Wildlife research tour can also be called experiential tourism.  Therefore, if there is a place to make your wildlife research tour excellent, Queen Elizabeth national park is the place to go since you are always close and you have direct touch to animals which enables you as a research to explore the behaviors of various wildlife. Once you have concluded your research, research findings will be used and kept in the database of Uganda wildlife authority for future reference. Wildlife research tour also aims at creating a database which contributes to the study of wildlife and birds ecology in Queen Elizabeth national park. Experiential tourism also includes monitoring of birds and wild animals with locator devices which help to track radio collars of specific birds and wild animals in the park.

A lot of birds and animals are involved in the wildlife research tours in Queen Elizabeth national park thus different animal research packages are charged differently by the Uganda wildlife authority.

Lion (carnivore) tracking Research

Lion tracking research is highly practiced experiential tourism carried out in Queen Elizabeth national park only as far as wildlife research is concerned in Uganda. Researching team usually uses radiator trackers to locate lions since lions in the park are spread throughout the park with Kasenyi plains as the main lion tracking area. Lion tracking program is managed by Uganda carnivore program which aims at studying big cats ecology in protected areas of Uganda.

Lion tracking is a sensitive activity thus is more of research than visiting activity. Therefore few numbers of people are allowed to do lion tracking activity in Queen Elizabeth national park per day. Lion tracking only goes for 1-3 hours a day but can be done twice in that very day by the lead researchers as assigned by Uganda wildlife authority.

Reasons why lion tracking research is fragile and the number being limited to few participants is because of the research purposes, that is, to provide wonderful research experience to researchers. To also prevent the stressing of lions due to research. Finally to provide help to researchers to study the the characters or habits of lions in their natural homes.

Besides the conditions that escort lion tracking research, research is a wonderful activity in the park and it accepts you to explore closely the behavioral patterns of lions in Kasenyi plains of the park.

Hippo census

Hippo census is also an activity done under wildlife research tour. Best time is early morning at 8am before it is sunny and hot since hippos feed at night and by 8 am they are planning to run away from sunshine and join the water.

Requirements for hippo census activities include;

Binoculars. These will help an observer to observe well.

Data recorder with sheets. This helps to fill counts recorded per school.

Camera. This is to take pictures with the hippo schools.

Hippo census also involves counting hippos in the water bodies of the park. The water bodies include Lake George, Lake Edward, Nyamasingiri Crater Lake, Kyasanduka Crater Lake, Kyambura River, Kazinga channel and Ishasha River. As they reach the shoreline, researchers count every hippo head that is seen on top of water. After counting the second person will record what has been counted thus becoming an activity done by two or more people.

Mongoose tracking

Mongoose tracking is a little known activity that is recorded in the activities done at in Queen Elizabeth national park. It is commonly practiced in Mweya peninsula. Apart from these rodents size, you enjoy to study and watch the banded mongooses and their habits. It is commonly done on foot by the help of a guide who knows where to search the mongooses from their hiding places and once seen, researchers will immediately learn the habits and behaviors of these rodents for one hour as the minimum time.

Permits for wildlife research / Experiential Tourism in Queen Elizabeth national park

Bookings for wildlife research tour activities is done at Mweya visitor information center and guides will too be assigned from here. The prices of research permits vary as follows;            

Lion tracking/ research. 50USD and 50, 000UGX for the east African citizens

Hippo census. 100USD and 100, 000UGX for east African citizens

Mongoose tracking. 30USD and 30, 000UGX for east African citizens