text & photographs by stephen cunliffe An unexpected awakening Kidepo Valley National Park in north-eastern Uganda does not enjoy a reputation for wildlife-viewing or ecotourism. Tainted by its proximity to southern Sudan and the infamous Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the park has been all but ignored. But, with the retreat of the LRA, peace is returning to this turbulent region and, as Stephen Cunliffe discovered, those intrepid enough to visit Kidepo will be amply rewarded.
50 AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC • february 2008 sudan he morning calm was shattered by a deafening roar Kidepo Mount Valley NP Morungole that was at odds with the 0 25 50 75 100 km 1:3 500 000 remote wilderness. The
Murchison unmistakable whirl of d e m o c r a t i c Falls NP helicopter rotors drowned r e p u b l i c o f congo Lake outT the dawn chorus and the alarm Albert Mount calls of oribi, which skipped away with uganda Elgon their characteristic rocking-horse gait. Kampala Two Ugandan People’s Defence Force RWENZORI helicopters appeared, flying low above MOUNTAINS NP kenya Lake the ground. Their targets? Kraals on the Mburo NP southern slopes of Mount Morungole. tanzania Their task? To confiscate weapons from Lake Victoria nomadic Karamajong cattle herders, part of the government’s controversial decision to disarm the inhabitants of PREVIOUS SPREAD, MAIN PHOTOGRAPH this wild land. A recently burnt section of the Narus Welcome to the Kidepo Valley Valley turns green after the arrival of the National Park in Karamoja, a district in rains. The fresh grazing attracts Jackson’s north-eastern Uganda not known for its hartebeest and plains zebra. wildlife viewing and ecotourism. Kidepo lies to the west of Kenya’s Turkana INSETS, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT An region and its northern boundary forms inquisitive Guenther’s dik-dik in the part of the international border with arid Kidepo Valley; a usually well- southern Sudan. For most people, camouflaged chameleon is revealed; however, the area is synonymous with the ephemeral Kidepo River flows the infamous Lord’s Resistance Army strongly as the rainy season ends. (LRA), but they may be surprised to learn that the LRA did not operate in northern Karamoja and has never entered the national park. It was the people of Acholiland to the west of Kidepo who bore the brunt of the LRA and the heavily armed Karamajong who kept it out of north-eastern Uganda. There is no disputing that Kidepo has a rough bunch of neighbours, but with the retreat of the insurgents to the DRC and the disarmament of the local
Karamajong ‘warriors’, the park is but the park has experienced above slowly opening up to adventurous average rainfall for most of the past The park is slowly opening up travellers looking for an Africa that is decade. Its landscape is best described untamed and undiscovered by the mass as open savannas of long and short to adventurous travellers looking for an safari market. In the 18 months that I grasses, reminiscent of Kenya’s Masai Africa that is untamed and undiscovered called the national park home, the Mara, interspersed borassus palms and above incident was the total extent of sausage trees. The savanna is broken up by the mass safari market the insecurity that we experienced. further by a sprinkling of rocky granite Anyone wishing to drive there should outcrops or koppies. To the west, it definitely enquire as to the situation en gives way completely to the Napore- Ostrich, Clapperton’s francolin, yellow- route, but within the park’s boundaries Nyagia Hills and, in the east, the two necked spurfowl, white-headed buffalo- we did not feel threatened. valleys are separated by the Lokayot weaver, steel-blue whydah and rose- and Natira hills. The park’s altitude ringed parakeet (the only parakeet he park’s 1 442 square kilometres ranges widely from 914 metres in the found in Africa) are just a few of the comprise the rugged, semi-arid Narus Valley to 2 750 metres at the peak 475 bird species recorded within the TKidepo and more well-watered of Mount Morungole, on its south- Kidepo catchment area. For serious ABOVE The dominant male lion of the Narus river systems. Both rivers flow eastern boundary. birders, big ticks include the Karamoja southern Narus pride surveys his domain roughly north and parallel to each other The Kidepo is an ephemeral river, apalis, Jackson’s hornbill and black- from a favoured rocky outcrop. before converging in the Sudan and, prone to flash flooding, that drains breasted barbet. ultimately, draining into the Nile. The through an arid valley characterised by In terms of wildlife, the Kidepo valley OPPOSITE The view over the Narus area is officially classified as semi-desert, acacia savanna and outstanding birding. has been hard hit by poaching over Valley, looking north towards Sudan.
52 AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC • february 2008 www.africageographic.com 53 the years. As recently as 2006, cattle concentrated the majority of its heavily hunted and reduced to a paltry ABOVE A buffalo herd kicks up dust This abundant water, together herders from the Dodoth, Dinka and resources on the Narus River valley, three individuals, but the population during the dry month of January as it with quality grazing and a visible anti-poaching Taposa tribes used this area to water with clear and visible success. The has also been augmented by re- makes its way to a perennial waterpoint and graze their livestock during the dry Narus holds water all year round and introductions from Kenya. Both these on the Narus River. effort, have combined to create an area where season. The Ugandan government has several of its large tributaries have populations are showing good growth, since prohibited these predominantly perennial springs at the base of the with a number of youngsters and sub- TOP Kidepo is the only national park in wildlife numbers are increasing Sudanese people from occupying the surrounding hills. This abundant water, adults rapidly approaching sexual Uganda where cheetahs are found. These park, but their long-term presence has together with quality grazing and a maturity. cats regularly use firebreaks to track and undoubtedly hastened the demise of visible anti-poaching effort, have com The plains zebra is currently the only chase oribi, their preferred prey. wildlife in the area. bined to create an area where wildlife mammal showing a dramatic and The only antelope that remains numbers are increasing. The last consistent decline. This is being ABOVE, LEFT The white-browed coucal is abundant is the diminutive Guenther’s comprehensive mammal survey con attributed to the equine disease, lamini one of three coucal species frequently dik-dik. The population of Jackson’s ducted in the park was back in 1971, tis, an inflammation of the sensitive seen here. hartebeest is increasing, but the lesser when 86 mammal species, including laminae or tissues that connect the kudu is on the brink of local extinction, bats and rodents, were recorded. From hooves to the bone. Research is cur OPPOSITE, TOP After gorging themselves and Grant’s gazelle, beisa oryx, greater 2006 to 2007, we recorded 43 mammal rently underway to determine whether on a buffalo carcass, these lionesses kudu and roan antelope have dis species, an excellent count considering this is the sole cause of the popula- climbed a sausage tree to escape the appeared entirely from the national that bats were excluded. tion crash. biting flies and enjoy a cool breeze. park. The last black rhino is believed to Oribis are the most plentiful antelope have been shot as far back as 1984 and in the Narus valley, but there are also redators are well represented and OPPOSITE, BOTTOM A male defassa there have been no sightings of striped healthy populations of defassa water regularly seen within this section waterbuck joins a herd of plains zebra, hyaenas or African wild dogs for the buck, Jackson’s hartebeest, common Pof Kidepo. Side-striped jackals are taking advantage of both the fresh green past three years. duiker, bushbuck and Bohor reedbuck. the most prolific carnivore, while their grass and the safety of numbers. Eland were believed to be locally extinct less frequently observed black-backed owever, the wildlife picture is until a handful of sightings were cousins inhabit the drier areas. Spotted not quite as bleak as it sounds. recorded in 2004. The following year, a hyaenas are seen (and, more regularly, HThe Ugandan Wildlife Authority group of eland was re-introduced to a heard) and leopards, though shy, leave (UWA), which manages the park and holding boma from Lake Mburo telltale tracks across the dry riverbeds. conducts anti-poaching efforts, has National Park. Rothschild’s giraffes were The drag marks they create reveal
54 AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC • february 2008 www.africageographic.com 55 Apoka Safari Lodge offers the only luxury accommodation in Kidepo. INFOTRAVEL It is highly recommended that visitors fly to the park due to the risk of banditry along the roads. Further information on air charters can be obtained from the Kampala Aeroclub and Flight Centre on tel. (+256-75) 690 173 or fax (+256-41) 223 680. Self-drive visitors are urged to contact Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) head quarters in Kampala on tel. (+256-41) that Bohor reedbuck, oribi, common Narus River and herds can swell into necessities that they require, and 346 287 or via e-mail [email protected] to duiker and tantalus monkeys are their the hundreds. cannot grow themselves, are obtained While it is truly magical to witness obtain the latest information regarding preferred food. In the dry season, buffaloes focus on by bartering with the Karamajong the condition and security situation of Servals and caracals are here too, but the last pools of water within the Narus settlements below. They live in small such huge quantities of wildlife in such breath the route. are equally secretive. Kidepo is, however, catchment area and, between December cluster villages surrounded by an outer taking scenery, the real privilege is that there is No fuel is available in the reserve. The the only national park in Uganda where and March, it is not uncommon to wall of tightly interwoven branches nearest petrol stations are located in the you can see cheetahs. The open see herds numbering in excess of that have tiny openings through which not another tourist for 500 kilometres towns of Kaabong and Kitgum, 90 and savannas dotted with termite mounds 1 000 animals. While it is truly magical to crawl. Visitors here are few and far 130 kilometres away respectively. and rocky outcrops are ideal habitat for to witness such huge quantities of between. The recently rebuilt Apoka Safari them to stalk their favoured prey, oribi. wildlife in such breathtaking scenery, We were privileged to make such a was no clear pathway. The top of the ABOVE A typical hilltop village belonging Lodge offers luxury accommodation in There is also a healthy lion popula the real privilege is that there is not journey at the start of the 2006 dry mountain was regarded as a spiritual to the Ik people, encountered en route to 10 thatched and canvas chalets. The tion, estimated to be between 44 and another tourist for 500 kilometres. season. Etiquette demanded that we place and our guides were terrified at the summit of Mount Morungole. camp offers fully inclusive fly-in packages 50 individuals, belonging to at least Uganda may be famous for its sought out the headman first, giving the thought of entering the domain of with private open-top safari vehicles and three prides within the Narus valley. primates, but Kidepo, to put it bluntly, him gifts, such as a goat, a bag of salt or the gods. OPPOSITE Piapiacs are members of the daily bush walks. The camp is open all These cats frequently climb sausage is not. Its predominantly dry savannas a farming implement. The colour of our ‘When was it last climbed?’ The head crow family. They regularly hitch rides on year. More information is available at trees along the drainage lines and also are not conducive to a large variety of skin provoked hysterical screaming from man pondered my question for some elephants, which disturb grasshoppers www.safariuganda.com/apoka_lodge. make use of the steep koppies that form species and commonly seen primates the young children, who hadn’t seen time. He seemed to remember an Italian and other insect fare. html and www.wildplaces.com part of this dramatic landscape. The are limited to tantalus and patas white people before. They were reassured hiker who had visited the area about The UWA also offers two rustic bush elevations allow them to take advantage monkeys (the latter are related to the by the older children and scolded by the 15 years ago. The realisation that no campsites and basic self-catering bandas of cooling breezes and escape the ticks forest-dwelling guenons, but are adults until curiosity took over and we one had reached the 2 750-metre (rondavels). Although it remains open and biting flies below. During the rainy adapted for running across savanna became the centre of attention. summit since then seemed incredible, throughout the year, the best time to visit season, when the grass is tall, they also grasslands) as well as olive baboons. All In return for our gifts, we were invited but served to drive home just how the national park is during the long dry provide the best lookouts for spotting three species of ant- and termite-eaters to camp next to their village for the remote this part of Africa really is. season from December to early March. potential prey. have been recorded here, although the night and share in the feast of roasted When we finally made it to the top, For more (if slightly dated) information, Elephants are the most migratory of pangolin is regarded as extremely rare. goat and posho (a maize porridge also there were views north towards the visit the UWA website www.uwa.org or go all the mammal species in Kidepo. I was fortunate to enjoy sightings of known as ugali). This wasn’t all we Lotukei mountains (made famous by to www.kidepo.html Small breeding herds and bachelor both aardwolf and aardvark. shared – village life doesn’t afford much the 2005 plane crash in which For assistance in planning a trip to groups of mature bulls regularly cross privacy and when nature calls (as it Sudanese vice-president John Garang Kidepo Valley National Park or any other into Sudan and east into Kenya. Some or keen hikers and culturally did), you could be sure that a small died), to the east lay the town of Ugandan destination, contact Africa are lost to a hail of automatic gunfire, minded visitors, there is the army of inquisitive children would join Lokichokio in Kenya and all the Geographic Travel on tel. (+27-21) 762 but many adapt their behaviour and Fprospect of a trip to the Ik on the you to witness the deed! wilderness that is Kidepo stretched out 2180, e-mail [email protected] survive to return to the park the upper reaches of Mount Morungole. The following morning, two young below us. As we walked back through or visit www.africageographictravel.com following dry season. When the first The Ik are members of a marginalised men (later joined by three friends) were the Ik villages towards the national rains fall in March, these family units hill tribe that survive on subsistence assigned to act as our guides in reaching park, our young guides walked tall. congregate to take advantage of the agriculture and, to a large extent, have the summit of Mount Morungole. The They had braved the place of their abundant fresh green grass along the no concept of money. The few terrain was not too difficult, but there ancestors and survived.
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