Game drive safari in Murchison Falls National Park
August 18, 2010

Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda is the home for a great variety of typical african savannah animals, in addition to hundreds of birds, some of them very rare. During our game drive safari in Murchison Falls National park, we have spotted many baboons, giraffes, several types of antelopes, buffalos, elephants, hippopotamus, warthog, river warthog, vultures, eagles and many other birds. We have missed only the lions.

As most animals do not like the heat of the central hours of the day, we start our game drive to Murchison Falls in Uganda, very early in the morning. A ferry carries cars and minibuses to the other side of the Nile river, where most wildlife is concentrated. Unfortunately, south of the Nile river there are very few animals, due to indiscriminate hunting made in the past decades (luckily, the Nile river was a natural barrier for hunters, forcing them to limit their activity south of the river).

As soon as our safari to Murchison Falls national park starts, we meet a large family of baboons, with its dominant male, many females and several cubs.

	The Murchison Falls national park is the only place in Uganda, together with Kidepo valley to the northeast, where it's possible and easy to see the giraffes. We have counted about 20 of them during our today safari, organized into small groups.

A buffalo, one of the "Big Five" animals, with its particular horns looking like a 19th century hairstyle.

During our game drive in Murchison falls, we see many impala of different ages.

An antelope known as " Hartebeest " ( Alcelaphus buselaphus ), having very particular horns.

A group of vultures feeding on a carcase.

This sub-species of antelope is known as " Uganda Kob " ( Kobus kob thomasi ) and is one the Uganda's national animals.

A herd of buffaloes is not only part of the landscape, but it actually *makes* the landscape.

	The wonderful landscape in and around Murchison Falls national park in Uganda.

Birds known as " Carmine Bee-eater " ( Merops nubicoides ) feeding mainly on bees and other insects.

The game drive in Murchison Falls continues to a pool full of hippos.

Around the pools there are hundreds of birds.

This bird, known as Shoebill, is widely diffused in Murchison Falls national park, however it's not seen during every game drive. We cannot get closer to the bird, but we consider ourselves lucky because we have seen it.

	Other antelope pictures: a nice group of Hartebeest ( Alcelaphus buselaphus ).

A big and very elegant bird, known as Saddle Billed Stork ( Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis ). In Uganda I probably had the best birding trip of my life, after Antarctica.

The time allowed for the game drive is about to finish, so we head back to the ferry pier on the Nile river. But suddenly, when it was totally unexpected, we see several elephants feeding on vegetation along the road.

Soon after, we meet more giraffes, some of them very inquisitive.

Finally, we see many river warthogs, differing from the "regular" warthog, because of the smaller tusks.

While waiting the ferry for the opposite side of the Nile river, the baboons climb over the cars, hoping to find some open window and go inside to steal food or other things.

	Other baboons and baby baboon going around the pier area, not scared because of the tourists.

° ° °