18.02.2021
ca. 280 km Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – Rwakobo Rock Lodge Lake Mburo
All happy and hyper from the awesome Gorilla adventure we reached the Travellers Rest Hotel Kisoro around 12:30 just in time to have our lunch break. Bud was waiting there for us. He had his breakfast here and was a touch miffed that he did not have time to visit a Barber Shop … Since at home all hairdressers and barber shops were closed since before Christmas he had wanted to take the opportunity here. But we had been so quick in finding the Gorillas … Bud had just enough time for breakfast …
To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is
to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time,
to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson
The Travellers Rest Hotel is conveniently located by the main road and turn off to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and is the the most historic hotel in Kisoro – one of the oldest in all Uganda. Established in the 1950 by Gorilla enthusiast Walter Baumgärtel, it formed the first hub of Gorilla tracking activities in the Virungas. We had entered history … Walter Baumgärtel – often called father of Gorilla tourism in Uganda – had moved to Africa in the early 1950s and came across a partnership opportunity for the Travellers Rest Hotel in Kisoro, which he subsequently took over as sole proprietor in 1955. He was born in 1902 in the Saxonian town of Delitzsch … basically just around the corner from my hometown … and his dreams – likely influenced by the adventure novels of Karl May that also accompanied my childhood – went far beyond the confines of his home town. Walter Baumgärtel faced many challenges making the hotel into a welcome place, but soon visitors – not only travelers, also primate researchers, conservationists and scientists – began to flock to his establishment. Boosting an impressive list of guests – the early Travellers Rest Hotel became a base frequented by George Schaller and Dian Fossey amongst many others. Fossey visited the hotel many, many times in the 1960s, to do paperwork, to relax or to meet people. She defined the hotel as her second home. Walter Baumgärtel’s time at the hotel was the best time of his life and here he wrote his book König in Gorillaland (King of Gorillaland) published in 1960.
Baumgärtel ventured in the forest of the Virungas with his guide Reuben of the Batwa people and influenced early Gorilla conservation and tourism in Uganda. He felt that if tourists came and paid hard cash, the government would protect the Mountain Gorillas. Eventually he convinced the British Colonial Wildlife Department and received permission to take tourists to see the Gorillas – Gorilla tourism as we know it today was born. His first encounter with a Mountain Gorilla had changed him forever and he described it in his book Up among the Mountain Gorillas published in 1976. However, the political insecurity of the late 1960s forced Baumgärtel to sell his beloved Travellers Rest Hotel – in 1969 he left Africa for good and moved to Bavaria where he died in 1997. The hotel was taken over by the Ugandan government. In the late 1990s – after Gorilla tourism was opened in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – it was reopened and renovated in 2002 – now managed by Gorilla Tours, one of the local tour operators.
The hotel had a historic colonial character and comfortable ambiance. There were large and very beautiful surrounding gardens. We sat on the porch unpacking our lunch boxes … of course with a celebratory Nile Special for me … There was a colony of large Franquet’s Epauletted Fruit Bat – Epomops Franqueti – in the trees just outside the garden. Those Megabats range from sub-Saharan forest to equatorial tropics and they put on quite a flight show for us while we munched on our regular sandwiches and chicken legs. I could not be bothered with taking any photos … I had seen plenty of them in India … and anyway, my mind was still busy processing the Gorilla impressions.
All morning some dark cloudes had been lingering in the distance and just when I had decided that maybe … only maybe … I might go closer to the Fruit Bats to take some photos like Dr D … it suddenly started to down pour … it was raining buckets … Quickly we grabbed our lunch left-overs and moved inside the lounge, but not before quickly capturing the moment in a video …
Anyway, it was time to leave. Matovu made us get a move on, because we still had some kilometers so to cover today … In the downpour we ran one by one out to the car … of course none of us had brought the raingear for lunch … Our left over lunch Matovu gave to some girls taking shelter from the rain under the entrance of the hotel. Then we were off.
Starting out we backtracked on the Kabale-Kisoro-Road up to the junction where we reached the main road yesterday coming down from Bwindi. The asphalted road wound through the hilly landscape. The rain had stopped, but the clouds persisted and made a great contrast.
We passed the onion growing region once more … the onion perfume was as strong today as it was when we passed yesterday … Coming from the other direction today, there were onion fields as far as we could see on the terraced slopes.
Traffic moved fast on the asphalt-surfaced highway. We made good time, Matovu drove fast. After roughly 80 km we passed the breezy highland town Kabale, located at 2000m altitude and with approx 50000 inhabitants one of the largest towns in western Uganda. The wide road passed the new town center – it was busy. We saw this massive church near the road – it was All Saints Church with a historical background that can be traced back to a grass thatched church that has steadily grown with a bigger number of believers, encouraging them to build a bigger church. Founded in 1966, the new structure was built in 2016 and financed with donations.
From Kabale the road was now called Kabale-Mbarara-Road which had recently been resurfaced and widened. In 2010, the European Union extended a grant to improve this stretch of the East African Northern Corridor between Mbarara and the border to Rwanda. The construction contract was awarded to a company from Switzerland, which had been the lowest bidder. In 2018, the last section of this road was reported as completed. Most of the time I took my regular afternoon nap … but every now and then I was awake to take photos … At some point I felt a little like being in Madeira … hillsides dotted with whitewashed, orange-roofed houses within Banana plantations and Eucalyptus groves lined the road …
It was bizzare that even in the smallest settlement, the churches were relatively large. I had noticed that already in the last few days. Often the considerably sized structures were done in orange brick and located on a hillock amongst the widespread villages and fields.
The weather kept being inconsistent … it was overcast and rainy at times, only rarely the sun showed up for a few minutes … Often we noticed wooden market stalls along the road. They were mostly empty … not sure because of the weather or because it was just not a market day today. We passed smaller and larger villages, some more busy than others. Everything possible was transported on motorbikes and bicycles in between.
Approx 80 km from Kabale we reached the town of Ntungamo – a growing town, located on the main highway to the capital and at the branch-off of the tarmacked road leading to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kikorongo where we had spent 2 nights to do safaris. Ntungamo has a population of approx 20000 and seemed to be located in a Banana growing region – we passed a large wholesale market where Bananas were loaded en gros on trucks.
In Ntungamo we stopped at a gas station – Matovu had to fill up the car and we needed a facility break … and a leg stretch! It was drizzling again … the motorbike taxis had all adapted to the weather …
The staff of the gas station were busy checking how much gasoline was left in the storage tanks … They did it old school with a dipstick … I would have thought this would be done automatically and digital nowadays … not so here in Africa … not even at a modern gas station … they had a dipstick and had to read it off manually …
It was another roughly 100 km in the direction of Kampala until we reached the turn off for Lake Mburo National Park. Now not only Banana plantations were lining the road – we were also flying by Pineapple fields. Pineapples were transported on any means of transport … everything possible was being transported on any means of transport, for that matter …
There were fruit and vegetable markets that were open – everything had been covered up by tarps because of the frequent rain showers. That did not stop some sellers from offering their goods to passing cars. Physalis – also known as Peruvian Groundcherrs, Cape Gooseberry or Goldenberry – was in season and offered by the kilo. We had tasted some yesterday. Imagine buying it in large quantities … at home they come in packs of 100 g and are … expensive …
When I was not napping … you know the soporific effect highways have at me … I was enjoying the landscape. Matovu was truly speeding … well, not as fast as I would on the German Autobahn … but he was at the speed limit. Traffic was heavy … trucks, busses, cars and in between motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians … We had just left a settlement shortly before Mbarara – on our side of the road there were still shops and workshop houses – a colourful spot in the midst of the green vegetation caught my eye … Stop! There was something! Stop! … Before Matovu stepped hard on the brakes we had passed it by a hundred meters … What is it? – I think, there were Crested Cranes over there! – Are you sure? – Yes … I think so … Can you back up? – No, on the highway it is not allowed to back up! – Can I get off and have a look? – Really? – Yes! … Matovu was not having it, but to my rescue came Dr D who was as eager as me to get a photo of the national bird of Uganda which was featured in the country’s flag and coat of arms. We had been talking about it before. In the Bigodi Swamp we had only seen them fly by. So, a close up view of them was missing in our collection. Dr D was willing to get off the car with me and go back to where I thought I had spotted something … Carefully we got off the car and crossed the busy road, then jogged back for a couple hundred meters … I was wheezing after the first few meters, but I did not want o let the others wait too long and I had a purpose! – Where was it? – Over there! Just behind those bushes!
And I had indeed seen correctly! … I think, Dr D was not only impressed of me jogging, but also of having spotted the 2 beautiful creatures at all! They were sure posing for us. They were a save distance away from the road and even if we had wanted to get closer we could not have, because there was a fence. But they were also eyeing us and being very shy, they might have left if we had shortened the distance.
The Crested Crane – Balearica Regulorum Gibbericeps – occuring in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Uganda – is also known as the East African Crested Crane and Golden Crested Crane – is about 1 m tall with a wingspan of 2 m. Its body plumage is mainly grey, the wings are predominantly white – but contain feathers with a range of colours – with a distinctive black patch at the very top. The head has a crown of stiff golden feathers. The sides of the face are white and there is a bright red inflatable throat pouch. The bill is relatively short and grey and the legs are black.
It was so cool we had eventually been able to see the Crested Crane! But we did not want to waste too much time, so we walked back to the car and then bragged about having found them and showed off our photos! I think at least Ree was a bit impressed … Matovu said we should keep an eye out for more, this region was good for seeing them …
Quickly we had jumped back in the car and as quickly we were moving again. We still had some kilometers to do … Keeping our eyes peeled for more Cranes … we only spotted more funny traffic for a long stretch … A peddler for household items was riding his bicycle and beeping his horn, we overtook several pickup trucks with heavy loads of Bananas, motorbikes with Pineapples and … a military transport passed us … Matovu was all – No photo! No photo! – Yes, we know! … we put the cameras down … but I could not resist taking a shot from the back seat … there was no way, they could even have seen the camera lense from the distance, but I am sure Matovu nearly got a heart attack when he heard the click … No photo! No photo! – OK OK! No photo!
At some point we bypassed Mbarara, a large city of approx 200000 inhabitants – the new highway was luckily completely letting the city be city and ran as a tangent in the north. But it was close to there that we spotted another Crested Crane close to the road. It had been flying across the road and Matovu stopped immediately when it landed on the opposite side. This time Ree got off the car as well and we ran over … I was late, though … I had to change the lens on the camera … so I missed to take photo of the beautiful creature as it stood really close to the road … because as soon as we reached the guardrail, it decided it was too close and flew off …
The Crested Crane can be found abundantly near Uganda’s many lakes and rivers that create fertile marshes rich with wildlife. It falls under the category of omnivore, meaning that like humans, it can eat a combination of both meat and plants – a mix of leaves and seeds from a variety of plants as well as insects, worms and frogs are their diet. They have also been seen eating small fish, snakes and various aquatic eggs. They practice monogamy – once they find a partner they will remain with that same breeding partner for the rest of their lives. Forming pair bonds while they are young, they breed and raise their young together each year. Here was only one bird, though and it landed on top of a nearby tall tree, perched there observing the surroundings … It turned its back to us and we took it as sign to get back on the road …
Only a little further on, close to a busy roundabout near some houses, a flock of Marabou Stork – Leptoptilos Crumenifer – was standing right next to the road. It was the first time we had such a close look at one of them and it was obvious, why they are sometimes called Undertaker Bird – due to its shape from behind – cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs and a large white mass of tuft. It was not surprising to see them so close to the big city – the Marabou Stork is a frequent scavenger and the naked head and long neck are adaptations to this livelihood. A feathered head would become rapidly clotted with blood and other substances when the bird’s head was inside a large corpse – the bare head is easier to keep clean. This large and powerful bird eats mainly carrion, scraps and feces, but will opportunistically eat almost any animal matter. Increasingly, Marabous have become dependent on human garbage and hundreds of the huge birds can be found around African dumps or waiting for a hand out in urban areas. Marabous eating human garbage have been seen to devour virtually anything that they can swallow. We did not get out of the car – we just admired them as Matovu slowed the car while driving past. I have to say … they sure were ugly birds …
Having left the city of Mbarara behind us, traffic was moving fast again and the landscape changed. We had obviously left the hilly terrain and the scenery changed to a more savanna-like type. We came past an area which seemed to be a stronghold of charcoal production. For a bit the road was lined with sacks filled with charcoal awaiting the trucks of the wholesalers. In Africa an estimated 90% of the wood harvested is used for woodfuel and charcoal – in East Africa even 94% – because charcoal is ubiquitous as an energy source for cooking, even in urban areas where electricity and gas are available. As global crude oil prices continue to rise, kerosene and cooking gas have become expensive and unaffordable for many ordinary people in developing countries. For millions of Africans who need heat energy or fire to cook their daily food, wood remains the easiest and cheapest source of fuel. According to the United Nations Environment Program UNEP, firewood and charcoal alone provide more than 40 % of energy used in Africa.
Yet it is often left out of the conversation about energy sources and their contribution to global carbon emissions. Each year, Africa produces nearly 60% of the world’s supply of charcoal – but much of the supply chain is informal, without any oversight. With traders selling charcoal far from where it is sourced, it is hard to track or quantify how much is actually being produced. Charcoal – known as Makala in Swahili – contains double the energy of ordinary firewood and burns much hotter. As a result, charcoal can cook food much faster than most other fuels like kerosene. In comparison to firewood, charcoal is a much cleaner and healthier fuel because it produces very little smoke and harmful gases when it burns.
Housewives love charcoal, because charcoal fires are convenient and very easy to manage. Unlike a wood fire which requires regular attention to avoid burning out, a charcoal fire is gentle, very effective and needs no regular checkups. Charcoal is also cheap, readily available and very affordable. Because it is much lighter in weight than firewood, it is cheaper and economical to transport over longer distances. It takes less room and can be stored for a very long period without damage or spoilage. Compared to electric, cooking gas and kerosene stoves which are often more expensive, charcoal stoves are simple, very effective and produced by local welders and craftsmen.
The landscape changed more and more to a savanna setting right out of a movie like Out of Africa … gently sloping grassland dotted with trees and finca style farmhouses, small Banana plantations in between and the odd cattle herd.
The drive felt very very long … had it really been only a few hours since we had waved good-bye to the Gorillas this morning? It was approx 40 km from the Mbarara bypass along the Mbarara-Masaka highway to the small village of Nombi where we turned off onto a side track leading south towards Lake Mburo National Park. We were back on adventurous African roads … A very rough dirt track led the roughly 12 km to Lake Mburo National Park Sanga Gate. The rainy weather of the last few days had left its toll … large puddles and long muddy stretches made it especially difficult for the locals with their Banana-laden bicycles and on their motorbikes … For us in our fancy Landcruiser it was just another bumpy ride Bud and HD could moan about …
Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.
Fitzhugh Mullan
We saw another Crested Crane as well – we had developed an eye for spotting them. It was a lonesome one sitting in a bush observing its surroundings. A Hamerkop – Scopus Umbretta – a medium-sized wading bird named after the shape of its head we had see several of during our boat safaris in Murchison Falls National Park and on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park – was happily foraging in a puddle in the middle of the track.
At the Park Gate – while Matovu had to check us in – we opened the safari roof once more. On the way to our accommodation, we would have another safari! Lake Mburo National Park hosts Zebras, Hippopotamus, Impalas, Common Eland, Leopard and over 300 bird species. The parks’ precarious past has seen wildlife virtually eliminated several times – firstly in various attempts to rid the region of tsetse flies, then to make way for ranches and finally as a result of subsistence poaching. Originally gazetted in 1933 as a controlled hunting area, it was upgraded to a game reserve in 1963. The Banyankole Bahima residents continued to graze their cattle in the reserve until it received national park status in 1983. As the evicted pastoralists were not compensated for lost grazing land or assisted with resettling, many remained hostile to the national park. The land outside the park was subsequently subdivided into small ranches and farming plots.
In 1985, the second Obote regime fell and the previous residents of Lake Mburo re-occupied the park’s land, expelling park staff, destroying infrastructure and killing wildlife. Less than half of the park’s original land area was eventually re-gazetted by the National Resistance Movement government in 1986. The now approx 260 km² comprising Lake Mburo National Park is a compact gem, located conveniently close to the highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda. It is the smallest of Uganda’s savanna national parks and underlain by ancient precambrian metamorphic rocks which date back more than 500 mio years.
Together with 13 other lakes in the area, Lake Mburo forms part of a 50 km-long wetland system linked by a swamp. Five of these lakes lie within the park’s borders. Once covered by open savanna, the park now contains much woodland as there are no Elephants to tame the vegetation. In the western part of the park, the savanna is interspersed with rocky ridges and forested gorges while patches of Papyrus swamp and narrow bands of lush riparian woodland line the many lakes.
It was not more than a few minutes after we had passed the gate, that we encountered the first Zebras! How exciting was that! For the Zebras we had come here and this was the best place in Uganda to spot them – Lake Mburo National Park has a rather large resident Zebra population.
In Uganda only some 3100 Zebras remain and are found only here in Lake Mburo National Park and in Kidepo National Park – a wilderness park located in Northern Uganda bordering Sudan and Kenya. They are not found in other national parks since the vegetation and terrain are not suited for them.
There are 3 extant species of Zebra – the Grévy’s Zebra – Equus Grevyi – mainly found in Ethiopia and Kenya, the Plains Zebra – Equus Quagga – with a fragmented range spanning much of southern and eastern Africa south of the Sahara – and the Mountain Zebra – Equus Zebra – native to south-western Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
A small herd of Impala – Aepyceros Melampus – a medium sized Antelope – was hanging around with the Zebras. They favor well-wooded savanna and woodland fringes and are often abundant in such habitats. In Uganda, Impalas are found only in Lake Mburo National Park and Katonga Wildlife Reserve but have been recently reintroduced in Pain Upe Game Reserve.
The so-called Impala Track through the central part of the park north of Lake Mburo had been affected by the recent rains as well. We passed a part that was completely under water. Matovu did not hesitate a second – he made us close the windows and charged the pond in 4×4 head on … and we had a lot of fun!
I was so much reminded of my first trip to Tierra del Fuego – the Land of Fire – the southernmost tip of South America and Argentina in 2013. One day there I took a 4×4 tour just for the fun of it and we passed not only such puddles, but also went along the shore of the huge Lake Fagnano … That had been awesome as well.
It was late in the afternoon … actually early evening already … around 17:30 and the light was fading already. We did see many animals still … it was just hard to take photos of them. We were taking a lot of photo stops without getting out of the car of course – but Matovu wanted to reach the lodge before darkness fell. Some Waterbuck were happily munching away in the grassland that had turned more into a swamp with the rains. Impalas were everywhere as well.
Impalas are lightly built with reddish-fawn upper parts becoming paler on the sides – the chest, belly, throat and chin are white. The tail is white with a central black line on the upper surface and each buttock has a vertical black blaze – Matovu said they are easy to distinguish from other Antilopes, because they have the McD logo on their bum …
In the far distance we could make out Lake Mburo, an approx 13 km² large lake fringed by lush riparian woodland and significant areas of Papyrus swamp. It is the largest of the lakes within the park boundaries and the second-most westerly component in a chain of 16 lakes and connecting swamps fed by the Rwizi River on its course from Mbarara to Lake Victoria.
An immature Grey Heron – Ardea Cinerea – was perched on a tree near the track. Juveniles are lacking the dark stripe on the head and are generally duller in appearance than adults, with a grey head and neck and a small, dark grey crest.
Some 15 Rothschild’s Giraffes from Murchison Falls National Park were introduced to LMNP in 2015 and have since well settled into the savanna northeast of Lake Mburo – exactly the area we were now passing trough as we had turned north onto the Zebra Track. And we were lucky – we spotted our last Giraffes of this tour behind the trees in the distance. There was one munching on the Acacia Trees and a second one a little further away hidden by the trees. Most probably the rest of the herd was hanging out in the off somewhere over there as well.
A solitary Buffalo – Syncerus Caffer – majestically crossed the track ahead of us. Buffalos are apparently amongst the most common animals here in the park. This one was obviously an old bull sauntering along. One of the Big Five, Buffalos are known as “the Black Death” or “the widowmaker” and widely regarded as very dangerous animals. According to some estimates, it gores and kills over 200 people every year. African Buffalos are sometimes reported to kill more people in Africa than any other animal, although the same claim is also made of Hippopotamus and Crocodiles …
In the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park we had already encountered the Topi – Damaliscus Lunatus Jimela – a medium-sized Antelope with a striking reddish-brown to purplish-red coat. Distinct black patches appear on the face, the upper forelegs and on the hips and thighs. To complete its singular appearance, the Topi’s yellowish-tan legs look like they are encased in stockings. Because of the highgrass in Ishasha, we had not been able to really make out those yellow stockings. But here they were clearly visible on the animal standing close to the track watching us.
And for the first time we saw a Red-Necked Francolin – Pternistis Afer Cranchii – perched on a bit of a mound in the landscape … when we saw them in Queen Elizabeth National Park they were always running suicidally along the track ahead of us … and we ever only saw their behinds … Here we could at least have a closer look in the fading light.
The rest of the drive we could just watch the animals roam … it was getting darker and the light was just not there anymore to take any photos. From Sanga Gate it had been approx 16 exciting km to Nshara Gate in the far north of Lake Mburo National Park. We passed the gate already in deep dusk just before closing time. Rapidly the light faded, but it was only a couple more kilometers to Rwakobo Rock Lodge located on the eponymous rock just outside the park boundary, where we reached in almost dark around 19:15. It was late, but luckily Matovu had ordered our dinner already via phone earlier in the day. So after the usual check-in procedure we went straight for dinner to the open-fronted restaurant. But sunset was over and we could not see a thing outside.
First I had to have a drink! It had been a very very long day today … What time had we gotten up this morning? … 05:00? … and so much had happened since then … a G & T was in order … For all of US$ 3 I got a double Uganda Warangi with Tonic … was I happy, or what?
Dinner was good, but nothing to write home about – Sweet Potato Soup and then Beef Stew with vegetable and rice … sounds familiar? … I think we have had it before. I passed on the Banana Cake for desert.
After dinner we were all ready for bed soon. We got the keys for the bungalow at reception and were led back to the car park to get our luggage. The premises were not lit, so the staff showed us the way with torches. The bungalows had names … I cannot remember which one was mine … I think Bushbuck or something like that. I was just too tired. When we reached my porch some Baboons had ransacked it … the cushions were upside down and Baboon poop on the floor. The guy said to make sure to keep windows and door closed at night … ah, yeah … I had not planned to leave anything open so close to the national park … especially since I could not make out any of the surroundings of the bungalow … the only thing I knew was that the next bungalow was relatively far away … for all I knew I was surrounded by deep jungle …
I did not dillydally at all – locked the door, took a very cold shower … I could not be bothered waiting for the warm water to arrive … and then got ready for bed. A last drink under the mosquito net, quickly sorting some photos to post – mobile net was good here – and then I slept. I was totally powered out … more mentally than physically … it had been an outstanding day again and would take a while to process all those impression … and tomorrow was an early day again … the last day …
19.02.2021
Lake Mburo National Park
It was a quiet night with no Baboon visits … I think they sleep at night as well, though … and it was indeed early up again. But we were not leaving for Entebbe just yet … we had another safari coming up! This time it was a walk!
I got ready and as I opened the door I was … stunned … to say the least … by the view! If we had more time, I would have lounged on my porch to just take in the view! The Lodge was nestled on a massive and very scenic granite outcrop with apparently stupendous sunset views … we had been too late last night to admire those … but in the early morning light the panorama was nevertheless awesome!
In dawn I walked to the restaurant for our 06:45 rendez-vous coffee, juice and cookies. The views from there were just as amazing. I think all of my fellow travelers had equally great views from their bungalows as well.
A few minutes later we departed for the park gate. It was a really short drive. It was full light when we reached the gate and met our ranger/guide/guard named Damian. Before we left, Dr D and Ms Ping had a photo session … a photo with the armed guard made seemingly a good souvenir …
Our walking safari started right at the gate. Before we started we had to tug our trouser legs in … there might be safari ants here, but the grass was also wet and you never know … As we passed the gate there was monkey poop right on the barrier … I thought it was Baboon poop, but Damian said the Vervet monkeys mistook the gate for their toilet … I mean … imagine … they shimmied across the thing and dropped a poop … and it actually stayed there balancing … waiting to fall off when the barrier gets moved … I was so stunned I did not even take a photo of it …
Only a few meters past the gate we already encountered our first Buffalo. Now, they are massive … and I can tell you – it is an entirely different affair when you sit in a car that can speed off in case … but being on foot and only some 50 m away … that sure is something … Good thing Damian knew his métier well – a highly trained and experienced professional – and made us stay out of the Buffalos periphery so it did not seem to mind us and slowly turned away … The reality is, seeing animals in the wild always includes inherent risk. The likelihood of experiencing an unwanted run-in is very slim. Of course, walking safaris can never have a 100% safety guarantee, but neither can a safari jeep – or any sort of travel for that matter …
The morning was still fresh, but it was not cold. It was getting lighter by the minute and the sun was slowly coming up behind the morning cloud cover. In the very far distance we could see the fog hanging over Lake Mburo.
Turning off the main track we walked past a small pond – maybe formed by the recent rains – and there was a real Frog concert going on! It was so loud! But as much as we tried, we could not see any of the Frogs … and there must have been many. Damian said they were really tiny … So I never got a photo of one – only a video of the concert …
A large herd of Impalas was peacefully grazing in the savanna and was only slightly annoyed by us getting closer. This Antelope is diurnal and spends the night ruminating and lying down. The peak activity times for social activity and herd movement are shortly after dawn and before dusk.
The Impala – Aepyceros Melampus – is found in eastern and southern Africa. It was first described to European audiences by German zoologist Hinrich Lichtenstein in 1812. The Impala reaches 70-92 cm at the shoulder and features a glossy, reddish brown coat. The male’s slender, lyre-shaped horns are 45-90 cm long.
Impala have different social structures depending on the season. The average size of a female herd is between 15-100 individuals depending on space available. Females live in clans within a home range of 80-180 ha. During the wet season the ranges are heavily defended, but during dry season there is much overlap between individuals in the clan and even between different clans.
Distinct social groups can be observed – the territorial males with or without breeding females, bachelor herds of non-territorial adult and juvenile males and breeding herds of females and juveniles including young males less than 4 years. Here we had a dominant male with a harem of females and could watch how another grown up but young male was slowly being forced out of the herd by the boss. Young males will join bachelor herds, while females may stay back in their herd.
The Impala is known for 2 characteristic leaps that constitute an anti-predator strategy. Browsers as well as grazers, they feed on monocots, dicots, forbs, fruits and acacia pods. Found in woodlands and sometimes on the ecotone between woodlands and savannas, they inhabit places close to water.
An annual, 3-week-long rut takes place toward the end of the wet season, typically in May. Rutting males fight over dominance and the victorious males court females in oestrus. Gestation lasts 6-7 months, following which a single calf is born and immediately concealed in cover. Calves are suckled for 4-6 months.
Our safari walk was essentially a guided stroll through the park – a leisure-low-impact, early morning nature walk. Walking in the wilds of Africa gave us the opportunity to feel the bush – rather than passively observe it from the high perch of our Landcruiser. We were immersed in nature – the only noises were our footsteps and the sounds of the savanna – the whispers of the wild … A great advantage was that we could go where our trusted Landcruiser could not – taking a closer look at the savanna, touching an Acacia Tree and soaking in a panoramic view of a herd of Impalas. The animals were less alarmed by us than they would have been by a jeep.
I became a regular detective – the walk honed my tracking skills from ground level, making me to look closer for clues right under my nose. The bush was filled with signs of wildlife – poop, tracks, burrows, nests, spiderwebs … I loved it. I of course found plenty Impala prints, tiny mushrooms in the wet grass and Grasshoppers.
We could also have a closer look at the Acacia Trees – Vachellia Tortilis – the Umbrella Thorn Acacia, which could be really called a symbol of Africa. In extremely arid conditions, it occurs as a small, wiry bush, but it can grow up to 21 m in height. In one of them I spotted a huge spider web.
A couple of female Waterbuck were observing as we wandered through the savanna. They had been hanging out close to the herd of Impalas. I very much like their heart-shaped noses … I had not noticed that before when we spotted them on our safaris. It looked very cute.
In the distance a lone White-Backed Vulture – Gyps Africanus – sometimes called African White-Backed Vulture – was perched high up on a dead tree. This Old World Vulture is a typical Vulture with only down feathers on the head and neck, very broad wings and short tail feathers. It has a white neck ruff and a wingspan of approx 2.25 m.
Amongs all the Impala foot prints I also made out what Damian identified as the footprint of a Vervet Monkey. They have very narrow feet and hands with long toes and fingers.
As we left the Impalas and came through the bushes the savanna opened up in front of us and it was just like in the movies …a herd of Zebras was peacefully grazing next to Impalas, Topi and Warthogs.
Slowly we were wandering closer. The sight was amazing. Zebras are social animals that live in herds of varying sizes. Bachelor males either live alone or with groups of other bachelors until they are old enough to challenge a breeding stallion. When attacked by predators, a Zebra group will huddle together with the foals in the middle while the stallion tries to ward them off.
They sleep while standing up just like horses and are fond of grazing together. Zebras feed almost entirely on grass but may occasionally eat shrubs, twigs, leaves, bark and herbs. They subsist on diets of lower nutritional quality than necessary for other herbivores with the help of their digestive system. A Zebra’s ears signify its mood – when surveying an area for predators, Zebras will stand in an alert posture with ears erect and head held high, as they stare. They will snort whenever they are tense and will bray or bark loudly when they spot or sense a predator.
Female Zebras carry their young for a gestation period approx 1 year and may give birth to one foal every 12 months. The birthing peak is during the rainy season. The foals have a brown and white color at birth and they are able to stand up and walk on their own just after they are born. A single young is produced. The young feed on their mother’s milk throughout their first year. Zebras become fully mature at 3-6 years old and will have a lifespan of around 25 years. Whereas the female Zebras mature earlier than the males, a mare may have her first foal by the age of 3 and the males are not able to breed until the age of 5 or 6.
Zebra can run up to 65 km/h in a zigzagging motion and have an excellent stamina especially when they are trying to evade predators that chase them. When Zebras are in a herd, their distinctive stripes merge into a big mass which makes it hard for the predators to single out individual animals despite the fact that they are poorly camouflaged. Although the pattern is visible during daytime, at dawn or in the evening when their predators are most active, Zebras look indistinct and may confuse predators by distorting true distance. However their white and black color pattern helps them to withstand intense solar radiation.
We did not just look mesmerized at the Zebras, though. There were also several Topi mingeling with them. Lake Mburo National Park supports a sizable Topi population and they also occur in the controlled hunting areas buffering the park. A problem for them in the park are the changes in habitat occurring over time. Most areas which were formerly grassland in the park have changed into bushveld or forest as the invasive native shrubby Acacia Tree has colonized these areas. The Acacia in turn is protecting other bush and tree species, which are growing faster and thicker. This afforestation is forcing Topi into the surrounding ranches and private land, causing them to be resented as pests.
Nevertheless, Damian led us slowly towards the Zebras. They did not seem alert but sure kept a safe distance. But we were basically right in the middle of it all – Zebras and Antelopes were all around us …
… few can sojourn long within the unspoilt wilderness of a game sanctuary,
surrounded on all sides by its confiding animals,
without absorbing its atmosphere;
the Spirit of the Wild is quick to assert supremacy
and no man of any sensibility can resist her.
James Stevenson-Hamilton
We could make out a baby Zebra as well. The Plains Zebra – Equus Quagga – is the most common and geographically widespread species of Zebra. It is intermediate in size between the larger Grévy’s Zebra and the smaller Mountain Zebra and tends to have broader stripes than both. Great variation in coat patterns exists between individuals. The Plain Zebra’s habitat is generally – but not exclusively – treeless grasslands and savanna woodlands, both tropical and temperate. They generally avoid deserts, dense rainforests and permanent wetlands. Zebras are preyed upon by Lions, Spotted Hyenas and Nile Crocodiles.
They are a highly social species, forming harems with a single stallion, several mares and their recent offspring. The Plains Zebra remains common in game reserves and national parks, but is threatened by human activities such as hunting for its meat and hide as well as competition with livestock and encroachment by farming on much of its habitat. The species population is stable, but is classified as near threatened by IUCN as of 2016.
Our walking safari also gave us a different perspective – I kept looking down often and found not only piles of Zebra poop, but also plenty of Zebra tracks. Zebras are single hoofed – belonging to the odd-toed hoofed mammal family which ranges from Horses to Tapirs to Rhinoceroses. Horses and Zebras have only one toe on each foot, which is protected with a well-developed nail-like case called a hoof.
Zebras have been featured in African art and culture for millennia. They have been depicted in rock art in Southern Africa dating back 20000-28000 years, though not as commonly as Antelope like Eland. How the Zebra got its stripes has been the subject of folk tales, some of which involve it being scorched by fire. The San people – indigenous hunter-gatherers of the first nations of Southern Africa – associated Zebra stripes with water, rain and lightning due to its dazzling pattern. The Zebra has also been associated with beauty and the women of various societies would paint much of their bodies in stripes. For the Shona people of Zimbabwe, the Zebra is a totem animal, along with the Eland, Buffalo, Lion and Monkey. It is praised in a poem as an “iridescent and glittering creature”. Its stripes have symbolised the joining of male and female. Zebras have also been represented in Western culture. They have been thought of as a more exotic alternative to horses – the comic book character Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is depicted riding a Zebra.
Zebras have been kept in captivity since at least the Roman Empire. In later times, captive Zebras have been shipped around the world, often for diplomatic reasons. In 1261, Sultan Baibars of Egypt established an embassy with Alfonso X of Castile and sent a Zebra and other exotic animals as gifts. In 1417, a Zebra was sent to the Yongle Emperor of China from Somalia as a gift for the Chinese people. The fourth Mughal Emperor Jahangir received a Zebra from Ethiopia in 1621. In the 1670s, Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes I exported 2 Zebras to the Dutch governor of Jakarta. These animals were eventually given by the Dutch to the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan. In 1882, Ethiopia sent a Zebra to French president Jules Grévy and the species it belonged to was named in his honour.
When Queen Charlotte received a Zebra as a wedding gift in 1762, the animal became a source of fascination for the people of Britain. Many flocked to see it at its paddock at Buckingham Palace. It soon became the subject of humour and satire, being referred to as “The Queen’s Ass” and was the subject of an oil painting by George Stubbs in 1763. The Zebra also gained a reputation for being ill-tempered and kicked at visitors.
Attempts to domesticate Zebras were largely unsuccessful. It is possible that having evolved under pressure from the many large predators of Africa, including early humans, they became more aggressive, thus making domestication more difficult. However, Zebras have been trained and tamed throughout history. In Rome, Zebras are recorded to have pulled chariots during gladiator games starting in the reign of Caracalla 198 to 217 AD. In the late 19th century, the zoologist Walter Rothschild trained some Zebras to draw a carriage in England, which he drove to Buckingham Palace to demonstrate the tame character of Zebras to the public. However, he did not ride on them as he realised that they were too small and aggressive. In the early 20th century, German colonial officers in German East Africa tried to use Zebras for both driving and riding, with limited success.
Damian had told us, he was looking for a Leopard as well, because at least one is roaming this end of the park and this early is the right time to maybe encounter it. We were not that lucky … Leopards are by far the most difficult animal to track and find on foot. They tread very lightly, they are solitary and they move in unpredictable directions – particularly when hunting. When approached they will often crouch in a thicket, allowing the tracker to walk by completely unaware not more than 5 meters away! But … I found Leopard tracks! Fresh Leopard tracks! I was so proud of myself.
The Leopard – Panthera Pardus Pardus – track appears as a typical cat’s pug mark with 4 clear toe pads – measuring 8 to 10 cm in length. Male’s tracks are longer and broader than the females. The female’s toes are slightly more slender than the males. No claws show unless the animal is running. Three typical lobes can be found on the back – main – pad of the animal. The front track is broader but slightly shorter than the hind track. Damian was sure, but had an identifier app on his mobile to make sure it really was a Leopard.
There were lots of Antilope tracks as well around here, but among those I also found a tiny pug mark … Damian said, that this must be a Leopard cup. At around 3 months of age, the cups begin to follow the mother on hunts. At one year of age, Leopard young can probably fend for themselves, but remain with the mother for 18-24 months. The tracks were fresh and undisturbed – they must have passed here very recently … we had just missed them …
It was Zebra-tastic this morning! The herd seemed to be huge and moved through the savanna. We kind of followed it along. Zebras are boldly striped in black and white and no 2 individuals look exactly alike. Compared to other species, the Plains Zebra has broader stripes. The stripes are vertical on the fore part of the body and tend towards the horizontal on the hindquarters. Northern Zebra populations have narrower and more defined striping; southern populations have varied but lesser amounts of striping on the under parts, the legs and the hindquarters. Southern populations also have brown shadow stripes between the black and white colouring. These are absent or poorly expressed in northern Zebras. The natal coat of a foal is brown and white and the brown darkens with age.
At least since the days when Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace were theorizing about evolution, scientists have debated the function of this sassy animal print. It has been called camouflage to confuse big predators, an identity signal to other Zebras and a kind of wearable air conditioner. Now most scientists agree that the function of a Zebra’s stripes is to ward off biting flies that can carry deadly diseases.
Everytime I look at a Zebra,
I can’t figure out whether it’s black with white stripes or white with black stripes
– and that frustrates me.
Jodi Picoult
Experiments have demonstrated that the stripes polarize light in such a way that it discourages tabanids – biting flies – in a manner not shown with other coat patterns. Several studies support this theory, because compared to other wild equines, Zebras live in areas with the highest fly activity. Also thermoregulation has long been suggested by scientists as the function of Zebra stripes. The basic idea is that black stripes would absorb heat in the morning and warm up Zebras, whereas white stripes reflect light more and could thus help cool them as they graze for hours in the blazing sun. Because each individual’s stripes are unique, their stripes may also have a social purpose, helping Zebras to recognise one other.
The Zebra is striped all over so that the Lion can see him and eat him.
Some people say he is striped so that the Lion cannot see him.
These people believe that the stripes of the Zebra simulate the bars of sunlight
falling through the tall jungle grasses
and that therefore the Zebra is invisible and that the earth is flat.
Will Cuppy
One of the Zebras rolled with devotion in a sandy pit next to the gravel track. Dust bathing or sand bathing is an animal behavior characterized by rolling or moving around in dust, dry earth or sand – with the likely purpose of removing parasites from fur, feathers or skin. Many mammals roll in sand or dirt, presumably to keep parasites away or to help dry themselves after exercise or becoming wet.
A Zebras coat is like a giant bar code – a unique pattern of stripes. And scientists can use the patterns to identify individuals in a herd and keep track of them over time. Compared to today’s methods, the first efforts to identify Zebras by their stripes were pretty low-tech. Hans and Ute Klingel, a husband and wife team, pioneered stripe recognition with Grevy’s Zebras back in the 1960s. First, they photographed a bunch of Zebras. Then they developed the pictures in a dark room they erected right in the field. Next, they created a card index with coded, hand-written notes on each animal’s pattern. These days, special software can scan images of Zebras and identify individuals by “reading” their stripes like bar codes. It can even compensate for changes in posture and weight, including pregnancy.
I asked the Zebra, are you black with white stripes?
Or white with black stripes?
And the Zebra asked me – Are you good with bad habits?
Or are you bad with good habits?
Are you noisy with quiet times?
Or are you quiet with noisy times?
Are you happy with some sad days?
Or are you sad with some happy days?
Are you neat with some sloppy ways?
Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?
And on and on and on and on and on and on he went.
I’ll never ask a Zebra about stripes … again.
Shel Silverstein
Almost 2 hrs into our walk the Zebras wandered off into the opposite direction as we strolled back towards the park gate. Plains Zebras are nomadic and non-territoral, home ranges vary from 30 km² to 600 km², depending on the area and if the population is migratory. They are more active during the day and spend most of their time feeding. Other activities include dust bathing, rubbing, drinking and intermittent resting which is very brief. At night, Zebra activity is subdued except when threatened by predators. They may even rest or sleep laying down, while one individual keeps guard.
Reaching the gate, we saw Matovu already waiting for us. But before we got in the car, we had to admire a fascinating Ant route that had formed in the mud near the parking. Thousands of tiny Safari Ants were being busy walking along their highway. Carefully we stepped over it and made sure no stray Ants were finding their way up our trouser legs on our last day.
It was a short drive back to Rwakobo Rock Lodge. Finally we could see the way in light … last night it had been already dark when we arrived. And even here just outside the park boundary Zebras were hanging out … Once we arrived at the lodge, we had to go pack and check out quickly.
The path to my secluded bungalow was leading through the bushes and then the panorama opened up … It was almost 09:30 now and the sun was out. I had an almost 180° view towards the pastures north of the park.
In Africa you have space …
there is a profound sense of space here, space and sky.
Thabo Mbeki
In the light I could now also inspect my bungalow properly – last night it had been dark and this morning dawn … the most surprising was the view from the bathroom! It was possible to take a shower and observe the park towards the east …
I put my backpack on the porch – hoping no Baboon would come and steel it until it got picked up – and went with the rest of my stuff to the restaurant. On the way I met the staff who already were collecting our luggage, so I should not have been worried about the monkeys … Matovu had already started to pack the car as well – I could leave some of my junk there and only took the camera bag to breakfast … just in case.
We had a good breakfast chatting and admiring the view from the beautifully decorated restaurant. Some Vervet Monkeys provided entertainment shimmying through the bushes nearby, jumping over the railing and invading the buffet. The waiters were busy chasing them off. We all used the time and good internet connection to check in online for our flight home tomorrow. I had to activate my train ticket online as well. Since reportedly the winter weather at home had passed, I would take the train instead getting an expensive rental car again.
Matovu gave us his official farewell speech and we filled in the questionnaires. I marked everything with excellent. It had been an incredible tour with nothing to complain about … other than not having had proper local food ever … I detest having to work through such customer survey sheets when on assignment so much, if I ever have to fill in one myself, it is nothing but good marks. If there was something to complain I would have said it already …
The others used the time to prepare for our departure C-test this afternoon, as well. Dr D had brought some special mouthwash to gargle to reduce the possible viral load before the test … I did not use it … I cannot gargle … absolutely not … I gag everytime I try it … I was not worried about the test anyway … It is not so that I had a job to go back to urgently … 2 weeks more in Africa … I would not mind.
At 11:45 we finally got going – off to Entebbe we were.
