The hybrid eclipse: Uganda will have the best view

The last time, a hybrid eclipse occurred was 547 years ago. This year, Uganda will be one of the few privileged countries to witness another of the eclipses, and we are in the best position to view it.

“….The scenery is different, the vegetation is different, the climate is different, and, most of all, the people are different from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa ... I say: ‘Concentrate on Uganda’. For magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life - bird, insect, reptile, beast - for vast scale -- Uganda is truly the pearl of Africa.”

These were the remarks of Sir Winston Churchill, in 1907, after traversing the country and being amazed by its distinguished beauty. 106 years later, that Uganda is the pearl of Africa, is still the best and renowned compliment that the country has received in acknowledgement of the generosity that mother nature showered it with. And, God or Mother Nature, depending on how you look at it, has given us reason to bear it in mind, again. On November 3rd, Uganda will be one of the few countries in Africa where a rare type of eclipse – the Hybrid eclipse – will be observed. The rest of the countries are Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Gabon.

Benon Fred Twinamasiko, a lecturer at the physics department of Makerere University, says that of all the other African countries, Uganda is where the best view of the eclipse will take place.

“In countries like Gabon and DRC, most of the areas where the eclipse’s path runs through are covered by rain forests. Such areas are prone to precipitation, and the cloud cover that comes with it makes it impossible to observe the eclipse. The eclipse is seen when there is a clear cloud,” explains the lecturer, further adding, “In Kenya, the eclipse will occur in the Turkana region which is largely a desert region. In Somalia, the instability in the country makes it a no go area for an eclipse chaser. But, in Uganda the eclipse will be viewed, in districts like Gulu, Arua, Pakwach, Lira and Soroti which are peaceful and have a multitude of other tourism related activities that one can engage in.”

There are four types of eclipse, namely, annular, eclipse, hybrid and partial. Twinamasiko says that total eclipse takes place when the moon is between the sun and the earth. He illustrates that when this phenomenon occurs, a shadow is cast upon the earth’s surface thus creating a moment of darkness or special effects can be seen, such as a “a ring of fire” around the sun. The lecturer states that annular eclipse occurs when the moon is too far away from the earth to completely cover the face of the sun, leaving a ring of the sun around the edges of the moon.

“Hybrid eclipse is a rare type of eclipse. It is a fusion of total and annular eclipse. This is because observers in one part of the earth observe annular eclipse while other observers in another part of the earth experience total eclipse,” he says.

The lecturer states that the eclipse will start from the Atlantic south of Bermuda triangle and end in Somalia. To clarify the hybrid phenomenon, he says that from the Bermuda triangle to the coast of Gabon, the eclipse will be an annular one and from the coast of Gabon stretching through our own Gulu district to Galcaio in Somalia where the eclipse will end, it will be total eclipse.

He mentions that Gulu lies at the centre of the eclipse’s path and thus that is where the most exhilarating experience will be. He states that people who will be in the district will see total darkness. “The darkness will last a period of 1 minute and 11 seconds, minimally and one minute and 40 seconds maximally,” says the lecturer.

Twinamasiko says that if you have the means, you can go an extra mile to make the experience memorable by charting a plane to track the eclipse from Gabon to Somalia. He notes that the eclipse will not literally end, but rather, it will happen in Somalia during evening hours when it is about to get dark. So the night will simply set in.

He concludes that the last hybrid eclipse occurred on March 16th, 1466. After the one in November 3, this year, the next one will take place on June 3rd, 2114.

This is definitely a moment to be proud of and the tourism sector should create as much awareness and milk the event for all its worth.

By Bruce Amp

Birds of Uganda: The intelligent crows

The pied Crow (Corvus albus) is a common bird species in Uganda. It is easy to sight in villages, towns and plains. It does not live in tropical forests. 

The Pied Crow is called Gaaga in Lugbra, Namungoona in Luganda and Ekikoona in Runyankore/Rukiga.

The name for a group of crows is a flock or a murder. Crows are among the most intelligent birds in the world. It has been discovered that crows can distinguish  individual humans by recognising facial features.

Some crow species are capable of not only using tools, but can make tools as well. They have been observed using bait to catch fish. 

In addition, they can hide and store food for use in future. One species, the New Caledonian Crow, can make and use tools in the day-to-day search for food.

The tools include ‘knives’ cut from stiff leaves and stiff stalks of grass. Some crows drop hard nuts which they cannot crack into streets and wait for cars to crash them. 

Some crows have no fear of poisonous frogs; they simply remove the poisonous organs and then eat the frog. Crows eat almost anything, including other birds, fruits, nuts, earthworms, seeds, frogs, eggs, nestlings and mice. 

Crows reach sexual maturity around the age of three years for females and five years for males, and they can live up to 20 years in the wild and 30 years in captivity.

Interact with the wild in Entebbe

The Queen of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda (2nd R) with her daughter Katrina Ssangalyambogo (R), admire an elephant calf at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre during celebrations to mark Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) 10th anniversary in Entebbe on August 7. 

To be close to the wild, one need not go hours away. They can simply enjoy wildlife moments at thie Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe at affordable prices.

The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (Uwec), formerly known as the Uganda Zoo is 61 years this year. Belinda Atim, the public relations officer (PRO) of UWEC, explains that the education centre opened in 1952. At the time it was simply as a reception centre (zoo) for wildlife that were found in distress.

In the 1970s unfortunately, under President Idi Amin Dada’s regime, the zoo ran down. “It was badly dilapidated. We lost a significant number of animals, especially the exotic ones like the bears and the tigers. Members of staff could not also be sustained and a lot of them left,” Atim explains. It was not until 1994 that the government saw the need of transforming it into a wildlife education centre, to spearhead wildlife conservation education in the country.

Today it is mandated with conservation education; rescue and rehabilitation of injured, orphaned and/or confiscated wildlife; captive breeding of endangered species and recreation.

Tourists can interact with the animals through newly introduced programmes like ‘Behind the Scenes’ where visitors can relate up, close and candid with the animals, like chimpanzee as they play and feed.

She adds; “To us, every animal is unique since no two animals can ever be alike. People like animals such as the chimpanzee because of its intelligence and ability to mimic human behaviour. Most of the visitors that come to UWEC can spend a lot of time at the chimp sanctuary just staring at them and getting amused.”

Other animals at the centre include lions, towering beautiful giraffes, elephants and rhinos, which can also be seen at Zziwa ranch in Nakasongola. Uwec is the nearest location so it is easier to see them there.

If you do not want to spend a few hours then you can spend a few days at Uwec. “We have African bandas and apartments that are fully furnished; and hostels as a cheaper alternative. We also have a restaurant that overlooks Lake Victoria, where one can have meals in a relaxing atmosphere,” Atim adds.

Besides the amazing wild life there is a medicinal plant garden where you will learn about plants and their medicinal benefits to humans.

By Bruce Amp

Wildlife lovers fundraise for chimps

One of the “human chimps” that made the fundraiser memorable. 

Last Saturday evening, a fundraising dinner to feed rescued chimpanzees at Ngamba Island was held at Sheraton Hotel. The red carpet affair kicked off 7pm prompt with an hour-long cocktail.

The guests were easy to identify judging by the animal prints in their outfits, which was in line with suggested jungle gear dress code. At around 8pm, the over 150 guests who had turned up for the fundraiser were ushered into the elaborately set Rwenzori Ballroom with partitioned tables stuffed with little chimpanzees.

To make the guests comfortable, were a group of six people from the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT), who made unique chimpanzee sounds. The captivated audience listened attentively to welcome remarks by Ms Lilly Ajarova, the executive director of CSWCT. She informed the audience that chimpanzees are 97.8 per cent human and are an endangered species due to meat and pet trade as well as bush destruction.

She explained, “At the moment, there are approximately 150,000 chimpanzees in the world, approximately 5,000 of them in Uganda and CSWCT has rescued 48 chimps. As empty plates were removed from the tables, a sentimental story of Ikuru, a chimp rescued in 2001 after she watched her mother shot to death and her body burnt to ashes was narrated.

Chris Pollard, the General Manager of Sheraton Kampala Hotel, gave a speech about the hotel’s commitment to support CSWCT in its quest to protect and rehabilitate rescued chimpanzees.

The chief guest, Minister of State for Tourism, Wildlife andHeritage Dr Maria Mutagamba, in her speech, urged the guests to love Uganda. “Let us show love for our country by going out to love nature,” she said.

This was followed by the auction of two paintings, two pictures and a chimp footprint. A painting of Medina, a rescued chimp was sold at Shs1.4m. Pollard bought the second painting at Shs200, 000. A picture of Baluku who was rescued after losing two fingers and surviving trade in 1999, was bought by Arthur Busingye at Shs1.6m.

Amos Wekesa the Managing Director of Great Lakes Safaris bought the last picture of Pasa the chimp together with her silver footprint, at Shs2.3m.

With an annual budget of Shs100m for chimpanzee food, Shs25m for veterinary care and Shs105m for maintenance of the facilities at Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, it made sense that the tickets for the dinner were each sold at Shs200,000.

The organisers said they are yet to compute the donations received since some of the tickets had not yet been paid for.

By: Bruce Amp

The Rothschild Giraffe: What a spectacle!

Giraffes are strange animals, all neck and long legs splaying about as they run awkwardly from one acacia tree to another. One wonders what the Maker was thinking when he crafted them. Watching them, one expects them to tumble into a jerky heap on the ground. It gets comical when the giraffe tries to quench its thirst at the watering hole: a tower of Babel standing 16 to 20 feet tall having to stoop to the water level. Such a spectacle!

When ancient Greeks and Romans first set eyes on a giraffe, they assumed it was the hybrid of a leopard and a camel. That could have explained the white and brown spots that resembled those of a leopard and the close likeness to desert camels. Thus they named the strange beast Giraffa camelopardalis. These esteemed gentlemen apparently did not understand the dynamics of predator versus prey.

To be frank, giraffes look  like a camel with its neck stretched out and thickened with too much good food. A ridge of neck hair is also attached for effect and coloured brown, finished with a coat of spotted skin. They have a pouting mouth and no chin at all; and beautiful, lazy heavily-lashed eyes that blink seductively. A couple of short blunt horns, called ossicones, complete the look with tufts of hair growing at the tips (for the females).

The graceful giraffe actually pulls it off, looking exotic and beautiful as they munch on leaves high up in the trees without a care in the world.

Of the nine species of giraffe spread acrossAfrica totalling a measly 80,000, the Rothschild’s giraffe is native to Uganda and the only species that is still surviving in their natural habitat. The Uganda Wildlife Authority tallies them at 1,050 in number, 750 of which are found in Murchison Falls National Park and less than 25 in Kidepo ValleyNational Park. The rest of the Rothschild’s population can be found in Kenya. These beauties make the shortlist in the endangered category.

Males are generally taller and heavier than the females and a shade darker. What makes the Rothschild’s giraffe stand out from its peers such as the Masai giraffe is that its legs from the knee down do not have spots; one would say that they look dashing in their knee length white socks.

A pilot research project to be based in Murchison Falls National Park has been launched that aims to understand population size, dynamics, ecology and threats giraffes face. Spearheaded by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Conservation Scientist Dr. Julian Fennessy alongside researchers, Stephanie Fennessy and Andy Tutchings will team up with a researcher at Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), Henry Opio for the project: The team will be hosted by Marasa Africa at their Paraa Safari Lodge located in Murchison Falls National Park.

Attractions

Tourism month - Focus on Toro region

The annual world tourism month is here: September is packed with lots of tourism activities. Uganda Wildlife Authority has waived off all fees on access to National Parks and tourism sites for those who will confirm their attendance with the UgandaTourism Board (UTB) in advance. The grand event is going to be held in Fort Portal in Toro region, truly one of the gems of the Pearl of Africa. Here tourists can find it all, from national parks to mountain climbing, culturaltourism, eco-tourism, chimp tracking, among others.

World tourism month provides an opportunity to explore what is on offer under different themes ahead of World Tourism Day on September 27. It is also aimed at promoting domestic tourism and encouraging nationals to visit the numerous attractions within their borders.

Some celebrities will make an appearance, including musicians who will be entertaining and might take part in the events. There will also be lots of Toro’s cultural music, dance and drama.

This year, Mt. Rwenzori is the star of the events. But UTB has lined up several other activities to commemorate the tourism month. There is a five-day exhibition showcasing the various attractions of Uganda, the ways of life of the people of Uganda, culture, history and tourism services at Boma grounds from September 24 to 27, 2013. Various tourism firms will have booths at the grounds to help visitors book activities they would like to participate in.

Tourists can take part in the primate walks, chimp tracking, forest hikes and bird watching at Kibaale National Park on September 26. On a private arrangement with tours and travels companies, this could costs around $ 275 (sh707,000) for Non East Africans and $165 (sh424,000) for East Africans inclusive of Chimp tracking permit, nature/forest walk, transport, guides and picnic lunch.

One can go on nature walks and community tours.

The Mt. Rwenzori royal climbing challenge will be led by his Majesty King Oyo. Tour operators can arrange this for about $1,478 (sh3.8m) for East Africans and around $1,776 (sh4.6m) for non-East Africans inclusive of park fees, accommodation, meals, hiking equipment, porters and climbing equipment. You need to bring good hiking boots, warm clothing and a sleeping bag.

However, in case none of the above options interests you, you can cast your net onto other activities such King Oyo’s vibrant Empango (coronation anniversary) on September 7 and tour the royal palace and get acquainted with its rich history. You can also tour the famous Mabere ga Nyinamwiru caves with rocks shaped like breasts. Other activities include the love trail which is about taking a walk along the crater lakes. It costs approximately sh150,000 per person and includes transport, a guide and picnic lunch. Prices can come down when clients have their own transport.

Alternatively, you can experience the Batwa inBwindi forest with a rich repertoire of their ancient traditions. Alternatively, you can go for the Batwa trail at Mountain Mgahinga.

This trip could cost about $400 (sh1m). At the end of all this adventure, there is no better way to cool off the day’s steam than by feeling the nightlife of Fort Portal town.


WHY THE TIMING IS GREAT
The beauty of the tourism month is that this is a time when most students are on holiday. This perfect timing is an opportunity for them to see, experience and learn as they tour their country at student-friendly rates.

By: Bruce Amp