Olive Baboon in Murchison Falls National Park
- Sightings
- Common
- Best Months
- Year-round
- Where
- Murchison Falls 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
The ultimate roadside characters of Murchison! These highly intelligent and social primates practically rule the transit roads near the park gates and forested fringes. Keep your vehicle windows firmly rolled up, as these cheeky troops are famous for executing tactical snack raids on unsuspecting safari vehicles. They are very curious too.
- What Murchison Falls National Park Is Known For
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda's largest national park, named for the point where the Nile forces through a gorge roughly seven meters wide before dropping into Murchison Falls itself and the "Devil's Cauldron," creating a deafening roar and a permanent mist bow(looks like a rainbow). It holds the country's largest population of the rare, light-colored Rothschild’s (Nubian) giraffe, alongside elephants, buffalo, and lions on its northern savanna.
A secondary waterfall, Uhuru Falls, split off from the main cataract around the time of Uganda’s independence in 1962 ("uhuru" means freedom in Swahili).
- Best Time to Visit Murchison Falls National Park
The dry seasons, late December through February and June through September, keep park roads in better condition for game drives and give the clearest views from the Nile boat cruise. The wetter months still run both activities, with muddier tracks and lusher scenery along the riverbanks.
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
Murchison Falls National Park
You haven't truly experienced Murchison until you take the Nile boat cruise toward the Devil’s Cauldron. As you get close, the boat deck literally starts vibrating under your feet, the roar of the water drowns out the engine, and you see a permanent mist bow at the falls: pure adrenaline! My tip: always do the hike to the top of the falls at sunset. It is spectacular under the golden Ugandan sky. Wishing you a fun stay!
— Enoch, Huko Safaris