Few people, even lifelong safari guides, have ever seen an African golden cat. This shy, medium-sized forest cat lives in the rainforests of central and western Africa and is mostly known from camera-trap photos. From 2027, Uganda is offering visitors the chance to go looking for one.
What’s been announced
In its tariff for 2027, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) added golden cat tracking as a new, research-based activity in Kibale National Park, priced at US$350 per person, from 1 January 2027. It’s the same forest famous for its chimpanzees.
About the African golden cat
- Roughly two to three times the size of a house cat, with a coat from reddish-gold to grey, often spotted.
- Lives in dense forest, and is mostly active around dawn, dusk and night.
- Rarely seen, and much of what is known comes from camera traps and field research.
What to expect
Because the experience is new and based on research, full details of how it will run haven’t been widely published yet. Expect time in the forest with researchers and rangers, learning how the cats are monitored, and an honest chance, not a guarantee, of a sighting. For wildlife lovers, it’s an opportunity to be among the first visitors ever to do it.
Want to be first?
Tell us you’re interested and we’ll share details as UWA releases them. We can build it into a Kibale trip alongside chimpanzee tracking or habituation.
