SAFARI

We left Gulu early to head for Safari at the Paraa Lodge. 

It was a four hour road trip that seemed to go fast because we were so excited.  Except for the toilet stop which was a hole in the ground... not a nice experience, but relief all the same!

Upon arriving it was so nice to see electricity and water was all working after being in Gulu!  Its a 5 star lodge and very warm and welcoming.  We were told that the wildlife is very close by and not to leave our doors open because baboons come in and steal things!  So funny..

Last night when we were getting ready for bed we heard noises, and right outside our door we saw hippos with a baby eating, then not long after we saw 3 large elephants and a baby.  They were knocking down trees in the process.  The guards nearby didn't waste anytime in making noise to encourage them to move on.  Apparently the hippos like to eat the short grass because it doesn't poke up their noses!

I have found out lots of interesting information while staying here on Safari.

Here are some of the things I have learnt:

• The animal like Pumba in the Lion King (Wart Hog) walks backwards into his home
• The Crane birds stay faithful all their life to their partner bird, (they are also on the Ugandan Flag and Money)
• Antelope are also faithful partners remaining with the same one for life!
• Antelope are also very forgetful, they forget where and why they are running then stop, and usually get eaten by a lion! (Hence the term "like a deer in headlights!") Thats why they are better in groups.
• The Safari we went on cover over 8500 square metres
• The Lodge is located right on the River Nile
• This lodge is 12 km from the Congo (Where the LRA are), but takes much longer by car
• When male buffalos get old, they kicked out of their herds and live the rest of their life alone
• The giraffes that are darker in colour are very old and male only
• If the lioness takes too long to bring back dinner, the male lion eats the babies!
• They sleep for 20 ours a day and divorce after mating
• People only fear elephants and not lions.  They look the lions in the eyes and they run off, but elephants charge
• Birds are always on elephants backs because they pick ticks off them to eat
• The elephants gestation period is 22 months
• They live to be 80 years old
• An adult elephant weighs 6000 kgs
• A baby elephant weighs 250 kgs
• Elephants have a 40 year memory, (If a poacher comes and tries to kill them, they will remember them years later!)
• Crocs fear hippos 
• I have also learnt to get out of the car and push next time when bogged in mud, and not to think of any unsuspecting animals lurking! 
• Hippos stay in groups of only one dominate male and the rest female
• The male hippo weighs 5000 kgs
• The female hippo weighs 3500 kgs
• Hippos like coming to graze on short grass during the night because they hate the long grass going up their noses!