Kidepo Valley National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

By Ariadne van Zandbergen

Ariadne and her husband form a team who author the Bradt guide to Uganda.

The park has arguably the most diverse savannah fauna of any park in the country. It is particularly rich in predators, including lion, leopard, cheetah and bat-eared fox. Black-backed and side-striped jackal are both present. There are large herds of buffalo. Twelve antelope species occur in the park, including Jackson's hartebeest, oribi, eland, Uganda kob and klipspringer.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeOccasional

HippoNone

BuffaloAbundant

ZebraCommon

WildebeestNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardRare

CheetahOccasional

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogRare

Wildlife Highlights

Kidepo usually offers excellent lion and elephant sightings. Herds of up 1,000 buffalo are often encountered. Cheetah are seen with increasing frequency, and it is home to many dry-country species, among them caracal, aardwolf, greater and lesser kudu, mountain reedbuck and Guenther's dik-dik. Five primate species are present, including the localized patas monkey. Lucky visitors might spot the endangered Rothschild's giraffe.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The best time for wildlife viewing is the middle and end of the Dry season (November to February) when animals concentrate around reliable water sources. During the Wet season (April to August) animals disperse from the valleys and move to higher ground, where they are more difficult to locate.