About eight years ago I went to South Africa to visit my Uncle and Cousin. One of the many things we did was go on a safari to see all of the different animals Africa has to offer. I remember right at the beginning of the self guided tour there was an Elephant. He was so beautiful and elegant and was standing about 20 feet from our car. That was the moment I realized I loved Africa. That was not the only time I felt a love for Africa while on the safari. I saw many giraffes running in the distance, rhino babies feeding with their mothers, lions way off in the distance during a evening jeep tour and around 75 elephants in a watering hole. I cannot explain my excitement to see these animals and new ones.
My favorite animal is a Cheetah. I have loved them since I was little. One year for my birthday, my Uncle sent me a stuffed animal cheetah that I still have today. It was one of my most favorite stuffed animals and I still have not seen one in the wild. If I had to choose one animal to see on this trip it would be a cheetah. I was wondering what animals everyone is most excited to see during our trip and why?
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Yes, I do think that going on Safari is one of the things I do enjoy about visiting Uganda. The park that we go to (Murchison Falls National Park) is one of the best for seeing a variety of animals. Last year, I was able to see a group of about 10 giraffes loping along beside our vehicle. They were very graceful but also quite intent on what they were doing, not on us. Also, I don't think there's been a year when we haven't seen at least one lion.
ReplyDeleteThe place that we stay at MFNP is a camp ground run by Red Chilli (the hostel that we stay at in K'la). I think one of my favourite things about that is that we usually get nightly visits from the hippos as they come up from the river to graze. (don't worry, it's safe!)
Earlier in the history of this trip, we used to go out to Queen Elizabeth State Park out in western Uganda. One day we were eating lunch at a hostel there and a young elephant just wandered through.
Jarret, you asked about what animal people are most excited to see. I guess when I go, I like the 'role reversal' of the game park. Here at a zoo, I'm on the outside looking in. In the game park, the animals are where they're supposed to be and I'm kind've on the inside looking out.
The elephant is such a wonderful and gracious animal and a huge African bull elephant can be very intimidating. Years ago when Tom (Prof. Root) and I first went to the Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) that Prof. McKnight refers to above, I remember our vehicle running into a herd of them crossing the one of the tracks we had taken in the park. This bull came charging at our vehicle from no where and for a moment I felt terrified. The game ranger asked that I turn off the vehicle so we do not make any movements. This huge animal stopped under 10 meters from us, pulled its trunk upwards making scary noises while and waving its ears. After a little while and when all the little ones had crossed, it turned around and disappeared in the bushes. That is one of the best experiences I have heard at this park.
ReplyDeleteNow there is another connection between animals and Ugandans from the Baganda tribe. As you will learn, The Baganda identify their lineage through what are referred to as clans (unlike the clans you may be familiar with). They have all together 52 clans. Each clan is represented or symbolized by an animal (totem) which is the label used to identify the clan one is from. Most times, one can tell the clan another comes from going by using their last name because each clan has its own unique set of names. Be sure you ask students from MUBS who are Baganda to tell you about their clan's identity.
As far as African animals are concerned, I have not been fortunate enough to witness and interact with these species. However, the animals I am really looking forward to seeing are elephants. As one of the smartest creatures on the planet (an elephant never forgets), I am excited to see their stance and the way they interact with their environment in a natural and free way. I would love to see them interacting with others to see what that dynamic looks like.
ReplyDeleteOn a smaller note, I would also love to see some gorillas. These animals are so close to us genetically, and are very rare in terms of global population. With research, I found that there are only 750 mountain gorillas left in the world and half of them are in Uganda. It would be pretty cool to witness these animals first hand to be able to appreciate and take in their humanistic characteristics.
My favorite animal is the kangaroo. We will not be seeing any of those in sub-Saharan Africa :), so I think I most want to see an elephant. My mom's favorite animal is the elephant, so getting an awesome picture of one for my mom would be great. Even better would be a selfie with an elephant in the distance!
ReplyDeleteAnimals feature significantly in African poetry as well. For instance a renown Uganda poet the late Okot p'Bitek used animals in his analogy to describe the political landscape in Uganda immediately after independence. The lines in his book (Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol) read as follows:
ReplyDelete"And while the pythons of sickness
Swallow the children
And the buffaloes of poverty
Knock the people down
And ignorance stands there
Like an elephant,
The war leader
Are tightly locked in bloody feuds,
Eating each others' liver
As if the D.P. was leprosy
And Congress yaws;
If only the parties
Would fight poverty
With the fury
With which they fight each other,
If diseases and ignorance
Were assaulted
With the deadly vengeance
With which Ocol assaults his mother's son,
The enemies would have been
Greatly reduced by now."
Unfortunately this message is as relevant to Uganda today as it was back in the day.