Competition Winner!

Competition Winner!

We have a winner! We had a fantastic response to our ‘Who Am I?’ competition and we are delighted to announce that our winner is Sue Bell, from Maidstone, Kent in the UK. Sue will be the lucky recipient of a Sony Cybershot digital camera, as well as receiving free membership to the Uganda Conservation Foundation. For those of you curious about our Uganda mystery guests were, here are the answers…

Elephant Parade

Typically led by a matriarch, elephants roam in small family groups that can associate in herds consisting of hundreds of animals. Elephants do not respect national boundaries, and their migratory routes often span 2 or more countries.

Shoebill

Numbering only 5,000-8,000 individuals in Africa, Shoebills are vulnerable to habitat destruction. They are mostly found in wetlands in Sudan and western Tanzania, but they are regularly sighted in any number of wetlands throughout Uganda.

Matoke

Matoke is a type of plantain or banana, and is a staple in Uganda and Rwanda. It is cooked by steaming in its own leaves and is accompanied by steamed meat and vegetable dishes. Matoke growing is an important part of the economy.

Ostrich

The Ostrich is the largest bird in the world and is flightless. It is found in drier scrub areas of Africa. Its primary means of defence is the ability to run at high speed, but if cornered, it can deliver a powerful kick or peck.

Mountain Gorilla

Only 786 Mountain Gorillas are left in the wild, and they are confined to the Virunga Volcanoes in Rwanda and the DRC, and the Bwindi National Park in Uganda. The family of 8-40 individuals is led by an adult male, known as a “silverback” due to the silver hair that develops with age on his back.

Chameleon

Chameleons are cited in many superstitions and fables throughout Africa. their eyes move independently of each other, and they catch their insect prey with a long sticky tongue that it is launched with deadly accuracy from up to a foot away.

Ankole Cow

Ankole cattle are typically kept by the Banyankole people of western Uganda and Rwanda, who regard them are a store of wealth and status. They are adapted to African conditions, and the horns on a fully grown animal can reach 8 feet from tip to tip.

Monitor Lizard

Monitor Lizards can reach 2.7 metres in length, and are equally at home in the water or on land. they are found throughout Africa, except for desert regions. a powerful animal, its varied diet consists of fish, snails, frogs, crocodile eggs and young, snakes, birds, small mammals, large insects, and carrion.

Equator

The Equator runs across the middle of Uganda, and is signposted wherever a highway crosses it, such as here on the Masaka road, 70km west of Uganda. A popular display staged by locals shows that water drains down a plug in one direction north of the equator, and in the opposite direction in the south.

Kob

Ugandan Kob are found mostly in Uganda, Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A handsome antelope, it is the most numerous species in many parks and is a primary prey species for many predators.

Cheetah

One of the most vulnerable of the big cats, the Cheetah is also the world’s fastest animal, reaching bursts of up to 100km per hour over short distances. They are often seen in the Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Parks, but occasional sightings are made in the far north east of Uganda.

Hippo

Hippo are numerous throughout the waterways of Africa, and their deep grunting calls are an iconic sound on the continent. Hippos can be extremely dangerous when they feel threatened, using their large teeth and 3 ton bulk to good effect to defend themselves.

Giraffe

The Giraffe is the world’s tallest animal, reaching height of over 5 metres when fully grown. They are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. and to watch a group of them in the wild is a surreal experience, akin for some to watching a herd of dinosaurs.

Tea Plantation

Tea is a major export for Uganda and Kenya, and there is nothing more scenic than a plantation stretching away into the distance looking like a green on a golf course. Only the very tops of each bush are repeatedly picked, thereby turning the tea bush a bonsai over a period of time.