Tree Climbing Lions

This is a very unique feature for lions and Ishasha in the south of Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the two destinations in the whole world with climbing lions. The other destination is Lake Manyara in south Tanzania.

These climbing lions use this special ability for protection against tsetse flies on the ground. They also climb trees to enjoy the breeze that is up in the branches and escape the hot ground.

Most tourists go to Ishasha just to have the opportunity to see these lions resting lazily in the trees as they look down on their prey grazing. These lions make it hard for someone to climb the trees as a way of defending themselves against them. The best time to see these lions is the afternoon.

Getting there

These lions are located in Ishasha in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth.

By road: From Kampala city, travel via Mubende to Fortportal then to Queen Elizabeth national park and then you can connect to Ishasha sector. Using other routes like Mweya peninsular, it takes 2 hours to arrive.

Air transport: Using air transport the set off spot is either Entebbe airport or Kajansi Airfield then arrive to either Mweya Airstrip or Kihihi airstrip and then connect to Ishasha by road.