When you think of African safari in Uganda, elephants are among the few most fascinating mammal species you should expect to see. While on safari in Uganda, expect to encounter both the forest and savanna elephants. The forest elephants feature straight tusk, hairier, smaller in size. However, today elephants have been continuously threatened by various factors and poaching is one of the major threats. To see these mammal species, below are some of the best places you need to pay a visit in Uganda.

Queen Elizabeth National Park
This park is situated in western Uganda and inhabits both savanna and forest elephants. About 3000 elephants call Queen Elizabeth National Park, an increase that has occurred compared to the 1960s. These mammal species can easily be spotted while you are on game viewing via Kasenyi track and in most cases as they wander around the safari lodges where you will be staying. The other area where you can catch a glimpse at elephants while in Queen Elizabeth National Park is at Ishasha Track. Today, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is committed to protecting elephants from poaching compared to most of the East African states. However, poaching still remains a major threat to the survival of these amazing creatures in the wild. Besides, there is continued human-wildlife conflict that still has most of the elephants’ lives mostly when the elephants break into the local communities and destroy crops. Some of the effective measures applied so far include a beehive fence, digging of large trenches planting spicy chili, burning chili, and many others.

Murchison Falls National Park
This park is Uganda’s largest protected area and also one of the best places you can pay a visit to see elephants. Both forest and savanna elephants live in this park. Most of the savanna elephants are found in the northern track of the park and they come in large numbers. Murchison Falls National Park is situated on the northwestern side of Uganda about a 4-5 hours’ drive from Kampala city center. Due to its strategic location, you also pay a visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track rhinos which will make your complete list of the big game.

Kidepo Valley National Park
This is remotely located in the extreme northeastern part of Uganda and featured as one of the best parks in East Africa. CNN recently named it the third-best park in all African parks and also offers refuge to elephants. This park is about a 10-12 hours’ drive from Kampala or Entebbe. This park boasts of its vast African elephant population which is easily spotted while you are on a game drive in its wilderness area.

Kibale Forest National Park
This park lies suitably on the western side of Uganda about a 5-6 hours’ drive from Kampala capital city. It offers refuge, not to primate species but also forest elephants which are easily spotted while on your way or while on a primate walk/nature walk. To reach this park, you drive along Kampala-Mubende-Fort Portal road.

Semuliki Valley National Park
To his protected area equally lies in western Uganda just within Kibale Conservation Area. It is one of the best areas where you can spot elephants and you can catch a glimpse at these huge mammal species while game drives via the savanna grassland part of the park.

Conclusively, Uganda features both forest and savanna elephants. To see these large mammal species, you can embark on a game drive via the savanna grassland area where you can also catch a glimpse at savanna grassland wildlife species. Elephants make up part of the big five games in Uganda.