If you are a Jackson’s hartebeast there really isn’t any other option! These peculiar looking animals are a common site in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda.
Category: Murchison Falls National Park
A globe of Earth greets visitors as they arrive on a ferry to Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda. Also waiting are cunning olive baboons that patiently wait for the right moment to grab any food they can from unsuspecting tourists. This big male took a break in the shade, ironically right below Africa on the globe!
No doubt the true origins of the idea behind the energy drink came centuries ago when our ancestors were chased through the African savannah trying to escape these buffalo! On foot you would have to develop wings from the adrenaline surge to have any chance of escape! African buffalo are notoriously territorial and will readily stampede if threatened.
This week I was reliving some memories of my last trip to Africa and came across several photos that I overlooked. This is one that I’m glad I rediscovered. A few more to come soon!
A male pied kingfisher scans the water for fish. Males have a double band across the breast, while females only have one.
Two male hippos square off in a battle for dominance. All hippos are very territorial and males have to fight off younger challengers to breed with females. Most bull males have a small territory with about 10 females living in the pod.
A crown crane takes flight in Murchison Falls National Park. Crown cranes are the national bird of Uganda.
Another new species for me on this trip. These lapwings are usually found in more arid areas, so it was a bit of a surprise to find it along the shores of Lake Albert in Murchison Falls National Park.
A recently born elephant calf gets some help from it’s mother, who pushed the baby along with her trunk while the calf held it’s trunk above the water.
Moments before I spotted this bird, I was looking through my bird book and thinking it would be neat to see this kingfisher species. Almost on cue, this male obliged. Giant kingfishers are, as you might have guessed, are the largest kingfisher species in Africa. They get to be about 40cm in length.
Appropriately named, this huge heron species takes off for a new fishing location along the Nile. Many of the wading birds were in lower numbers than usual this year due to the much higher water levels that had flooded many of the surrounding marshes.
Among the many species along the shores of the Nile, two crocodiles take in some Vitamin D, while a waterbuck calf nurses and warthogs feed along the banks.
Owen Slater Photography 