Lake Mburo National Park has a good variety of wildlife. Lions are locally extinct, but there are healthy populations of leopard and spotted hyena. Antelope species include impala, defassa waterbuck, eland, topi, duiker, oribi, bohor reedbuck and klipspringer. Herds of up to 100 buffalo are common, and Rothschild’s giraffe has been reintroduced. Other wildlife includes plains zebra, warthog, olive baboon and vervet monkey. Hippos and crocodiles can be found in the lakes.
Wildlife Highlights
Lake Mburo is probably the most reliable park in Uganda for leopards, which are quite frequently encountered on night drives (though sightings are less frequent for a few days around full moon). It is also the only place in Uganda where the impala is naturally resident, while plains zebra and eland are otherwise only found in Kidepo Valley National Park. Lake Mburo’s bushbuck have an unusual habit of standing on termite mounds.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
Lake Mburo can be visited anytime, with wildlife viewing pretty consistent year-round. The Dry seasons (January to February and June to August) are best for seeing animals gather around rivers and waterholes. During the Wet seasons (March to May and September to December), large numbers of animals can be seen in the open valleys.