Elephant Database
African Elephant Specialist Group

Uganda
2016 African Elephant Status Report

All Years for Uganda: 201620132007200219981995

Summary Totals for Uganda

Estimates from SurveysGuesses% Known and
Possible Range
Area (km2)
Survey categoryEstimate± 95% CLFromTo
Aerial Total Counts62113.22,252
Aerial Sample Counts4,2562,01239.36,696
Informed Guesses4659759718.73,185
Degraded Data56567.81,322
Totals 20154,9232,012653653  
Totals 20063,9441,6071,0071,017  
Assessed Range78.913,455
Unassessed Range21.13,593
Total Range10017,048

Summary Totals for Uganda

Data Category Definite Probable Possible Speculative
Aerial or Ground Total Counts621000
Direct Sample Counts and Reliable Dung Counts2,2442,0122,0120
Informed Guesses4605970
Other Guesses00056
Totals 20152,9112,0122,60956
Totals 20062,3371,9851,937300

Interpretation of Changes in Estimates from Previous Report

 Estimates from SurveysGuessesArea
Cause of Change Estimate ± 95% CL From To% Known and PossibleTotal
Repeat Survey+948±2,5750052.58,948
New Population+190004.1705
New Guess+120-145-15515.72,679
Data Degraded00000.00
Totals+979±2,575-145-15572.313,455

Interpretation of Changes in Estimates from Previous Report

Cause of Change Definite Probable Possible Speculative
Repeat Survey-514+1,462+1,4390
New Population+19000
New Guess+12-393+267-244
Totals-483+1,069+1,706-244

Interpretation of Changes in Estimates from Previous Report (2007 scaling)

Cause of Change Definite Probable Possible Speculative
Repeat Survey+611+37+5670
New Population-23000
New Guess-14-10+105-244
Totals+574+27+672-244

Area of Range Covered by Each Data Category (km²)

Data CategoryKnown RangePossible RangeTotal Range
Aerial or Ground Total Counts2,25202,252
Direct Sample Counts and Reliable Dung Counts6,4352616,696
Informed Guesses2,8723133,185
Other Guesses1,32201,322
Unassessed Range1,8741,7193,593
Totals14,7552,29317,048

Uganda: Elephant Estimates

Cause ofSurvey Details2 Number of Elephants Area Map Location
Input ZoneChange1TypeReliab.YearEstimate95% C.L. SourcePFS3 (km²) Lon. Lat.
+ Bwindi National ParkNGOD201543UWA, 2016 2336 29.7E 1.0S
NGOD201543UWA, 2016 336 29.7E 1.0S
+ Katonga Game ReserveNGOD201520UWA, 20162214 30.8E 0.2N
NGOD201520UWA, 2016214 30.8E 0.2N
+ Kibale National ParkNGOD2010487UWA, 2016 1795 30.4E 0.5N
NGOD2010487UWA, 2016 795 30.4E 0.5N
+ Kidepo Valley National Park and Karenga Wildlife Community AreaRSATA2014621Wanyama et al., 2014c12,398 33.8E 3.6N
RSATA2014214Wanyama et al., 2014c956 33.8E 3.6N
RSATA2014407Wanyama et al., 2014c1,442 33.8E 3.6N
+ Madi EastNPOD200919Edward, 2009210,000 31.5E 2.7N
NPOD200919Edward, 200910,000 31.5E 2.7N
+ Mgahinga Gorilla National ParkNGOD201511UWA, 2016267 29.6E 1.4S
NGOD201511UWA, 201667 29.6E 1.4S
+ Murchison Falls Conservation AreaRSASB20141,352900Wanyama et al., 2014b16,235 31.8E 2.2N
RSASB2014977 767Wanyama et al., 2014b2,193 31.8E 2.2N
RSASB2014375 471Wanyama et al., 2014b4,042 31.8E 2.2N
+ Otze ForestNGOE20046Lamprey, pers. comm., 20152200 31.9E 3.7N
NGOE20046Lamprey, pers. comm., 2015200 31.9E 3.7N
+ Queen Elizabeth Conservation AreaRSASB20142,9041,800Wanyama et al., 2014a12,259 29.9E 0.3S
RSASB2014403 317Wanyama et al., 2014a686 29.9E 0.3S
RSASB20142,501 1,995Wanyama et al., 2014a1,573 29.9E 0.3S
+ Rwenzori National Park-OE200320Keigwin, pers. comm., 20051929 30.0E 0.4N
-OE200320Keigwin, pers. comm., 2005929 30.0E 0.4N
+ Sango BayNGOD201536UWA, 20162305 31.7E 0.9S
NGOD201536UWA, 2016305 31.7E 0.9S
+ Semliki National Park-OE199830Michelmore, pers. comm., 19982195 30.0E 0.8N
-OE199830Michelmore, pers. comm., 1998195 30.0E 0.8N
+ Toro Semliki Wildlife ReserveNGOD201527UWA, 20162784 30.4E 1.0N
NGOD201527UWA, 2016784 30.4E 1.0N

* Range of informed guess

1Key to Causes of Change (only tracked since 2007): DA: Different Area; DD: Data Degraded; DT: Different Technique; NA: New Analysis; NG: New Guess; NP: New population; PL: Population Lost; RS: Repeat Survey (RS ́ denotes a repeat survey that is not statistically comparable for reasons such as different season); –––: No Change

2Key to Survey Types: AC: Aerial Count, not specified; AS: Aerial Sample Count; AT: Aerial Total Count; DC: Dung Count; EX: Extrapolation from GIS; GD: Genetic Dung Count; GS: Ground Sample Count; GT: Ground Total Count; IG: Informed Guess; IR: Individual Registration; OG: Other Guess. Survey Type is followed by an indicator of survey quality, ranked from 1 to 3 (best to worst). Survey Reliability is keyed A-E (best to worst) as outlined in this table.

3PFS: Priority for Future Surveys, ranked from 1 to 5 (highest to lowest). Based on the precision of estimates and the proportion of national range accounted for by the site in question, PFS is a measure of the importance and urgency for future population surveys. All areas of unassessed range have a priority of 1. See Introduction for details on how the PFS is derived.

Note that totals for the Definite, Probable, and Possible categories are derived by pooling the variances of individual estimates, as described at http://www.africanelephantdatabase.org/reliability. As a result, totals do not necessarily match the simple sum of the entries within a given category.

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