Murchison's Remarkable Resurgence: Uganda's Wildlife Triumph

Murchison National Park in Uganda is undergoing a remarkable renaissance, thanks to decades of dedicated conservation work. As of November 2025, the park's animal populations have steadily increased, with over 2,000 elephants and 16,000 buffalo now roaming the land—a marked improvement from the 12,000 elephants and 30,000 buffalo before 1973.

The park's recovery is largely attributed to the tireless efforts of the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Uganda Conservation Foundation, as well as the late Jane Goodall, who maintained a research center in the park's Budongo forest until 2009. Today, the Budongo area is managed by Great Lakes Safaris, who offer chimpanzee trekking experiences for visitors.

While the park's resurgence is cause for celebration, the reintroduction of the white rhino remains an ongoing challenge. The last wild white rhino in Uganda was spotted in 1983, but a nearby Ziwa project has successfully bred 48 rhinos from an original six, with plans to eventually reintroduce them to the national parks. However, the timing of this reintroduction is delicate, as poaching remains a persistent issue across Uganda's safari parks.