“The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth” – Chief Seattle
Murchison Falls National Park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savanna. First gazetted as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area, hosting 76 species of mammals and 451 birds.
The northern section of the park contains savanna and borassus palms, acacia trees and riverine woodland. The south is dominated by woodland and forest patches.
The mighty cascade drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. This stretch of river provides one of Uganda’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles. Regular visitors to the riverbanks include elephants, giraffes and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds are permanent residents.
The savanna-dwelling patas monkey is only found here and in Kidepo Valley National Park.
The Murchison Falls-where the Nile squeezes through an 8m wide gorge and plunges with a thunderous roar into the “Devil’s Cauldron”Lovely landscapes with these gentle giants and their other ungulate friends. The Giraffe on a Mission – wonder, what they think and why they do what they do?It is a treat to watch a tower / journey of giraffes ; I call them wild mobile towers (pun intended).A harem of female Ugandan KobesThe Alpha Male (Ugandan Kobe) and other young contenders nearbyJackson’s Hartebeest : also known as kongoni, Hartebeests are a large African antelope. Jackson’s Hartebeest is one of the 8 sub-species. These antelopes can weigh upto 200 Kgs. Males and females, both have the horns. It has a particularly elongated forehead and oddly shaped horns, short neck, and pointed ears. Form herds of 20 to 300 individuals. Once, found in abundance, their numbers have declined for all reasons human. Oribi : Male in the foreground. Horns distinguish the males from the females. It is a small antelope found in eastern, southern and western Africa. The oribi reaches nearly 50–67 centimetres (20–26 in) at the shoulder and weighs 12–22 kilograms. Typically diurnal, the oribi is active mainly during the day. Small herds of up to four members are common; males defend their group’s territory, 25–100 hectares (62–247 acres) large. Typically a grazer, occasionally engages in browsing.The Grey Kestrel. An African bird of prey belonging to the falcon family ‘Falconidae‘. Its shorter wings help differentiate it from very similar Sooty Falcon, whose wing tips almost reach the tail end at rest. It is a crepuscular bird, most active at dawn and dusk. It generally hunts from a high perch but occasionally hovers. It feeds mainly on insects, lizards and small mammals including bats, also hunt other birds, worms and amphibians. Prey is usually caught on the ground.Denham’s Bustard : A large bustard, It is a species of open ground, including agricultural land, grassland, flood-plains and burnt fynbos. It is resident, but some inland populations move to lower altitudes in winter. The common names for this species refer to the English explorer, Major Dixon Denham.Also known as Stanley bustard or Stanley’s bustard. The male is 9 to 10 kg and 100–116 cm, while the female is smaller.The Abyssinian ground hornbill or northern ground hornbill is an African bird, found north of the equator, and is one of two species of ground hornbill. It is the second largest species of African hornbill, only surpassed by the slightly largerSouthern Ground Hornbill. Above picture shows the male with a red collar and the female with a purely blue neck.A Red Throated Bee Eater. What a delight to see this bee-eater. The red-throated bee-eater has a wide distribution across tropical Africa, its range extending from Senegal and Gambia in the west to Uganda, southern Sudan, and Ethiopia in the east. The red-throated bee-eater is a colonial species, nesting in groups and remaining in the nesting area all year round. The nests are tunnels, excavated before the ground dries after the rainy season, the colony having up to about fifty nests. The diet of these birds consists mostly of honey-bees and stingless bees, as well as other insects.The short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus), also known as the short-toed eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey. Spread over a wide range. This is an ‘Old World’ species found throughout the Mediterranean basin, into Russia and the Middle East, and parts of Western Asia, and in the Indian Subcontinent and also further east in some Indonesian islands.A Common Genet. An agile, omnivorous, opportunistic animal which lives on ground as much as on the trees. It also feeds on plants and fruits occasionally. Normally solitary, except while mating and with off-springs. normally has a litter of five. Was lucky to find this one looking around leisurely along the path. Stayed around for 15 to 20 minutes. The eureka moment at 0630 h, we were the first ones to enter the reserve. found six to eight young lionesses resting on the track (the grass was all wet with rain). The moment they heard the vehicle, they started to move into the grass. Lucky that these two stayed long enough for me to pick up the camera.One of the lionesses – thinking !!Two more lionesses from the same group as above.The best ever sighting of a leopard for me. It was a treat to see this young leopardess leap out of the tall grass and onto the bark of this tree. It was fascinating to see all the motions and actions including pulling at the bark to clean the claws. It was the most exciting times to see this Leopardess. Young, primed and promising !!The queen of the grasslands !!Looks squarely into my eyes. The gentlest of the giants came along. and then I saw the most heart wrenching scene – the young one was trying to push the empty plastic bottle down its throat. The elders were oblivious or had no clue about it. I watched helplessly and my query to our guide also brought in a quiet response – there is nothing that we can do about it.Guess, my prayers were answered (quickly). The young one dropped the bottle and moved on. Another pachyderm : A young male alerted by our presence !!
Murchison Falls national reserve was definitely a great place to visit with herds of wild animals still moving about freely. However, one can see the roads and tracks being built and cutting across the paths of these gentle creatures, who know nothing of human compulsions. I only hope the traffic remains within limits and there is enough for the man and the animals to survive together.
Lets persevere and preserve whatever little is left of our planet !!
Very well written Sir , beautiful photographs. Sighting of a Leopard in Murchison is so special and you were able to capture it so beautifully.
Thank you Vinit.
Excellent Sir… great pictures & good narrative ?
Dear Rajiv,
Thank you for the encouragement.
Cheers!!