Efforts to secure the future of Uganda’s iconic tree-climbing lions are to receive a major boost through enhanced research, monitoring and targeted conservation interventions in the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where the animals continue to face persistent threats from poaching and other human-induced pressures.
This is a result of a 10-year collaborative management partnership between the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). It is intended to strengthen conservation of the Ishasha Sector and support the recovery of its lion population.
Announced on Tuesday, the agreement will focus on scientific research, regular monitoring, improved management and targeted conservation interventions, with a review scheduled after the first five years. The agreement comes at a time when conservationists have recorded encouraging signs of recovery in the Ishasha lion population. In late June 2026, three lion cubs were born in the sector, which WCS estimates is home to between 35 and 50 lions.
Located in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Ishasha Sector spans parts of Kanungu, Rukungiri and Kasese districts. It is internationally renowned for its tree-climbing lions, a rare behavioural trait that has made the area one of Uganda’s leading wildlife tourism destinations. Despite their global appeal, the lions remain vulnerable to poaching.
Some are illegally killed for their fat, which is falsely believed to possess medicinal properties capable of treating joint and back pain. One of the worst attacks on the population occurred between March 17 and 19, 2021, when six lions were poisoned and killed at the Habugombwa kob mating grounds in the Ishasha Sector.
The poisoning also claimed the lives of 10 vultures, illustrating the devastating ecological consequences of wildlife crime. Subsequent investigations by security agencies led to the arrest of farmer Vincent Tumuhirwe, who was found in possession of lion fat, and boda boda rider Robert Ariyo. In late 2022, the Utilities, Wildlife and Standards Court in Kampala sentenced the two men to eight years and seven months in prison after they pleaded guilty to illegally entering the national park, hunting and killing the six lions, and poisoning the vultures.
The new partnership is expected to build on existing conservation efforts by strengthening scientific understanding of the Ishasha lion population, improving protection measures and enhancing the long-term survival of one of Uganda’s most distinctive and celebrated wildlife attractions.
Founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society, the Wildlife Conservation Society is an international, science-based conservation organisation operating in more than 50 countries. Its mission is to conserve wildlife and ecosystems through scientific research and field-based conservation solutions. URN