When it comes to African tourism, Uganda is a top notch destination! The country resides very many amazing and unique attractions that every tourist would wish to explore during his/her African wildlife trip, and among them include the unique and special tree climbing lions.
It’s actually not a usual custom for lions to climb trees but visiting the beautiful Queen Elizabeth National Park will grant you a huge chance of spotting these spectacular lions exhibiting their strange characteristics of climbing the fig tree branches, in the Park’s Ishasha sector. The tree climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park are among the major attractions in this Park simply because these type of lions are really rare to find anywhere on the continent yet seeing them hanging on the tree branches is an amazing and lovely feeling to almost every tourist.
This makes Queen a tourists’ favorite who annually throng the western part of Uganda, where the Park nestles, to evidence these rare tree climbing lions. In Africa, this type of lions is believed to be found only in Uganda and Tanzania – with Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park being the prime destination for spotting them. However, in Tanzania the best destination to spot the tree climbing lions is Lake Manyara National Park, southwest of Arusha town.
You don’t know how lovely it is to see cubs playing and hanging in the tree branches as the older lions keep a watchful eye on them as well as seeing their prey from distance!! This is one experience that you are likely never to forget and you will be able to take videos and photos of the lions lazing around in the tree branches along with their cubs.
Why Lions in Ishasha sector Climb trees
There are various factors as to why lions in Queen Elizabeth’s Ishasha sector do climb trees. In most cases, these lions do climb the tree branches to hide away from the too much heat during the noon hours. The best time to see tree climbing lions is during the dry season and in the noon hours. The lions also climb trees to hide away from the insect bites especially tsetse flies that usually attack them in the rainy/wet season.
The fig trees in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park offer a good resting place for the lions after a long day of hunting because the trees have wide branches. The lions also climb the fig tree branches in Ishasha to have a clear view over the various preys that loiter around the Park. However, all these are just assumptions from various people but the certain answer of this question ‘why lions in Ishasha do climb tree branches’ is really unspecified!
Meanwhile, there are various lions in the different parks of Uganda and Africa but not all of them can climb trees. The tree climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park are unique and rear species. These tree climbing lions lure a mammoth number of tourists to Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park in particular!
Accommodations to stay in:
Queen Elizabeth National Park comprises of several good lodges and camps to accommodate the large number of tourists who annually visit the Park. Among the perfect accommodations to stay in while on a tree climbing expedition include; Ishasha Jungle Lodge, The River Ishasha Lodge, Enjojo Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Topi Lodge – Ishasha, and Ishasha Ntungwe River Lodge, among others.