Do Lions Prey on Gorillas?

One of the frequently asked question is: do lions prey on gorillas? No, there are no known incidences where lions have been seen preying on gorillas in the wild. There are several reasons why this has not been observed yet. One is that there is no overlap between their habitats. Gorillas occupy Afromontane habitats, rainforests and other jungles. While lions have been seen entering the jungles of Kibale National Park, rainforests are not their preferred habitats. They love open grassland savannahs.

Where to see Lions in Uganda?

Three destinations have a substantial population of lions, namely Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley national parks. There is a total of 291 lions left in the protected areas today, Yes, these are few numbers, but a lot is being done to ensure that their numbers go up like before. Lion destinations in Uganda are described as below,

Murchison Falls National Park,

The largest national park in Uganda with a total size of 3,840 square kilometers. The savannah park in the northwest of Uganda hosts the biggest population of lions in the country, specifically 240 individuals. These lions love to live in the savannah grasslands of the northern sector. Game drives are the best way of spotting the lions in Murchison Falls National Park. However, you might be lucky to see a lion during a boat cruise on River Nile. Lion tracking is also offered for specific trips to search for and observe a radio-collared lion.

Queen Elizabeth National Park,

At 1,978 square kilometers, Queen Elizabeth National Park is second to Murchison Falls in terms of size. There are 39 lions living inside, but the entire Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area has 93 lions. Like in Murchison Falls National Park, lions can be seen during game drives. Also, lion tracking is offered for specialized tracking of the lion with experts. Lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park can be seen in the Kasenyi Plains. Tree-climbing lions, one of the iconic wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National park live in the Ishasha Sector.

Kidepo Valley National Park,

At 1,442 square kilometers in size, Kidepo Valley National Park hosts 12 lions in its beautiful golden savannah habitats. Kidepo is found in the northeast of Uganda, at the border with South Sudan. Like the previous 2 national parks, lions can be seen during game drives. The Narus Valley and Kidepo Valley offer the best places for game drives in Kidepo. During a nature walk, you might come across a lion.

Where to See Gorillas in Uganda?

Only in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park can you see mountain gorillas in Uganda. These rainforests are situated in the southwest of Uganda. Bwindi National Park was recently ranked third best adventure destination on earth. It is 321 square kilometers in total land area and a UNESCO World Heritage site. With a total of 459 individual gorillas, the place has close to a half of the global total population. Meanwhile, with at least 22 habituated gorilla families, it has the highest number of families offered for mountain gorilla trekking.

Gorilla habituation experiences are also offered in Bwindi, making it the only place to officially offer this for mountain gorillas. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park on the other hand is also full of surprises regardless of its relatively smaller size of 33.7 square kilometers. With a single habituated gorilla family, visitors enjoy more intimate and quite gorilla treks of this Nyakagezi group. Beside, Mgahinga is found within the Virunga Conservation Area, with a combined total of 604 mountain gorillas. It is also host to the Virunga volcanoes, with 3, namely Gahinga, Muhavura and Sabyinyo.

Best time to see Lions and Gorillas in Uganda?

While both the gorilla and lion are availed for viewing every day, the dry season offers the best views. Twice in a year—June to August and December to February—the dry season is experienced in the wildlife destinations. What makes the views clearer are the less dense vegetation caused by low rainfall quantities in the dry season. Even when these mammal species want to hide under grass or large foliage, at least they can be seen. Reason 2 is the easy navigation or walking on the game tracks and gorilla trails respectively. In the dry season, they are not as muddy or slippery like always is in the wet season.

Why See Wildlife with Us?

Choose Standard Safaris for all the unforgettable Uganda tours including gorilla and wildlife safaris. For context, we are a local-based tour operator with a license from Uganda Tourism Board to handle all tours and travel here. You will travel in reliable 4-wheel drive safari cars with greatly knowledgeable and engaging driver-guides. Meanwhile, enjoy constant communication from our team at all times. Uganda Wildlife Authority and us have a strong relationship to ensure we secure your gorilla permits fast and without any hassle. Plus, our services are backed by strong TripAdvisor reviews written by some of our clients. You can contact us today to plan a customized itinerary that includes gorillas and wildlife safaris.

Soledad Gomez

Fun Safari. Loved it. Godwin was an amazing guide! He was informative, funny and took us around well. He was able to find so many animals and the weather was amazing. He allowed us to take time at each spot when we saw an animal we were looking forward to seeing. All our lodges were carefully chosen by Coleb and we all loved them. We booked the 6 days safari and highly recommend it to everyone visiting Uganda. We had a wonderful time!. 10/10 recommended!!

Maria Torondel

We rated this experience top of everything, because it truly was outstanding in every way! From our pickup which was punctual, quick and comfortable to our Safari in Murchison falls, Kibale and Bwindi NP, Standard safaris delivered to the dot. Our guide was a very Kind, punctual and extremely knowledgeable person who could tell us many facts about each and every animal we encountered. Due to his insights we were able to spot 4 of the Big Five, the Rhinos, buffaloes, lions and Elephants multiple times, as well as Hippos, Crocodiles, Giraffes and many more. Thanks to his calm and patience we were even able to watch an elephant fight right in front of us without any safety concerns. It was truly a very memorable day with a lot of fun and also good food.This is truly an experience for everyone, from solo travellers to big groups! Great tour company with a great guide!!!!!!!

Alexis F

This was an amazing experience organised by Standard Safaris through Coleb. During the tour itself, we got a chance to see so many animals and we learned a lot of interesting facts from our tour guide Godwin. He was funny and made sure we all got a chance to speak and see the full beauty of Uganda. We had an excellent time and a good tour for the whole family.

Elena Hoya

It was my first time in Uganda and honestly it was an amazing tour. Our pick up and drop off were comfortable. Our guide throughout the safari was excellent at his job. He was attentive with everyone and was very knowledgeable about all the cultures and landscapes of the country. During planning, Coleb did his best in tailoring our itinerary to fit our travel needs. I'm so glad we booked this tour. It was one of a kind.

E A

My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime, an unforgettable experience from start to finish. From gorilla trekking to game drives, every moment was magical and the wildlife encounters were simply breathtaking. Our guide Godwin was knowledgeable and attentive, and every detail of the trip was perfectly organized. Uganda’s beauty exceeded all our expectations, and the team took wonderful care of us throughout. Thank you for showing us the Pearl of Africa, we’ll cherish these memories forever. Highly recommended

KLAU conde

I LOVE MY SAFARI WE DID GORILLA TREKING AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE BIG FIVES, Everything was phenomenal the drivers the lodges my favorite one was Acacia Lodge, where you open the door of your lodge and you have the Elephants and hippos there . we also went to the Ecuatorian line very cool

Elisa Peralta

We spent a WONDERFUL time in Rwanda, thanks to Standard Safaris and especially thanks to our amazing driver George. If you plan to go on safari in Rwanda with Standard Safaris, ask him as your driver guide. He will share all his knowledge and experience about animals, nature, people, food etc… He drives very safely and is friendly. Thanks to him we saw a lot of animals ( especially the big 5😃 in Akagera NP) and Know so much more about Rwanda. We were travelling with our 2 children (7 and 11 years old), and they were delighted. We feel very lucky and we are grateful for this wonderful safari in East Africa.

Susana Lara Valenciano

We booked a 9-Days safari in Uganda with Standard Safaris, all-inclusive with a driver guide, all tour activities, permits and lodges. Honestly, we were very happy to have George as our guide. He drove us safely around the country and explained many things along the way. Thanks to him, we were able to spot many animals in the national parks, and we always stayed on track with our itinerary. The jeep was new and well maintained, however, the seats in the back were quite high with small windows, which made it difficult to look outside. But nevertheless, we still had a 10/10 safari experience in Uganda. We look forward to returning for another safari next year and telling our friends about Standard Safaris.

Pablo Sanchez Rubio

My wife and I had a gorilla safari of a lifetime in Uganda late last month. Our driver/guide Denis was incredible. He gave us so much information about Uganda and was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, cultures, people, politics, the geography, etc. By the end of the week we considered him a friend and we will recommend him and Standard Safaris to anyone looking to go to East Africa. Thank you so much guys!

Salome Ochando

If there were 10 stars I would give them. From my first "Hello" with Coleb to our last set of selfies on the equator with Denis, this tour company out-did themselves!! Absolutely professional and helpful from beginning to end. We're already booking another trip for next year! They had organised everything- gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, all national park entrance fees, lodgings, every meal included. It was so easy I didn't even know where we were going until we were there! Pure relaxation. We had a few extra free days at the end so Coleb suggested adding on Mabamba Wetland and this was a wonderful experience with the shoebill and all these beautiful birds. Denis is the best tour guide I've ever met. 100% knowledgeable and professional and accommodating and..a new friend😊.. Thank you Standard Safaris!!