The Park is home to a great number of animals, including 4 of the big 5 (Lions, Leopards, Buffalo and African Elephant. unfortunately there are no Rhino in the park.) Out of these we managed to see Buffalo and Elephants, as well as Giraffes, Hippos, Baboons, 3 species of antelopes, Wart Hogs, Crocodiles, Patas Monkeys, a Turtle, many different species of birds, and probably some other animals that I have forgotten! It was amazing!!
On the Monday we went for a game drive when we first entered the park. We met a park ranger at the entry gate called Savior who offered to guide us to the best places to spot the animals for half price! Which was great, and despite it being around midday, when a lot of the animals are usually hiding from the heat, we managed to see a large variety. Savior also told us about the animals and what species they were etc. Which was very informative and interesting. I really enjoyed the drive and we managed to get very close to a herd of elephants which were eating beside the road.
On the Tuesday morning we went for another game drive to increase our chances of seeing one of the cats (Lions and Leopards..) but unfortunately we didn't spot any. Our guide told us that it is likely because of the high moon light and so they would have hunted during the night and rest during the hot daytime. The highlight of this drive was definitely seeing a herd of about 10 Giraffes really close up! They are incredibly beautiful animals, very elegant despite their size!
Another memorable moment from Tuesday's game drive was when a Baboon jumped into our car, grabbed some Bananas and then jumped straight back out! hahahaha... It was terrifying and hilarious.. Then to top it off, after our game drive, another Baboon jumped in and grabbed our biscuits! Thankfully Baboons have not yet discovered how to open screw tops!! And one of the rangers chased it off and managed to get our biscuits back.... hahaha.
During our stay we had decided to take our own tents and camp on the other side of the River Nile which runs through the park. The view from our campsite was very beautiful, overlooking the Nile and beyond in to the National Park. As it was an open campsite there would often be Baboons, or Wart Hogs searching for food! One night there was even a Hippopotamus grazing in the camping area!
On Wednesday we went up from our campsite up to the actual Murchison Falls. This was incredible and very picturesque as it looked down the River Nile.
In the Afternoon, we took a guided boat trip up the Nile towards the Falls. This was really good, and we were lucky enough to see a large number of Crocodiles and Hippos, as well as several Elephants drinking by the river bank, a turtle, and numerous birds. It was also very interesting to hear about some of the animals and their lifestyles.
On Sunday we leave to go to a village for a week long mission (18th-25th). We will be doing various activities, including running a kids club, community outreach, movie nights, and fumigation of peoples houses. I am looking forward to this and will keep you all posted when we get back next Sunday (25th).
Here some photos from our few days of safari to give you an idea of what we were lucky enough to see! (We have around 700 between us so this is just a few of the highlights!) Hope you are all well!
Kenneth
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