Murchison Falls National Park
🇺🇬 Uganda
🦒 Giraffes Above the Nile FallsMurchison Falls National Park sits in Uganda, protecting a broad tropical savanna split by the Victoria Nile. The river pushes through a narrow rock gap, creating a powerful waterfall that defines the surrounding terrain of rolling grasslands, woodland patches, and sandy riverbanks.
2.231° N 31.872° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
★ 
African Fish-Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
★ 
Northern Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
📊 Most Spotted
Kob
Kobus kob
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Patas Monkey
Erythrocebus patas
Oribi
Ourebia ourebi
Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
Common Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
Piapiac
Ptilostomus afer
African Grey Hornbill
Lophoceros nasutus
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
Olive Baboon
Papio anubis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Kob
Kobus kob
African Bush Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Patas Monkey
Erythrocebus patas
Oribi
Ourebia ourebi
Common Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
Common Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
Olive Baboon
Papio anubis
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Lion
Panthera leo
Mantled Guereza
Colobus guereza
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Piapiac
Ptilostomus afer
African Grey Hornbill
Lophoceros nasutus
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
Rüppell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagris
African Palm-Swift
Cypsiurus parvus
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
Uraeginthus bengalus
Red-throated Bee-eater
Merops bulocki
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Black-headed Gonolek
Laniarius erythrogaster
Spur-winged Lapwing
Vanellus spinosus
Northern Ground Hornbill
Bucorvus abyssinicus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Finch’s agama
Agama finchi
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus
Speckle-lipped Mabuya
Trachylepis maculilabris
Bell’s Hingeback Tortoise
Kinixys belliana
Graceful Chameleon
Chamaeleo gracilis
African Five-lined Skink
Trachylepis quinquetaeniata
African Softshell Turtle
Trionyx triunguis
Tropical House Gecko
Hemidactylus mabouia
African Rock Python
Python sebae
Sudan Plated Lizard
Broadleysaurus major
Puff Adder
Bitis arietans
Smooth Chameleon
Chamaeleo laevigatus
📊 Most Spotted
Egyptian Toad
Sclerophrys regularis
Crowned bullfrog
Hoplobatrachus occipitalis
Senegal Kassina
Kassina senegalensis
Anchieta's Ridged Frog
Ptychadena anchietae
West African Rubber Frog
Phrynomantis microps
Four-striped Tree-folding Frog
Afrixalus quadrivittatus
Eastern Flat-backed Toad
Sclerophrys pusilla
Guinea Snout-burrower
Hemisus guineensis
Recent sightings in Murchison Falls National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Nile River boat cruises
Boat cruises along the Nile offer unparalleled views of Murchison Falls and dense crocodile basking sites, with African fish-eagles often seen hunting.
2Lion tracking in savannas
The dry season (Jul-Aug) concentrates prey around water sources, making lion sightings more predictable, particularly in the northern savannas.
3Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest
Budongo Forest, part of the park, hosts habituated chimpanzee troops, offering guided treks with high sighting probabilities during fruiting seasons.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Nile River boat cruises
- 2Lion tracking in savannas
- 3Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
The first morning just meters from the hotel we saw a group of elephants thinking about crossing the road.
As we continued our game drive, we came across olive baboons along the road, patus monkeys darting into the bushes and buffaloes in groups watching us cautiously.
Freshly mudded African buffalo and a cattle egret A bit further, behind the tall grass, we spotted a couple of African buffaloes that had found a small pool to wallow in and cool off, given the absence of trees and shade.
On our early morning walk, guided by Toni Horat, who is currently working to help prepare the camp and the concession for paying clients, we encountered sign of hippo, leopard, crocodile, and numerous smaller species, with some actual sightings of waterbuck, warthog, baboon and numerous birds.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Murchison Falls National Park?
The most likely sightings are Northern Giraffe (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Kob (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), African Bush Elephant (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Hartebeest (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Patas Monkey (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 1474 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Murchison Falls National Park for wildlife?
August has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Nile Crocodile in Murchison Falls National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Nile Crocodile sighting in Murchison Falls National Park, based on 129 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see African Fish-Eagle in Murchison Falls National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a African Fish-Eagle sighting in Murchison Falls National Park, based on 805 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Northern Giraffe in Murchison Falls National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Giraffe sighting in Murchison Falls National Park, based on 228 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
