Greetings from the Green Ranger Safaris Team. We hope this article finds you well after the Thanksgiving weekend and we hope you all had a bountiful Black Friday and Cyber Monday??. This week we’ll be looking at Kazinga Channel, Uganda.
Kazinga Channel Overview
This is a 32 kilometer(20 miles) long channel that connects Uganda’s well-known lakes, Lake Edward and Lake George. It is one of the dominant features of Queen Elizabeth National Park Queen Elizabeth National Park, which will be the stop for Day Three of the Rwanda Superb Safari.
As one of the most visited regions in Uganda, it offers some of the more spectacular wildlife, mostly in terms of bird life and also due to the fact that it has one of the highest concentration of hippos in Africa.
The boat trip is one of the most relaxing ways to see the animals along the channel in the park. It allows you to get as close to them as possible without actually having to disturb them with the noise and clatter of a vehicle. There are two departure times, 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. These trips range from 2 hours to 5 hours towards Lake Edward, allowing you to feast your eyes on some truly majestic animals, namely:
Elephants
The heaviest land mammal uses this channel to cool off during the hot days. Making their way to the bank to spray water on their bodies. While some even manage to wade in for a more efficient clean up.
Hippopotamuses
With arguably the largest concentration of hippopotamus in Africa, meeting these beasts and seeing the extent to which they can open their mouths(180°), together with up to 2 feet long tusks, makes you understand why it is the most dangerous African animal. They spend most of their time in the shallow banks of the channel, their massive bodies protruding through the surface. Seeing them actually highlights the brevity required by the fishermen who line the shores of the channel. One even told us that they only fish at night. As the hippos leave to graze and reduce the chances of encountering them. Here is a picture of some mothers guarding a young hippo.
Lots of Birds
With Queen Elizabeth National Park having over 200 species of birds recorded to date, you’ll be hard pressed to spot a species of bird that you’ve seen before. Unless you’re a serial bird watcher?. Here are some pink pelicans.
Crocodiles
Which brings us to the massive Nile crocodiles found in the channel. The only remaining dinosaur in our time and one that has remained unchanged over the years. All this is due to how powerful and effective it’s arsenal as a predator is. They lie lazily at the banks and they even seem to blend in with the soil due to the eerie stillness of their bodies, the only indication of their presence is the Egyptian Plovers picking their way for leftovers of the croc’s last meal.
Even-Toed Ungulates
Lastly are the ‘unspectacular’ animals that remain, mainly bucks, zebra and buffaloes. Although they make up most of the population, they remain unremarkable as they are found in so many regions.
Having spent as much time on the boat, it leaves you satisfied of the long trip and continues to highlight why Queen Elizabeth National Park is such a hot spot for tourism, especially during this period of the year. Kazinga Channel is a must-see region, taking second place in the Park’s attractions, as Gorilla Tracking is second to none.
Have a lovely weekend and until next time.
Au revoir!!