Mongoose Trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Mongoose Trekking in Queen Elizabeth Park: The best place to track banded mongooses in all of East Africa is Queen Elizabeth National Park. The national park is situated in the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri in western Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park’s savannah-type vegetation supports 600 bird species, 10 primate species, and 95 animal species. Many factors contribute automatically to Queen Elizabeth National Park’s fame, including the tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, the Kazinga Channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George, and the recent appearance of banded mongooses.
The savanna and grassland regions of Africa are home to the banded mongoose species. They are little mammals that can grow to be 3 to 45 cm long and weigh 2 to 3 kg. Their tail, which is 15 to 30 meters long, is the longest section of their body. They can dig in the ground thanks to their powerful claws, long tails, short ears, and enormous skulls.
Banded mongoose trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park
One of the most thrilling things visitors can do at Queen Elizabeth National Park is look for these little, two- to three-kilogram cats. The Mweya Peninsula, a section of land situated between Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward, is the starting point for mongoose trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Mweya Peninsula is home to these mongooses due to its savannah grassland and proximity to bodies of water, such as Lake Edward and the Kazinga Channel.
Tracking banded mongooses involves taking nature excursions where visitors stroll to observe where the tiny creatures might be. The exercise is led by researchers and armed ranger guides who are familiar with the various locations where these creatures are always found. It is essential to locate banded mongooses in Queen Elizabeth National Park because several groups are located using locator devices.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to more than 20 groups of banded mongooses, and each group is explored by four people with the assistance of researchers and armed ranger guides. Trekkers are briefed on the rules and regulations before the beginning of the activity. They spend one to three hours looking for mongooses in the jungle after being led there by armed ranger guides.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to more than 20 groups of banded mongooses, and each group is explored by four people with the assistance of researchers and armed ranger guides. Trekkers are briefed on the rules and regulations before the beginning of the activity. They spend one to three hours looking for mongooses in the jungle after being led there by armed ranger guides.
Tracking mongooses will teach you a lot of things, such as the fact that banded mongooses live in groups of 20 to 70 individuals and are always together in underground tunnels or dens, which are frequently abandoned termite mounds that alter after three to five days. Fallen fruits, birds, grasshoppers, earthworms, ants, termites, eggs, frogs, centipedes, and crickets are just a few of the many items they consume.
Activities like chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge, boat cruises on the Kazinga Channel, lion tracking, game drives, bird viewing, nature walks, and community tours can be coupled with mongoose trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Your Uganda safari will be most enjoyable if you participate in two or more activities at Queen Elizabeth National Park.
What is the cost of mongoose trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park?
Anyone who wants to participate in the banded mongoose trekking must acquire a permit, which is a ticket that grants access to the activity. The Uganda Wildlife Authority, or park headquarters, charges $30 for foreign non-residents, $25 for foreign residents, and UGX30,000 for East African people to participate in the mongoose trekking activities. Permits can be obtained in the park the day before trekking or reserved in advance.
What is the best time to visit Queen Elizabeth Park?
Although the park is open for all park activities throughout the year, some months are usually better than others. The best time to visit the park and trek to the banded mongoose is during the dry months of June through September and December through February. This is because there is little to no rainfall during these months, which makes the trails dry and passable; the vegetation is sparse and short, making it easy to see these small mammals, and the roads leading to the park are passable.
Although the park will remain accessible during the wet seasons of March through May and October through November, visitors can still walk with banded mongooses in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Because of the constant rain, the muddy and slick pathways, the tall vegetation that obscures the animals’ views, and the difficult roads going to the park, the activity is completed, but the experience is not so great.
Accommodation Options
There is always somewhere to stay at Queen Elizabeth National Park for visitors who wish to stay overnight or longer. Budget, mid-range, and luxury lodging alternatives are available here, and where to stay will depend on your vacation budget. Mweya Safari Lodge, Ishasha Bandas, Elephant Hub Lodge, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Jacana Safari Lodge, Enjojo Lodge, Katara Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, and Pumba Safari Cottages are among the lodges in this area.
The Best Way to Access Queen Elizabeth National Park for Mongoose Trekking
Mongoose trekking and other activities can be accessed via air or vehicle transportation in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The quickest route is by car, which takes one hour and fifteen minutes. Flights to Queen Elizabeth National Park depart from Kajjansi or Entebbe international airports and arrive at the Mweya airstrip within the park. Aerolink Uganda and Bar Aviation Uganda operate these flights twice daily during the rainy season and three times daily during the dry season.
There are two roads from Kampala/Entebbe that visitors might take to get to the park for mongoose trekking. Kampala may get to the park via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, Rubirizi, and Kasese, or it can go through Mubende, Kyenjojo, Fort Portal, and Kasese. Tourists do get fantastic views of the attractions along the journey, and these tours take about seven to eight hours.
