African Elephant in Uganda: Population, Habitat and Where to See Them

Current surveys estimate around 6,352 African elephants in Uganda (data from 2023-2025), while another source cites a lower estimate of about 5,000 animals.

The State of Wildlife Resources Report puts the population of African elephants in Uganda at 6,352 individuals for the period 2023-2025. This is a direct survey figure. Between 2022 and 2025, the same report recorded a decline of 269 animals. A separate source instead cites an estimate of around 5,000 elephants across Uganda's national parks — a lower, more general figure rather than a comparable survey count. This discrepancy cannot be resolved with the data available, so both figures are presented here side by side rather than merged into one number.

The African elephant (Loxodonta africana), more specifically the African bush elephant, is classified as Endangered (EN) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) keeps two animals of this species.

African elephants are mainly found in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley and Kibale Forest National Park.

The largest populations of African elephants in Uganda are found in the Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Kibale Forest National Park. For a broader overview of parks and wildlife in this region, see our guide to Western Uganda National Parks. In Kidepo Valley National Park, elephants tend to stay in smaller herds in the Narus Valley; in August, some herds temporarily migrate toward Kenya and return after two to three months.

One example of documented presence: in Murchison Falls National Park, an African elephant was recorded on 18 October 2024 with GPS coordinates. Such individual sightings confirm the animals' presence in the park but do not allow conclusions about how the overall population is distributed across the different parks — reliable data on that distribution is not currently available. For general background on Uganda's animal life, see our overview of Wildlife in Uganda.

The African elephant is the largest land animal on Earth, measuring 7-7.5 m in length, using its trunk of over 2 m to feed and drink, and eating up to 200 kg of food per day.

With a body length of 7 to 7.5 meters and a shoulder height of 2.2 to 3.7 meters, the African elephant is the largest land animal on Earth. Its trunk can grow to more than 2 meters and is used both for feeding and drinking — an elephant can draw up to 10 liters of water into its trunk at once. An adult animal eats up to 200 kg of plant matter per day.

Gestation lasts around 22 months, the longest of any land mammal. In the wild, African elephants can live between 50 and 70 years.

The African elephant is classified as Endangered, and its situation connects to broader questions about wildlife protection, trade and other species in Uganda.

The population decline recorded between 2022 and 2025 places the African elephant's conservation status in the context of wider pressures on Uganda's wildlife. For related information on regulated and illegal trade in wild animals, see Uganda Wildlife Trade: Trophies, Birds and Live Exports. Readers interested in other iconic species sharing these same parks can also read about the Rothschild giraffe in Uganda.

Recent surveys put Uganda's African elephant population at 6,352 individuals for the 2023-2025 period, though an earlier estimate cited around 5,000.

According to the State of Wildlife Resources in Uganda 2026 report, Uganda's African elephant population stood at 6,352 individuals during the 2023-2025 survey period. This figure comes from a national wildlife assessment and represents the most recent count available.

An earlier estimate from a different source put the population at around 5,000 elephants. The two figures differ, likely due to different survey timeframes or methodologies, and readers should treat them as separate data points rather than a single consistent trend line. The 6,352 figure is the more recent and specific of the two.

In addition to wild populations, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) holds 2 African elephants in captivity. The species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the global IUCN Red List.

Yes — verified data shows a loss of 269 individuals between 2022 and 2025.

The State of Wildlife Resources in Uganda 2026 report documents a decline of 269 African elephants between 2022 and 2025. This is a measured population change over a defined survey window rather than a long-term historical trend, and the report does not specify a single cause for the loss.

Because the underlying causes are not detailed in the available data, this article does not speculate on specific drivers of the decline. Readers interested in broader threats to Uganda's wildlife populations, including poaching methods, can find related context in coverage of wire snare poaching in Uganda.

African elephants are found in several of Uganda's national parks, including Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley and Kibale Forest.

African elephants in Uganda are concentrated in a number of protected areas, most notably Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Kibale Forest National Park. Herd sizes and sighting frequency vary by park and season.

A recent example: an African elephant was documented in Murchison Falls National Park on 18 October 2024, at GPS coordinates 2.2853, 31.5099. Sightings like this illustrate the kind of location data collected as part of ongoing wildlife monitoring in the park.

For travelers planning a visit, more detailed park-specific information is available in our guides to Murchison Falls National Park and Western Uganda's national parks.

The African elephant is the world's largest land animal, with a body length of 7-7.5 m, a trunk over 2 m long, and a gestation period of 22 months.

The African elephant holds the distinction of being the largest land animal on Earth. Adults typically reach a body length of 7 to 7.5 meters and a shoulder height of 2.2 to 3.7 meters. These figures describe general characteristics of the species and are not specific to Uganda's population.

The trunk can extend more than 2 meters and serves multiple functions, including feeding and drinking — an elephant can draw up to 10 liters of water into its trunk at once. Elephants are also substantial eaters, consuming up to 200 kg of food per day.

Reproduction in African elephants is notably slow: gestation lasts around 22 months, one of the longest of any land mammal. Elephants can live between 50 and 70 years in the wild.

The most recent survey counts 6,352 African elephants in Uganda, with confirmed populations in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley and Kibale Forest National Parks.

The State of Wildlife Resources in Uganda 2026 report puts the national African elephant population at 6,352 individuals, based on data collected between 2023 and 2025. This is the most current verified figure available.

An earlier estimate, cited separately, put the population at around 5,000 elephants spread across several national parks. Because the two figures come from different sources and reference points, they should not be read as a simple before-and-after comparison — they reflect different survey efforts rather than a single continuous count.

What the 2026 report does document clearly is a decline: the elephant population fell by 269 individuals between 2022 and 2025. The underlying causes of this decline are not specified in the available data, so no explanation is given here beyond the documented numbers.

Elephants are confirmed to occur in several of Uganda's national parks, including Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Kibale Forest National Park. Distribution numbers for each individual park are not broken out in the current data.

Monitoring efforts continue on the ground. In one documented case, an elephant in Murchison Falls National Park was recorded on 18 October 2024 at GPS coordinates 2.2853, 31.5099 — an example of the kind of individual sighting used in ongoing wildlife monitoring, rather than a population count in itself.

The African elephant is the largest land animal on Earth, reaching up to 7.5 metres in body length and a shoulder height of 3.7 metres.

The African elephant reaches a body length of 7 to 7.5 metres and a shoulder height of between 2.2 and 3.7 metres, making it the largest living land animal.

Its trunk can grow to more than 2 metres in length and serves as the elephant's main tool for feeding and drinking. An elephant can draw up to 10 litres of water into its trunk at once.

Elephants are large-scale herbivores: an adult can eat up to 200 kg of vegetation in a single day.

Reproduction is slow compared to most mammals. Female elephants carry their young for a gestation period of 22 months — one of the longest of any land animal — and elephants can live between 50 and 70 years in the wild.

The African elephant is classified as globally endangered (EN), and Uganda's Wildlife Education Centre currently holds two individuals in captivity.

The African elephant is globally classified as endangered (EN). In Uganda, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) holds two African elephants, according to the State of Wildlife Resources in Uganda 2026 report, using 2025 data.

Most of Uganda's elephant population lives in the wild across the country's national parks rather than in captivity, with UWEC's role limited to conservation education and the care of a small number of animals.

African elephants can be observed in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley and Kibale Forest National Parks.

Visitors hoping to see African elephants in the wild have several confirmed options among Uganda's national parks: Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Kibale Forest National Park.

Each park offers a different setting for wildlife viewing, from the Nile-side landscapes of Murchison Falls to the more remote terrain of Kidepo Valley in the country's northeast. Travellers planning a visit should check current park guidance and transport options ahead of time, since access and conditions vary by park and season.

Uganda's African elephant population was recorded at 6,352 individuals between 2023 and 2025, down by 269 animals compared to 2022.

According to the State of Wildlife Resources in Uganda report, the country's African elephant (Loxodonta africana) population was counted at 6,352 individuals during the 2023–2025 survey period. This figure represents a decline of 269 animals compared to the 2022 count.

Earlier estimates had placed Uganda's elephant population at around 5,000 animals. The newer, more comprehensive count of 6,352 reflects improved survey methods rather than a sudden population increase, and the two figures should be read as separate assessments from different points in time rather than as contradictory data.

Uganda's Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) also keeps two African elephants. Globally, the species is classified as Endangered (EN).

African elephants are found in several of Uganda's national parks, including Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley, and Kibale Forest, with some populations undertaking seasonal cross-border movements.

African elephants in Uganda are not confined to a single location. They are present in Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Kibale Forest National Park, each offering different habitats ranging from savanna to forest.

In Kidepo Valley National Park, the elephant population numbers around 600 animals. These elephants live mostly in smaller herds in the Narus Valley area and are known to leave the park periodically, crossing into South Sudan or Kenya. Movements toward Kenya are commonly observed in August, with herds typically returning to the park after two to three months.

In Murchison Falls National Park, elephant sightings are also well documented; one individual was recorded there with GPS coordinates in October 2024, illustrating the ongoing monitoring of the park's elephant population.

The African elephant is the largest land animal on Earth, reaching up to 7.5 metres in body length with a trunk that can hold up to 10 litres of water.

The African elephant is the largest land animal in the world. Adults reach a body length of 7 to 7.5 metres and a shoulder height of 2.2 to 3.7 metres.

Its trunk, which can be more than 2 metres long, is used for breathing, grasping food, and drinking: an elephant can draw up to 10 litres of water into its trunk at once. To sustain its size, an adult elephant eats up to 200 kg of food per day.

Female elephants carry their young for about 22 months, one of the longest gestation periods of any mammal. African elephants can live between 50 and 70 years.