Which is the best park to see a Lion?
Ruaha National Park
In Ruaha National Park, Tanzania, about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting on a given day, the highest of the 37 parks where we can rate it, from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where to see
Lion
Panthera leo
Ruaha National Park leads · 37 parks ranked by real sighting rates
Parks Ranked
Share of wildlife watchers reporting a Lion during a day in the park, from citizen-science data (GBIF)
| # | Park | Country | Sighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Mikumi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 9 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 10 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 11 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 12 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 13 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 14 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 15 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 16 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 17 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 18 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 19 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 20 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 21 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 22 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 23 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 24 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 25 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia |
Before you go
Where else can you see a Lion?
Gir National Park and more
After Ruaha National Park, the next-best odds of seeing a Lion are in Gir National Park (India, about 80%), Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 80%) and Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 80%). Outside Africa, the best option is Gir National Park in Asia (about 80%).
When is the best time to see a Lion?
It depends on the park
In the top parks, the best months are July and September–October in Ruaha National Park (about 90%), March–May and October in Gir National Park (about 90%) and June in Serengeti National Park (about 90%), as the share of wildlife watchers who report a Lion on a given day. Each park's Lion page has the full month-by-month chart.
