the rift valley has a white ring on its rump), but the two races interbreed where they overlap. Defasa waterbuck live in small herds and are most often seen grazing near water. They are found in suitable habitats in all four of the savannah national parks.

The roan antelope (Hippotragus equines) is a handsome animal with a light reddish-brown coat, short backward-curving horns and a small mane on the back of the neck. It is currently only present in Kidepo valley national park.

The oryx (Oryx gazelle) is a regal-looking antelope, ash-grey in colour and with distinctive scimitar-shaped horns. Oryx are associated with semi desert and dry acacia woodland; in Uganda, the Beisa Oryx is present in Kidepo valley national park.

Medium sized antelopes

The Uganda Kob (Kobus kob) is uganda’s national animal. It is generally associated with grassy  flood plains and open vegetation near water. Although closely related to waterbuck and reedbucks, the kob is reddish-brown in colour and resembles an impala, but is bulkier in appearance and lacks the impala’s black side stripe. Uganda kob live in herds  of up to 40 animals in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison falls, Lake Mburo and Kidepo valley national park.

Possibly, the most wide spread antelope in Uganda is the bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), which lives I the forest and riverine  woodland. The male bushbuck has a dark chestnut coat marked with white spots and stripes. The female is lighter in colour vaguely resembles a large duiker. The bushbuck is secretive and elusive, but it is abundant in suitable habitats. It is present in most forests and national parks in Uganda.

The related Sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekei) is a semi-aquatic antelope similar I appearance to a bushbuck, but the male is larger with shaggier coat and both sexes are stripped. The statunga lives in papyrus swamps and although rarely seen, it is found in suitable habitats throughout Uganda, including six national parks.

Also related to the bushbuck, the lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) is a dry country antelope, similar in appearance to the great kudu, but much smaller and more heavily stripped (great kudu have between 6 to 10 stripes; lesser kudu have 11 or more). Lesser kudu are present in Kidepo valley national park.

The impala (Aepyceros melampus) is a slender, handsome antelope, superficially similar to gazelle, but belonging to a separate family. The impala can be distinguished from any gazelle by its chestnut colouring, sleek appearance and the male’s distinctive lyre shaped horns. An adult impala can jump for over 10m.  impala live in herds of between 20 and a few hundred animals. They favour well-wooded savannah and woodland fringes, and are often abundant in such habitats. In Uganda, impalas are only found in Lake Mburo national park.

Small antelopes.

Nine of the small antelope species present in Uganda are duikers, a family of closely related antelopes which are generally characterized by their small size, sloping back, and preference of thickly forested habitats. Between 16 and 19 duiker species are recognized, many of them extremely localized in their distribution.

The grey duiker (Sylvicapra gimmia), also known as the common or bush duiker, is an atypical member of its family, in that it generally occurs in woodland and savannah habitats. It has a grey-brown coat with a vaguely speckled appearance. The grey duiker is wide spread in East and southern  Africa, and it occurs in all four of Uganda’s savannah national parks as well as Mount Elgon and Rwenzori national parks.

Of the more typical duiker species, Harvey’s red duiker (Cephalophus harveyi) is a tiny chestnut-brown antelope found in the forested parts of Queen Elizabeth national park and in Kibale forest. The Blue duiker (C.monticola) is even smaller, with a grey-blue coat. It is known to occur in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison falls, Kibale and Bwindi impenetrable national park. Peter’s duiker (C.callipygus) has been recorded in Bwindi, Kibale and Queen Elizabeth national park, the black-fronted duiker (C. nigrifrons) in Mgahinga and Bwindi and there has been unconfirmed sighting of the white-bellied duiker (C.leucogaster) for Bwindi and Semuliki.

Of the other small antelope recorded in Uganda, the most distinctive is the Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus) which has a dark-grey, bristly coat and an almost speckled appearance. It has goat-like habits and is invariably found in the vicinity of koppies or cliffs (the name klipspringer means rock jumper in Afrikaans). Klipspringer are very rare and  live in pairs in suitable habitats in Kidepo valley national park.

The oribi (Ourebia ourebi)n is an endearing gazelle-like antelope with a reddish-brown back, white under parts and a diagnostic black scent gland under its ears. It is one of the largest small antelopes in Africa elephant (Loxodonta Africana) is the world’s largest land mammal, and it is also one of the worls’s most intelligent and entertaining to watch. A fully grown elephant is about 3.5m high and weighs around 6,000kg. Female elephants live in closely-knit clans in which the eldest female takes a matriarchal role over her sisters, daughters and granddaughters. Mother-daughter bond are strong and may exist up to 50 years. Males generally leave the family group at around 12 years, after which they either roam around on their own or form a bachelor herd. Under normal circumstances, elephants range widely in search of food and water, but, when concentrated populations are forced to live in conservation areas, their habit of uprooting trees can cause serious environmental damage.

Two races of elephants are recognized in Uganda. The savannah elephant of east and southern Africa(Loxodonta.a.africana) and the smaller and slightly hairier forest elephant of west African rainforest (L.a.cylotis). the two races  are thought to interbreed in parts of western Uganda. Despite severe poaching, elephants occur in all savannah national parks accept Lake Mburo national park. They are more likely to be seen in Murchison falls national park and Queen Elizabeth national park.