Before any animal rights activists start
tearing their matted, dreadlocked hair out, don’t worry, it’s not how it sounds. The title might be slightly misleading, and
the photo probably doesn’t help either – it’s not the size of the fish, it’s
the rod you catch it with! No I haven’t
been following in Hemmingway’s footsteps on the hunt for elephant, lion and
other heads to adorn my mantelpiece.
Well not with a rifle at least.
These two months have been my first foray into the Ugandan National
Parks, so apologies for the lack of contact since then.
Although not as large, famous or even as
full of game as the parks in neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda has
started to rebound from the bad days of the 70’s when the number of animals hit
a sharp decline, in greater part due to Idi Amin telling his loyal troops to “use the Ugandan Parks as their meat larders.”
Rhinos are being carefully reintroduced,
antelope and hippos seem to be everywhere, and even lions are appearing
mysteriously in parks where they haven’t been seen in over 20 years. Plus the Lonely Planet guides have recently
voted Uganda one of the top ten best places to visit in 2012, and I’d
completely agree;
Last month we were happily trotting through
the Lake Mburo National Park on horseback, so close to Impala and Zebra that we
could practically snaffle one and take it back for the Mantana tented camp
staff to spit-roast for dinner. At
Murchison we lay about peacefully sipping cocktails at the swim up bar and
watched the game frolicking in the Nile just below. Bwindi NP has the famous Gorillas, in Queen
Elizabeth there are tree climbing lions, and Kidepo in the most Northern corner
is now accessible once again after being declared ‘off-limits’ thanks to the
LRA’s actions over the last 25 years.
Come Easter, it’s off to the South Sudan
border to experience the hidden delights of Kidepo and for the rest of the
year…well I’ve some unfinished business with the giant Nile Perch!
