In Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to the tree-climbing lions, we found a marked decline of over 40% (just 39 individuals left in 2,400km²) since our last survey in 2018.

Long distance swimming by African Lions in Uganda. Ecology and Evolution. Doi: 10.1002/ece3.11597.

Nope, they got that, too. “We got lions climbing trees, and the crazy thing is, they didn’t always do this.” ...

And this is what we observed on the late evening of 1 February 2024. Our research team in Uganda filmed two male lions swimming in a waterway in the Queen Elizabeth National Park.

World Three-legged lion makes record swim across ‘predator-infested’ Uganda river. Watch By Irene Wright July 11, 2024 3:08 PM ...

These species represent a critical part of Uganda’s growing tourism economy. The country is home to the famed tree-climbing lions, which are much sought after for this unique behaviour.