World’s most sought animals found in Uganda : Wildlife is one of Uganda main tourists’ attractions as they attract thousands of people from all over the world. Wildlife watching comes second after primates watching on any wildlife safaris in Uganda and the success is possibly as result of the fact that there is a huge population and variety of wildlife species. The list includes animals like the various types of antelopes, cheetahs, warthogs, even the famous big fives, which are found in the various Uganda national parks. Expect to see at least four if not all the big fives during your Uganda wildlife safari. Here are the most sought animals include;
The Lion
This is also known as the king of beasts, they belong to the cat family and they are among the first animals that one will think of once you mention wildlife in Africa. These are amazing animals and they almost on everyone’s list of must see animals, probably because of their power, and their skillful hunting abilities.
The relationship between the human and the lions is very much affected by human consciousness because our ancestors who lived in African had to compete with the lions therefore made them their enemies. In Uganda, during our exciting game drive safaris lions are often seen roaming around in Queen Elizabeth National Park more so in the Ishasha sector of this park where the tree-climbing lions are commonly found. Murchison falls and Kidepo Valley Park are also on the list of places to visit if you are hunting for the king of the jungle.
The African Elephants
African Elephants are refered to as the Gardeners of the Savannah. They are also the world’s largest mammal on land and possibly Africa’s most charismatic animal. Fortunately, on your Uganda Safari, you will have a chance to see many of them. There are only a few animals that are so linked to the human welfare and the elephants are leading because of their ability to seriously affect the vegetation cover of an area, they can easily destroy farmers’ crops therefore can bring about famine but again through their extremely expensive ivory tusks, they can be a source of wealth for man. Elephants have played a huge role in improving Uganda’s economy and this is true in all African countries that have wildlife. In Uganda, there are both the forest and the savannah elephants and they can be seen in big numbers in places like Murchison falls, there are plenty of them in Queen Elizabeth, in Kidepo valley and in Semliki National Park where the biggest number are the forest elephants.
The Rhinoceros
In Africa, you can find both the white and the black rhinos however in Uganda, you will only find the white rhinos as it is the only specie that was reintroduced following a rhino extinction in the 1980, and these can be seen at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Rhinos are known as the great grazers. Both the Black and the white rhinoceros are indigenous to Uganda but following the extinction, only the white rhinos have been re-introduced.
The difference between these two is the fact that the black one often holds their heads really high up on their shoulders while the white one do the opposite of low-hanging and hump-shoulders. While feed on those short woody trees or the shrubs, Black rhinos grasp the leaves with their pointed upper lips and they use their horns to break branches, dig out tree roots. Their skin appear grayish and wrinkled because of the fact that they spend a lot of time wallowing in mud and the dust so as to cool down during the hot days and it also protects them from various insect bites.
They are similar in terms of height, which is averagely 1.6m by the shoulder although, in terms of weight, black Rhinoceros are smaller weighing half the weight of the White ones. These can weigh up around 1000kg.
The Buffalo
Buffaloes live in groups like the elephants called herds and sight of these herds is simply unforgettable. They have their heads raised, the horns are well polished, they have large fringed ears and their noses are often seen twitching. Just like the rhinos, buffaloes too wallow in mud for the same reason, they are the closest creatures to our own domestic cows and they are among the most ecologically significant mammals in Africa. Buffaloes prefer staying in places with water bodies because they highly depend on that water thus the reason you can never find them in the arid or semi-arid areas. They prefer places with the savannah kind of vegetation, in the woodland and also in the forested areas, thus the reason in Uganda they are very common in Queen Elizabeth, there are plenty of them in Murchison falls and in Kidepo Valley National Park.
The Leopard
Leopards are very beautiful animals that are interesting to look at but also very deadly thus the reason they are called the prince of darkness. The silent hunter is a more common nickname for this very elusive animal from the cat family. For generations, people all over Africa, Asia and the Middle East treat the leopards with the same fear as they have for the lions.
Leopards are however not really man-killer but they highly benefit from the fear they drive among human kind. Usually, it’s the domestic animals whose lives are at risk of being attacked by these cunning predators. The leopards compared to any other large predators are more compliant that is why they are seen in very close proximity human settlements, including outskirts of big cities. They can easily survive in any environment say in the forests, in the savannah regions, they can also be found in desert and mountainous and on your Safari in Uganda, you will have an opportunity to see them as well.
The big five name is the result of the fact that they are considerably hard to hunt down. Today they are among the most sought animals across the continent but only to see them and not to shoot them dead. Uganda is one of the few blessed places where you can find it all if you visit for your Uganda Wildlife Safari.
