The Big and The Ugly : Part 3

 

The significant others:

African landscape is not complete with just the Big 5 and the Ugly 5. There is much more to it than these ten. 

Who can disregard the elegant Giraffe? Or the handsome zebra? The swift impalas and gazelles? The strong tophi and eland or the delicate dick-dick? 

Adding to the family are the kipstringers that like to perch on top of rocks. And there are the jackals that lend a hand to clean up.

Mammals like mongoose are in abundance. I haven’t seen so many mongoose at once in my entire lifetime like I did here. How could I miss the funny baboons and monkeys?  There are also rodents and reptiles in all sizes, shapes and colors. 

Oh and the birds are not just about vultures and the Marabou. The crown cranes are the jewels of East Africa, and national bird of Uganda. Then there are ostriches, flamingos, pelicans , fishing and other eagles, yellow billed and spoon billed storks, egrets, Egyptian geese, weaver birds, lilac breasted rollers, blacksmith plovers, red billed oxpeckers, spur fowls, guinea fowls, gray headed herons and thousands of others. 

Nearly 20 different acacia trees adorn the African landscape and several grasses that provide food for the herbivores as well as cover to hide for the preys and predators alike. 

And what about the Masai people? Without them the African story can’t be complete. 

Today I am sharing the story in just pictures. Will write more later if I get to it. Enjoy.