Uganda’s national parks transform completely after dark. The savannah animals that dominated your day game drives retire to rest, and an entirely different set of species becomes active — moving through darkness with adaptations designed for low-light hunting, foraging, and movement. Night drives in Uganda, available through lodges in most major parks, regularly produce species that are invisible during the day and equally fascinating when seen by spotlight from a vehicle.
What You Can See on a Uganda Night Drive
- Aardvark: One of Africa’s most sought-after nocturnal species — a pig-sized insectivore that excavates ant and termite mounds with powerful claws. Murchison Falls north bank and Kidepo Valley are the most reliable sites in Uganda. Sightings are irregular but always memorable.
- Serval: A long-legged spotted cat that hunts rodents and small birds in grassland by sound. The serval leaps 3 metres vertically to pin prey heard in long grass. Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth are the best Uganda parks for serval sightings.
- Honey badger: The most fearless mammal in Africa — will face a lion or a puff adder without hesitation. Active at night across most Uganda parks. Murchison and Queen Elizabeth north bank are reliable sites.
- African civet: A large cat-like omnivore moving between forest edge and open grassland. Distinct black-and-white pattern. Visible on most Uganda night drives in parks with mixed habitat.
- Porcupine: Africa’s largest rodent — spectacularly quilled and moving slowly along park tracks at night. Almost always seen waddling away from the vehicle spotlight.
- Genet: A spotted, long-tailed arboreal carnivore. Often seen in trees near lodge kitchens and on woodland tracks. Two species in Uganda: small-spotted and large-spotted.
- Leopard: Night drives in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls produce leopard sightings that daytime game drivers miss. The Kasenyi circuit at QE and the north bank road at Murchison are particularly productive.
- Nightjars: Multiple species roost on park roads at night — their eye-shine reveals them in the spotlight and they often do not fly until the vehicle is very close. Four nightjar species occur in Uganda.
How to Arrange a Night Drive
Night drives in Uganda’s national parks are not permitted for self-drive visitors — you cannot drive the game circuits after dark in your own vehicle. Night drives must be arranged through your lodge with a UWA ranger as a mandatory escort. Cost: typically USD $30–$50 per person. Duration: 2–3 hours. Most lodges offer night drives on request — book at check-in. Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls (Red Chilli Rest Camp), and Queen Elizabeth (Mweya Safari Lodge area) all have well-organised night drive programmes.
Car Hire 4×4 Drive recommends choosing lodges with active night drive programmes for clients interested in nocturnal wildlife. Contact us for vehicle rental advice for your Uganda circuit.
