Nearly 6 weeks after our Serengeti safari, I was feening for more animals. Sure, the geladas in Ethiopia, the lemurs, stick bugs, and chameleons of Madagascar, and the monkeys seemingly everywhere were nice, but it was time to see the big boys again. Situated between Lake Nkuruba and Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda, lies Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park served as a nice pit stop between the lakes, and allowed for a different kind of safari, a boat ride along the riverbanks to see what the shores had to offer in terms of wildlife. Famous for its hippos and elephants, the Kazinga Channel did not disappoint, with plenty of hippos, buffalo, and elephants all around, as well as crocodiles, eagles, and plenty other bird species. Finding myself eye-level with the hippos was a whole new rush not yet experienced.
The highlight came halfway through the ride, as we located a herd of elephants across the river. Making our way towards the group, we arrived to more than just elephants, as hippos popped in and out of the water while buffalos sat comfortably half in-half out of the water. The elephants got their evening drinks of water, spraying each other, doing goofy, elephant things, interrupted only by the hippos’ loud exhales of water and air from their nostrils. As the elephants made their way along the shore, they arrived at the buffalos, who were intent on not moving an inch. The elephants took turns trying to intimidate the buffalo into moving, shaking their trunks and ears, pretending to charge by kicking dirt in the direction of the beasts, who couldn’t be less bothered. After looking as though they’d given up, the elephants would make another push, with half hearted charges towards the two buffalo, only to stop just before reaching the shore and kick up some dirt. It was altogether hilarious to watch, as nobody really wanted to fight. It’s as though the elephants just weren’t happy with the buffalo pooping in their water supply, which I can understand.
While it appeared as though neither species enjoyed the other in their presence, as the buffalo made their way downstream, so too did the elephants, almost as though they decided they weren’t done playing with each other. The elephants clumsily climbed the sandy shores, with one adolescent unsure of its footing requiring some additional push from his brother and mother. As I’ve written before, there’s a certain joy in watching an elephant doing elephant things, and it never gets old.
Arriving back at our lodge for the evening, we enjoyed a dinner over the river, and sunset outside our safari tent, glampers back at it again. The night brought with it its own adventures, as I awoke to hippo grunting that seemed abnormally close. While during the day, you’d be hard pressed to find a hippo outside of the water for long (too hot for a chubby guy), at night it’s belly-filling time, as the hippos spend 7 to 7 getting their grub on. They’re actually quite dangerous, as around 500 deaths occur each year at the hands, er feet, of hippos when people accidentally find themselves on hippo highways in and out of the water. With the grunting increasing, I peaked my head out of the side of the tent, finding a giant hippo strolling its way through camp, illuminated by the spotlights of camp. The smooth as a baby’s bottom giant was munching and grunting about, thankfully turning its way away from our tent instead of towards. The rush of adrenaline was real, as I was unsure of whether I should be excited at the sight or afraid for my life…or perhaps a little bit of both?
Animal itch satisfied, with a new safari experience to boot, it was on to new frontiers in Rwanda…