Top Great Wildlife Species in Uganda : Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, is such a great country that stuns with beautiful nature and abundance of wildlife species thus once in a lifetime glimpse in Africa. Overall, Uganda is a great glimpse of the Africa safari nature, birdlife, primates as well as big five wild animals; lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffaloes, White Rhinoceros, Giraffes and primates ‘’great apes’’ the mountain gorilla and chimpanzee. But that’s not all to see while on safari in Uganda; well, the country is a hotspot for biodiversity species, over 345 species of mammals and 1100 species of birds,142 species of reptile ,86 species of amphibian ,501 species of fish, round 1242 species of butterfly and 4,500 species of vascular plants. Uganda’s mammals ranges from the great giant mountain gorillas to the smallest ones like bats bush babies and shrews thus making it a true haven for wildlife enthusiasts.
This article, brings clear information to know about the various animals found in Uganda and why it is a must visit destination for anyone looking to experience the beauty of nature. They are grouped into these categories;
Predators includes;
Lion
Leopard
Cheetah
Hyena
African civet
Mongoose
Genets
Otter
Bat- eared Fox
Jackal
Caracal
Serval cat
Primates Species includes;
Mountain gorilla
Chimpanzee
Red-tailed monkey
Golden monkey
Grey-cheeked Mangabey
Vervet Monkey
De Brazza’s Monkey
Black – and white colobus Monkey
Baboon
Blue Monkey
L’hoest’s Monkey
Red Colobus Monkey
Patas Monkey
Potto
Bush baby
Herbivores Includes;
Buffalo
Elephant
Giraffe
Hippo
Rhino
Zebra
Uganda Kob
Antelope ‘’29 species’’
Wild hogs, many others.
Reptiles Includes;
Crocodiles
Snakes
Monitor lizards
Chameleons
Carnivores species – predators that rule Uganda’s wilderness;
These Uganda carnivores are animals that naturally prey on other animals and the country boosts with large population of them. You’re most likely to adventure one of the apex predators on a safari game drive in Uganda’s national parks.
Note; About 38 carnivore species rule Uganda’s wilderness, preying on herbivores and other smaller animals. Some of them include lion, leopards and cheetah- are somewhat challenging to see in the wilderness because of sparse population in vast areas. Best game viewing of these predators is done with a local guide, armed ranger who lead you to their hunting grounds.
Others carnivore species include; the serval, caracal, Lynx and civet are obscure from regular sightings. You can be lucky to spot them in the wilderness unless you visit the Uganda Wildlife Education Center to watch them behind cages.
In Uganda, five canids or dog’s species can be seen like wild dogs, wolves, foxes and other extant and extinct species.
Seven canids are feline species – wild cat species including the cheetah, leopard, lion, lynx and the golden cat.
The hyena species – the striped hyena, the spotted hyena and the card wolf.
Other species include;
Ten mongooses
Six mustelids ‘’otters, badgers and weasels’’
Seven vive rids ‘’civets and genets’’
Uganda’s Wild Cats;
African Lion
Lions have great cultural significance in many Ugandan cultures as symbols of royalty, courage and strength. They are named as kings of the jungle. You can spot these apex predators on Uganda Safari destination in Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls National park and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Leopard
These species are known as agile hunter and quietly prey s which abundantly see in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Mt Elgon National Park and Toro- Semuliki Wildlife Reserve.
Cheetah
Cheetah is a fabulous wild cat to watch on the savanna plain. They are found in few countries and Uganda is one among the few to see this predator in action than in Kidepo Valley National Park and Pian Upe Game Reserve, the northeastern Karamojong region.
Serval
This is a small wild cat but with the biggest ears of any wild cat relative to body size. They can easily be seen in Bwindi but the high chance of seeing this predator is visiting ‘’UWEC Zoo in Entebbe.
African golden cat
This is a rarely seen creature of the west and central African forest. In Uganda, African golden cat is widespread in western Uganda and commonly seen in every forested national park except Semliki National Park.
African wild dog
They have long legged canine with large bat like ears and mottled coat lives in highly effective hunting packs of five to 50 individuals dominated by a female.
Bat-eared fox
This species is striking silver –grey insectivore. In Uganda, it’s commonly seen in Kidepo Valley and Pian Upe Game Reserve.
Jackal
Jackal is close related to domestic dogs, coyotes, foxes and wolves. Commonly seen in Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley, Lake Mburo and Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks.
Caracal
All cat species are monarchial, but the caracal seems to have crowns; They are large, have pointy ears, tipped with black and tufted. This royal wild cat prey in Kidepo National Park along with small monkeys and antelopes, mongooses, hyraxes, rodents and birds many more.
