UGANDA & Rwanda
In search of gorillas and discovering so much more...
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UGANDA & Rwanda
Magic Safaris - in search of Gorillas, and discovering so much more 29 June - 17 July 2007 Photos: Saskia van Diesen
Our route: Classic Uganda + Gorilla Express 1
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INDEX 1. Around Lake Victoria
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2. Kibale Forest NP
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3. Queen Elisabeth NP - Mweya
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4. Queen Elisabeth NP - Ishasha
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5. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
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6. Lake Bunyonyi
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7. Rwanda / Virunga Mountains
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8. Bulago Island - Lake Victoria
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The Grey crowned crane is the national bird of Uganda and regarded as a sacred bird or symbol in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia 4
BIRDS
around Lake Victoria
Fish Eagle
Glossy Ibis 5
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CH I M PA N S E E S
Orphaned chimps on Ngamba Island
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MABAMBA WETL ANDS Lake Victoria
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Malachite Kingfisher 11
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Jacana - also called Jesus-bird, as it looks like it can walk on water 13
SHOEBILL STORK The “ultimate” bird for birders
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A Goliath Heron catching a fish, a big fish... 16
and swallowing it in one piece
Hammerkop 17
Fred, our Ugandan driver
Our travel companions 18
Wim, our Flemish guide - rapper from Bruges
The Kitchen and cooks of our Mobile camp 19
KIBALE FOREST 20
Kibale Forest National Park lies in Western Uganda, southeast of Fort Portal. The park covers 766 km² of rainforest interspersed with patches of grassland and swamps. Kibale Forest lies between an altitude of 1,100 m and 1,590 m. Kibale Forest NP offers the greatest variety and concentration of primates in East Africa including about 500 chimpanzees (of which we only saw one...). It has a bird list of 335 bird species and 140 species of butterflies. The number of chimps in the wild is steadily decreasing. The wilderness areas necessary to their survival are disappearing at an alarming rate as more forests are cut down for farming and other activities. As the human’s closest relative the chimp is vulnerable to many of the same diseases, and their capture for medical research contributes to their decline, especially in West Africa. In addition, recent outbreaks of the incurable disease Ebola hemorrhagic fever, threaten to decimate important chimpanzee populations in the Republic of Congo and Gabon.
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Ugandan Red Colobus monkey 22
Grey cheeked Mangabey
BIGODI WETL ANDS Community Project 23
African Pigmee Kingfisher Great Blue Turaco
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Baboons 25
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Q U E E N E L I S A B E T H N A T. P A R K Mweya
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UGANDAN KOB Mating ground
The kob is similar in appearance to the impala, but the two species are not related. Kobs graze on short grass and are dependant on larger animals such as hippos, buffalos, topis and hartebeests to create those grazing conditions. Kobs develop attachments to particular localities, returning to the same grazing areas and watering places day after day, season after season. The social structure of the kob is based on small herds that come together into larger groups of up to 1,000 animals. Unlike most other antelopes, the kob has permanent breeding grounds, called leks, where almost all mating takes place, some of which have been in continuous use for at least 50 years. Lekking grounds, usually located on a knoll or elevated area near water, are roughly circular in shape and are 20 to 100 yards in diameter. When female kobs come into estrus, they are attracted by the concentrated deposits of hormone-rich urine that accumulates in the leks. Competition for the innermost territories is fierce, and males hold their territories for only a day or two before turnover.
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The pre- and postmating behavior of kobs is also different from that of other antelopes. The male is not as rough with the female and does not attempt to force her to stay within his territory - rather he appears to try gently to convince her. He makes soft noises during courtship play, repeatedly whistling through his nostrils after mating. The sound carries across the breeding grounds and may be echoed by the other territorial males. The single newborn is suckled for 6 to 7 months and at the time of weaning has reached half of adult size. Young males begin to grow their horns at 5 months, and by 1 year the horns are about as long as the ears. Kobs become sexually mature between 13 and 14 months, but a male will not be active in the breeding grounds until he is 3 or 4 years old, when he has become strong enough to vie for a territory.
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Local school kids camping near our campsite in Mweya 32
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KAZINGA CHANNEL Boat trip
Pied Kingfisher 34
Cormorants, Pelican and Saddle Billed Stork
The Kazinga Channel is a wide, 36km long natural channel that links Lake Edward and Lake George. It’s a dominant feature of Queen Elizabeth National Park because it attracts a varied range of animals and birds both perennial and migratory bird species. We took a 2 hour trip on a Mississipi-like boat.
Martial Eagle
Black-chested Snake Eagle 35
Yellow Billed Stork 36
Fish Eagle & Hippo
Old, outcast Buffalo, with Cattle Egret for company 37
Nile Crocodile
A ferocious yawn ! 38
Unlikely friends
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A small fishing village, inside the Queen Elisabeth National Park 40
Matoke is a meal consisting of steamed green plantain and is one of the national dishes of Uganda. The medium-sized green fruits, which look like bananas but are not, are locally known as “matoke�. They are peeled, wrapped in the plant’s leaves and set in a cooking pot (sufuria) on the stalks which have been removed from the leaves. The pot is then placed on a charcoal fire and the matoke is steamed for a couple of hours in water placed in the bottom of the cooking pot. While uncooked, the matoke is white and fairly hard. Cooking turns it soft and yellow. The matoke is then mashed while still wrapped in the leaves and often served on a fresh leaf. It is then eaten with a sauce made of vegetables, ground peanut, or some type of meat (goat and beef are common).
A sma
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CHAMBURA GORGE A patch of Forest inside Savannah land Chambura river gorge is situated on North-Eastern side of the Park (QENP). The Gorge spans a distance of 16 kms long and 100m deep, while the widest point is over 500 metres. The Gorge emerges between savannah grasslands. It forms an outstanding topographic feature in dramatic contrast to surrounding savannah landscape. The Gorge has a riverine virgin forest that transits to papyrus swamps towards the Kazinga channel. It is the only place in the Park where you can view the chimpanzees at close range.
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MARAMGAMBO FOREST Further to the north, you’ll find the immense Maramgambo Forest. This forest - one of the largest in Uganda - is highly regarded not only by birders but also by hikers, since there are a number of walking trails. Along these trails, you will get a good idea of the wildlife (primates, birds and butterflies) in the forest . L’Hoest’s Monkey. This handsome monkey is less well known and more difficult to see than most relatives, largely because of its preference for dense secondary forest and its terrestrial habits. It has a black face and back ward-projecting white whiskers and is the only monkey which habitually carries its tail in an upright position. Next page: The bats cave - fruit bats - is an interesting walking destination. L’Hoest’s Monkey 44
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LIONS An endagered species in Uganda
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The populations of lions in Uganda of 214 known lions, and even the crude projection of 354-745 for the whole country are low. Prey availability plays big role in predator population sizes as increased food availability leads to increased cub survival, affects foraging behaviour, population density and composition, social dynamics, reproduction, spatial and social organization. Since Uganda has experienced drastic declines in prey populations during the wars due to poaching, the lion population could not have been an exception, but because the lions are looked at as enemies to man and his livestock, they have an added disadvantage and recovery of their population requires a lot more conservation effort. Killing of lions by the local community for biomedical and cultural values is widely spread in Uganda, and elsewhere in Africa and some of the indiscriminate poisoning is in an attempt by the local community to avert the livestock losses caused by the lions. Road kills of lions by speeding vehicles have also claimed lions in Queen Elizabeth national park. The sensitivity analysis implies that the small populations of lions are very fragile to these risk factors. Because of this, Uganda Wildlife Authority has entered into partnership with various stakeholders and management interventions have been put in place. The plan for these collaborative management interventions is to improve the survival rates of lions, so that an increase in the populations can be achieved. This has so far been done and will still be through research, community involvement in lion conservation, and donor support is a critical factor in this. Above all, the Uganda Wildlife Authority would like to emulate the experiences of the neighboring countries in the Southern and Eastern Africa, where lion populations are economically self-sustaining.
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ISHASHA CAMP facing Congo on the other side of the river
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ISHASHA famous for its Fig-tree climbing lions 57
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Shoebill Stork - second sighting
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Martial Eagle 61
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BWINDI Impenetrable forest - home of the Mountain Gorillas
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Kids in Buhoma - the village from which the Gorilla tracking is organized 66
The kids from the orphanage in Buhoma, performing for the tourists 67
GORILLA BIRINGEI BIRINGEI Mountain Gorilla
Closely related to humans, gorillas are the largest and strongest of the living primates. Although strong and powerful, gorillas are generally gentle and shy and not the ferocious beast depicted in imaginative movies. Gorillas have strong attachments to members of their own group. They live in groups of 2-40 individuals, on average 11. Groups are led by a dominant male “the silverback”, who serves as the chief protector and defender of the group. He leads, decides when and where to forage, rest and sleep. Gorillas have large heads – especially males, who’s sculls have a prominent crest. Facial features like wrinkles around the nose – called nose prints - are unique for each individual and are often used by human researchers for identification. Considered to be one of the most endangered species, the mountain gorillas are only surving in volcanic mountains that form part of the border between Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. These spectacular mountains and the nearby Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda are the last refuges for them. 2003 figures estimates the total population of mountain gorillas to be about 706 individuals, of which about 320 are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National park and the other 386 in the Volcanic mountains (Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda, Volcano National Park- Rwanda and Virunga National Park DRC). The Eastern Gorilla (Gorilla beringei) is a species of the genus Gorilla and the largest living primate. At present, the species is subdivided into two subspecies. The Eastern Lowland Gorilla (G. b. graueri) is the most populous, at about 16,000 individuals. The Mountain Gorilla (G. b. beringei) has only about 700 individuals. In addition, scientists are considering elevating the Bwindi gorilla population to the rank of subspecies.
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L AKE BUNYONYI A tranquil stopover
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An overview of the whole safari team, although we usually didn’t travel in convoy. 75
RWA N DA On route to the Virunga Volcanoes 76
Genocide memorial center - a heatbreaking experience 77
We went to visit the Sabinyo group, a group of 8 mountain gorilla’s, headed up by the largest known Silverback, Guhonda , weighing an astounding 220 kg’s. Our guide, François, had actually been working with Dian Fossey for 20 years and was full of stories and knowledge which he readily shared with us. During the period of the Genocide, he was one of the many dedicated rangers that remained behind to protect these magnificent creatures, despite ongoing threats by the rebels.
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His name is Guhonda, which means ‘to beat’. Even before he became the chief, he used to beat his chest, the floor and the other male gorillas. He is now the biggest (220 kg) and oldest (33 y) known gorilla, at least in Rwanda. Guhonda sits back and regards us calmly, deeply intelligent brown eyes studying each of us in turn., he is saying Hello. It is an aweinspiring moment in a wholly unique experience. This is the place, and these are the gorillas, made famous by Dian Fossey, who gave her life in the cause of saving these animals. Today, the park guides and trackers continue her work, protecting the gorillas from poachers. Bringing tourists to see them not only inspires and astonishes humans but helps provide revenue to save the gorillas from extinction. Six groups, including the Sabinyo, have been habituated to human contact and see no more than eight human visitors a day for up to an hour at time. Armed trackers guard the animals round the clock and know each gorilla by name from the distinctive markings above their noses. But still the poachers come. The stolen animals are sold privately to parks and collectors abroad, but most do not survive. “They need the mountains, this is their home.” Yet the guide is optimistic for their future. Now we have 199 in Rwanda and 380 in the Congolese side of the Virunga park. Then there are 320 just over the border in Uganda. That is the world’s whole population of mountain gorillas. And instead of declining it is growing again.
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GUHONDA King King, ruler of the Virunga’s 81
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A juvenile Gorilla, enjoying bamboo shoots 84
The youngest infant in the Sabinyo group
A female, still carrying her dead baby, you could clearly see the grief on her face 85
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Back in Uganda, at Lake Victoria shore side and Bulago Island 87
Acknowledgments: Most of the information used in this book comes from the internet, either via Wikipedia or via the website of Magical Safaris.
Thanks: I want to thank Dirk, for inspiring us to go looking for the gorillas (his lifelong wish). I want to thank our guide Wim Steeman, our driver Fred and the rest of the Magic Safaris Team for a flawless organization. Thanks to our fellow travellers for making this a most memorable holiday. Copyright 2008 88
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Uganda is situated on the equator and lies on the elevated plateau which rises between the eastern and western branches of The Great Rift Valley. Most of the country is over 1.000 m in altitude. Uganda’s beauty, wildlife diversity, and friendly people justify its reputation as “The Pearl of Africa�. The habitats are immensely varied and it can be stated without exaggeration that Uganda is one of the most biologically diverse nations on the continent: primeval forest, rain forest, snow-capped mountains, savannah, crater lakes and volcanoes. The Classic Uganda safari took us to the key places of southern-western Uganda. It included Wildlife, Birds, Gorillas and Wild Chimpanzees trekking in Uganda, plus an extension to Rwanda to view the gorillas a second time in a different environment! Photography: Saskia van Diesen