When our children were young, we enjoyed taking them to the zoo to get a firsthand glimpse of the lions, gorillas, elephants, tigers, giraffes and more. They loved seeing them in real life rather than in the books they read before bedtime. We loved witnessing the wonder and amazement in their eyes as they saw the animals for the first (2nd and 3rd) time! Their faces lit up and their smiles came alive.
Michael, our youngest son, was always fascinated by their size, color, patterns and shape. He knew God was the master designer, but was in awe with what he saw. When he was in kindergarten, he painted the animals during art class. He titled his masterpiece, “I Wonder Why Animals Have Different Designs?” His teacher was so impressed she entered his painting in the county art competition, where he won first place. I love his painting, the title and his creativity. It’s proudly displayed in our home.
“There is language going on out there, the roars, snorts, trumpets, squeals, whoops and chirps that have meaning derived over eons of expression. We have yet to become fluent in the language – and music – of the wild.” -Boyd Norton
When I look through my pictures or see Michael’s painting, I am reminded of my recent trip to Uganda. What a magical destination! It’s quite difficult to find the words to adequately describe what it’s really like to be so close to the wildlife. Awestruck!? Amazed!? Inspired!? The animals would frolic through the savanna, stomp across the road, meander through the forest, dangle from the trees or trudge up the mountainside….WOW! It was priceless to see them in their natural habitat eating, sleeping, running or having fun in their “wildlife playgroup”.
Uganda…a lush, green East African country, is a safari and animal trekking paradise. Its’ national parks are home to a huge array of wildlife, including the Big 5 (leopard, lion, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape Buffalo). Not only is there abundant wildlife, there are also stunning landscapes. And the Equator runs right through the country, along with the Nile River.
Uganda is the Pearl of Africa! It’s a magnificent country, diverse in color, with valleys, tropical rainforests, brilliant wildlife and an abundance of birds, all on a truly vast scale. And of course, it’s home to the world’s best gorilla and chimpanzee encounters too! Uganda is really something to experience.
Let’s meet the stars of the show! Are you ready?!!!
Powerful & Mysterious…the Leopard
Of all the animals you will see on a big cat safari, none are as beautiful, powerful and mysterious as the African leopard. These increasingly rare animals are quite elusive, making the most difficult of the “BIG 5” safari animals to spot. But we were lucky! Look at this beauty! She came right up to our Safari jeep and sat near my door. That’s when the driver suggested I close my window just in case she decided to jump in. If I opened my door, I would have hit her body! Yes…WE WERE THAT CLOSE!
Leopards are graceful. Their coats are simply breathtaking, and their muscular build combined with their confident demeanor makes them both intimidating and captivating. Leopards are strong and comfortable in trees and often haul their kill into the branches. Their spotted coats allow them to blend in with the leaves. These nocturnal predators stalk antelope, deer, hyenas and pigs. They are also strong swimmers. Many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa.
Look at her coat?!! It’s so beautiful, shiny and silky. I really wanted to lean out the jeep and touch her. I bet it would have felt like velvet! What do you think?
The King of the Grassland
Of all the animals that can be seen on a safari, there is one that stands out above the rest: the lion. As we were driving through the savanna, I felt like a kid on a scavenger hunt. My eyes were glued to the binoculars, glancing to and fro, hoping to find the “King of the Grassland”. And when we spotted not one but three, we excitedly jumped on the seats and stuck our heads out the roof to get a better view.
There is nothing like seeing a lion in its natural habitat, unconstrained and free to roam. Its’ power and beauty are simply unmatched in all of nature and cannot be truly appreciated unless you are able to experience it firsthand.
Protecting the Rhino
One of our adventures was to ZIWA Rhino Sanctuary, 4 hours from Entebbe. The sanctuary was created to reintroduce rhinos to Uganda after their elimination due to poaching in 1982. It’s the proud home of the only wild rhinos in Uganda. Presently, the sanctuary is home to 33 southern White Rhinos and has become increasingly popular for rhino trekking, bird watching and nature walks. You’ll notice, White Rhinos aren’t white, but slate gray in color. The species color comes from the Dutch word, “weit”, which sounds like “white”, but means wide.
While we were trekking to the rhinos, we learned that one of the females was pregnant. Good news!! On December 10th the sanctuary welcomed a healthy boy into their family. He was born to 7-year-old mom Uhuru. It’s her second calf and he’s a big, strong, healthy rhino! He had fun wallowing in the mud on day 1. His name will be made public very soon so stay tuned!
A Pillar of Strength
Elephants were everywhere! We saw them taking a mud bath, eating leaves from the trees, playing follow the leader and walking through the river. On one of our game drives, we parked close to a herd of elephants and watched them interact with each other. It was very clear that the Mamma elephant did not want us that close, so she charged at the safari jeep. Our guide, Richard, was quick to put the pedal to the metal keeping us from harm’s way. It was a pretty exciting experience!!
A fierce one…the Cape Buffalo
It’s not hard to spot the Cape Buffalo. We saw herds of them along the banks of the Kazinga Channel while in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Their horns are quite large and unique and show an indication of their age. The females and young males do not have the hard shielding that protects the base of the skull in large adult males. As we were cruising down the channel, we heard an elephant screeching and then chase after a buffalo because he was invading his territory.
Cape Buffalo are always within a day’s walk of water. This is especially true in the dry season when they are eating dried grasses. These animals are extremely social and live in large, mixed herds of up to 2,000 members!
They made their way into the Big 5 ranking because of their size, moody behavior and their ability to charge without warning. It’s been said that the Cape Buffalo is one of the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot.
Uganda…truly the “Pearl of Africa”!!
You are most welcome here!
Part of what makes Uganda such a special place to visit is its combination of wildlife experiences within such a small region. It’s a beautiful destination for adventurous souls and wildlife lovers.
Next week, I will highlight the spectacular wildlife along with the beautiful landscape. I’ll also share some fun stories and pictures from what I captured on our journey!! Stay tuned!
Click below to follow along on this amazing journey.
I wish you a HOLIDAY SEASON filled with JOY, PEACE, LOVE and great health!
