Defassa Waterbuck in Lake Mburo National Park
- Sightings
- Common
- Best Months
- Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Dec
- Where
- Lake Mburo National Park
This large, sedentary antelope possesses a coarse, grizzled red-brown coat coated in an oily, musky secretion that acts as a water repellent and predator deterrent. Only males carry the long, heavily ridged, forward-curving horns. Highly dependent on water, they graze on protein-rich grasses and readily plunge into rivers to elude predators like lions and leopards.
Defassa waterbuck stay close to water almost without exception, and can be found at Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park. A shaggy, reddish-brown coat and a distinctive white ring around the rump make them easy to identify at a distance. The musky secretion produced by their skin deters most predators from eating them even after a successful kill.
From Our Guides
This large, shaggy-coated antelope, the Defassa Waterbuck, is bound strictly to the areas within walking distance of permanent freshwater sources in the park. Easily distinguished from the common waterbuck by the solid white patch on its rump rather than a ring, it thrives in the tall lakeside grasses. They form small bachelor groups or female harems that graze peacefully along the moist valley bottoms.
- 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 23, 2026
· Written by Enoch, Huko Safaris
5.0average traveler rating
Local expert: Enoch
Best Months to See Defassa Waterbuck in Uganda
From our team
Defassa Waterbuck
You will find the highest concentrations along the Kasenyi Tracks and the fringes of the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park. They are incredibly habituated there, allowing for spectacular close-up photography. If you smell a pungent, goat-like odor in the brush, a Defassa is likely hiding just meters away in the thicket.
— 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