buskago

Did you know that elephants in Uganda have as of 2015 increased by 600% which is about 5000 individuals from a low of 700-800 in the 1980’s. The authorities still face a problem of poaching but have done a great great job.

Personally I believe it’s key to involve the communities surrounding the national parks as much as possible in conversation.

The Sad Victory

I’ll just start the story from the near end! and I had searched for lions for some hours and even done a very late and nerve racking evening drive into the night only to see a leopard which was as shocked as we were to sight it. Instead of pulling out my camera I froze and it smoothly disappeared into the darkness. We also sighted some hyenas, buffalo and antelopes but not the lions we eagerly wanted.

Early in the morning, I was at Prosper’s door ready to go get the lions…..The rest were done with this mission. We drove for hours again with no sighting. The frustration got to us and we were running on fumes of hope taking turn after turn. Just as we were about to give in, I saw so many vultures flying around a certain place and many more on the ground. I said to Prosper, there’s definitely something down there. We stopped and all I expected was a carcass. Prosper was more determined than a frustrated photographer…..he spotted something moving through his binoculars. He pointed it out to me and it was a queen of the jungle. We were excited. Finally we had got our lion sighting…..We quickly realized she was in some sort of trouble because there’s no way she’d be sun bathing in that heat. It was very sad to watch her trying to stand (slide 2) but she couldn’t clearly in pain and very weak. We believe she was struck by the buffalo (slide3) that they’d killed. The victory of finding a lion was not the one we’d hoped for but that’s nature for you. We informed the rangers who assured us that she be given medical attention.

It was still an amazing moment for us to find it. It hits different when you find it on your own without a guide!

The Cape buffalo. These you will find in plenty across Uganda. Weighing between 600-900kgs, they can be quite dangerous if bothered! They are quite fascinating to observe. I captured this particular one in Murchison Falls National Park. One later tried to charge at us but we drove off quick enough! I always can’t help but compare them to cattle….!

Somewhere in Kibale! This is what I could see from above! So much beauty in one nation!

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