KAMPALA, Uganda — The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has announced the birth of three lion cubs in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, describing the development as an encouraging milestone for the conservation of one of Uganda’s most threatened wildlife species.
In a post on its official X account on Tuesday, UWA said the cubs were born during the month of June and urged the public to support efforts aimed at protecting lions for future generations.
“We are growing!! Queen Elizabeth National Park–Ishasha welcomes three lion cubs born in this month of June. As the lion population increases, we call for collective efforts in protecting them for future generations,” the wildlife authority said.
The announcement comes amid renewed conservation efforts to reverse the decline in Uganda’s lion population, which has been driven by poisoning, habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade and human-wildlife conflict.
According to UWA’s State of Wildlife Resources in Uganda 2026 report, lions are now found in only three protected areas: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Murchison Falls National Park. The species is listed as Critically Endangered on Uganda’s National Red List and Vulnerable on the global International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
The report shows that Uganda’s lion population declined from an estimated 373 individuals in 2020 to 291 during the 2022/2023 national census—a reduction of nearly 22 percent over three years.
The sharpest declines have been recorded in Kidepo Valley and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, while the population in Murchison Falls National Park has remained relatively stable. In Kidepo, lion numbers fell dramatically from about 132 in 2009 to just 12 in 2022, representing a decline of more than 90 percent over 13 years.
UWA attributes the decline primarily to retaliatory poisoning following livestock attacks, snaring, illegal trade in lion body parts, habitat degradation and increasing human encroachment around protected areas.
In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the report notes a 45 percent decline over five years. One of the most significant recent incidents occurred in December 2025 when four lions were poisoned in retaliation for killing livestock.
Despite these challenges, conservationists say improved monitoring techniques are providing a more accurate picture of lion numbers in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area.
Using individual identification methods rather than traditional spoor counts and call-up surveys, researchers have identified and continue to monitor 93 individual lions across 22 known prides. The monitored population includes 28 adult males, 36 adult females and 33 sub-adults and cubs.
UWA says the improved estimates reflect advances in long-term monitoring rather than a sudden increase in lion numbers, underscoring the importance of sustained scientific surveillance.
The authority says continued implementation of Uganda’s Strategic Action Plan for Large Carnivore Conservation (2024–2034), alongside stronger community engagement and measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict, will be critical to ensuring the long-term survival of the country’s remaining wild lion population.
