Olive Baboon in Lake Mburo National Park
- Sightings
- Common
- Best Months
- Year-round
- Where
- Lake Mburo National Park
Named for its coat of olive-green and grey fur, this large primate features an elongated dog-like muzzle and a heavy, muscular build. They are gregarious omnivores, living in complex hierarchical troops of up to 150 individuals. Exhibiting highly advanced social grooming behaviors, they use their hands to look for grass seeds, roots, insects, and small mammals, and are well-armed with formidable canine teeth for troop defense.
You will meet olive baboons on almost every Uganda safari, often before you even reach the park gate. Troops of fifty or more move across the road usually at Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park, dominant males pausing to stare down passing vehicles.
From Our Guides
Large, powerful troops of Olive Baboons dominate the rocky hillsides and main entry roads of the park. They are highly omnivorous, spending their days aggressively foraging for roots, invertebrates, and occasional young antelopes across the savannah floor. Their complex social interactions, grooming rituals, and vocal squabbles provide constant entertainment along the northern travel loops.
- What Lake Mburo National Park Is Known For
Lake Mburo National Park is the only Ugandan national park with zebras and impalas present in real numbers, alongside elands, topis, buffaloes, and over 350 recorded bird species around its wetland fringes.
- Best Time to Visit Lake Mburo National Park
The dry months of June through September and mid-December through February give the clearest game viewing, when animals cluster around the remaining water sources and the grass is short enough to spot zebra and eland from a distance. The dry season is also ideal for activities like cycling in the park and walking safaris.
The wet season (March-May, October-November) still allows a boat cruise and most game drives, just with thicker grass and muddy tracks.
Last updated October 27, 2026
· Written by Enoch, Huko Safaris
5.0average traveler rating
Local expert: Enoch
Best Months to See Olive Baboon in Uganda
From our team
Olive Baboon
Keep your vehicle windows fully rolled up when passing them near park gates, as these highly habituated baboons have learned how to unlatch vehicle doors and jump into cabins to steal picnic supplies.
— Enoch, Huko Safaris
Lake Mburo National Park
I recommend booking a dedicated break here rather than treating the basin as a brief roadside stop on the way to the western gorilla forests. Lake Mburo National Park is a place where you learn about centuries of Ankole royal history and track savannah wildlife simultaneously. By skipping the traditional, closed-vehicle format, you will experience the wilderness from an entirely different physical perspective, and that gives a completely different feeling.
— Enoch, Huko Safaris