For a long time, “the African elephant” was treated as a single animal. It isn’t. Genetic and physical studies showed that Africa has two separate species, and in 2021 the IUCN assessed them separately for the first time: the African savanna (bush) elephant, Loxodonta africana, and the African forest elephant, Loxodonta cyclotis. Uganda is one of the few countries where you can find both.
Two species, not one
The two lineages split well over a million years ago, adapting to very different homes: open grassland and woodland on one side, dense rainforest on the other. Both are in trouble. The IUCN lists the savanna elephant as Endangered and the forest elephant as Critically Endangered, mainly because of poaching for ivory and the loss of habitat. On Uganda’s own national Red List, both species are classed as Critically Endangered.
How to tell them apart
- Size: the savanna elephant is the largest land animal on Earth. Forest elephants are noticeably smaller, with big bulls averaging only a little over two tonnes.
- Ears: savanna elephants have huge ears shaped roughly like the map of Africa. Forest elephants’ ears are smaller and more rounded.
- Tusks: savanna tusks curve outwards and forwards. Forest elephant tusks are thinner, straighter and point downwards, which helps in thick vegetation.
- Diet: forest elephants eat a lot of fruit and spread seeds through the forest in their dung, which makes them vital “gardeners” of the rainforest.
- Family life: savanna elephants often gather in large herds led by an older matriarch. Forest elephants usually move in small family groups.
Uganda’s elephants today
Uganda’s elephants were devastated by poaching during the 1970s and early 1980s, and have recovered a long way since. The Uganda Wildlife Authority’s State of Wildlife Resources 2026 report puts the national population at around 6,350 (2023–2025 counts), slightly down from the previous survey. The largest numbers live in the Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls protected areas.
Western Uganda is also where the two species meet. In the forests around Kibale and Semuliki, scientists have confirmed forest elephants and hybrids between the two species. UWA’s most recent survey in Kibale found forest elephant numbers rising from 566 in 2019 to 703 in 2025.
Where to see elephants in Uganda
- Queen Elizabeth National Park: the most reliable place. Herds come down to drink along the Kazinga Channel, and the boat trip from Mweya gets you close without disturbing them.
- Murchison Falls National Park: big herds on the grasslands north of the Nile, especially on the Buligi game circuits.
- Kidepo Valley National Park: elephants in the Narus Valley against a backdrop of mountains, with hardly another vehicle in sight.
- Kibale and Semuliki: forest and hybrid elephants live here, but they are shy and hard to see. Treat any sighting on a chimp trek as a bonus, and always follow your ranger.
Elsewhere in East Africa
- Kenya: Amboseli, famous for big-tusked bulls with Kilimanjaro behind them; the vast Tsavo parks; and Samburu in the dry north.
- Tanzania: Tarangire, where herds crowd the river in the dry season; Ruaha; and Nyerere (formerly part of the Selous).
- Rwanda: Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s savanna and Big Five park.
Good to know
- Best time: the dry seasons (roughly December to February and June to September), when elephants gather near rivers and lakes.
- Read the signals: ears spread wide, a raised head or a mock charge mean “back off”. Your driver-guide will give them space and keep the engine ready.
- Mothers with calves are the most protective. Never get between a calf and its family.
- Where to stay: Mweya Safari Lodge overlooks the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth, and Pakuba Safari Lodge and Paraa Safari Lodge put you close to Murchison’s northern plains. See our accommodation guide.
Seeing elephants on a Ugandan safari
Elephants fit naturally into almost every Uganda itinerary. A classic route adds Queen Elizabeth between chimpanzee tracking in Kibale and gorilla trekking in Bwindi, while Murchison pairs well with rhino tracking at Ziwa on the way north. For the other big animals, see our guide to the Big Five in Uganda and East Africa.
Tell us when you’d like to travel and what you most want to see, and we’ll plan a safari that gives you the best chance of time with elephants, whether on the open savanna or in the forest.
