Today we left Emmy’s camp at Biwindi, and drove north through the Queen Elizabeth National Park, spotting wildlife as we went.
In the morning we got a final tour of Broadbill Forest Camp, which has two tent platforms at the moment and two under construction. Rainwater is collected by a system on the kitchen roof, and heated by a wood-fired heater of his design. The dining room has a thatched roof and a cozy fireplace, and he is expanding to create a larger sitting area. We discussed his plans for expansion, and some ideas on how to market as an eco-friendly lodge.
We left Biwindi and drove through the forest and down the mountains on muddy rutted roads. We saw more red vervet monkeys, black and white colobus, crowned guineahens, and some beautiful orchids. On the flatlands, the vegetation transitioned to savannah, with open grasses punctuated by large acacia trees and candelabra cactus. Uganda kob, topi, and cape buffalo are numerous, and there are over 600 species of birds in the park. Luckily Emmy is an expert, and can identify a species on hearing a call or getting a quick glimpse. We aren’t ardent birders, but his excitement is infectious, and we are glad to enjoy the smaller creatures as well as the charismatic megafauna.
Pygmy kingfisher with a catch
Ruth shooting hippos
We stopped for lunch at the Ishasha river, which forms the border with Congo, where we saw a large family of hippos lounging in the muddy water. The mud became a problem for us later, when we got temporarily stuck while taking an off-road detour around a mudhole. Emmy’s Land Cruiser is comfortable and handles well, but it needed a few friendly truckers to push us out of the muck, and we walked while he bumped through the worst of the ruts.
As the sun was descending, we saw lines of cormorants returning from their fishing grounds to the forest to sleep. At the end of the day, we finally found what we were scanning for, lions resting in trees. Apparently the pride at the southern end of the park are the only ones that climb, and only when it’s not too wet. It had been a few days since they had been spotted, so we were very lucky to find them, particularly when the light was so nice in the late afternoon.
Tree climbing lion
Uganda kob
The day ended with spotting a herd of elephants crossing the road at dusk, a fitting end to the day where we saw four of the “big five”. We slept at Simba Safari Camp, which had comfortable beds, cold beer, and decent internet.
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