Masai Mara: Day 2 AM

I had a leisurely start to Day 2. D, L, and M were up at 4am to go for a balloon ride; I personally couldn't justify the $450 cost given the amount of safari-ing I have lined up. At about 6:45 Isaac brought tea and biscuits to my tent. I had woken up a lot during the night; between the unfamiliar bed, the morning light, and the hippos right outside, I slept quite lightly.

After getting dressed and grabbing my stuff for the morning I headed to the main lodge for breakfast. They had several tables set up on the terrace overlooking the hippo pools, but I was the only one dining at that time. Breakfast was filling and delicious, and I enjoyed taking time to eat.

Joseph and I were scheduled to set off at 7:30 to pick up the others and go on a game drive; I went back to the formal entrance and waited. I didn't realize there was another pickup spot closer to the lodge. While I waited, though, a large black and white monkey came out of the trees and walked across the wall right in front of me. I didn't have time to grab my camera, but he was so close! Maurice came to see me off, and he agreed that it was probably a black and white colobus and that they occasionally popped into the lodge to steal food. There's an electric fence around camp to keep the big animals out, but fences don't stop monkeys. Or leopards, as we later heard.

Anyway, Joseph found me, and we set off. Right outside the camp gate we ran across a flock of guinea fowl. Then more ellies as we entered the park. Sanctuary Olonana is located just outside the northern border of Masai Mara but still within the Mara Conservancy. The park here is called the Mara Triangle, and the park management is different than the other 2/3 of the park to the east of the Mara River. This side of the park is dominated by the Siria Escarpment, which runs for 60 kilometers through the park and provides a very dramatic backdrop. The gate we used, Oloololo, is next to a section of the park abutting the escarpment and which was the filming location for much of the film Out of Africa. As such, this section of the park is known among the guides as Out of Africa.

We were driving along at a decent clip when both of us did a double take. There, right on the side of the road in the grass, was a male lion! As we stopped to marvel at him, Joseph saw another one walking toward us. As the second one was close to an off-road track and was moving, we decided to head to see him and what he was doing. As we got closer, Joseph jerked the car suddenly to avoid the prone lioness lying in the road. The male settled down near her, and Joseph excitedly said they must be a mating pair. He told me how rare it is to see a mating pair. Sure enough, the male got up and checked in with the female, and we were the lone witnesses to said copulation. It lasted approximately 8 seconds and, Joseph told me, would happen 50 times a day for seven days. What a sight!

We were a bit late to pick up the others so left our new friends lying in the grass and headed off. On our way we passed large herds of various antelope and saw lots of birds. The Mara was teeming with wildlife!

D, L, and M had had an amazing balloon flight, spotting buffalo, elephant, two lions, and even a rhino from the air! We shared stories of our adventures and then set off in search of cats.

Out first sighting was a heavily pregnant spotted hyena, sporting a radio collar as she's a member of a research study. In the same area we saw both bat-eared fox and black-backed jackals, so our canine predator trifecta was complete! I didn't get photos of the latter two, though, as they were a wee bit far away. Plus, I was beginning to think that predators would be super easy to come by so I might as well wait for a great photo. I wasn't really wrong.

We took off in search of cheetah, scouring an area where a female with cubs was known to be, though there had only been a couple sightings of her post-partum so far. As we searched, Joseph heard over the radio that cheetahs had been spotted (get it?) not too far away. So we abandoned our hunt and headed in the other direction. We were driving down the road when Joseph stopped suddenly and started backing up. He said he had seen a snake that had been run over. We backed up until, sure enough, there was a tiny little snake, not more than two feet long. It was not, thankfully, hurt. It was, though, a deadly black mamba. We watched it for a while until Joseph worried it would be run over since it wouldn't leave the road. M lent his GoPro mount, and Joseph coaxed said mamba onto the side of the road. We asked if the babies were also venomous; even more so was the answer, since they have all the venom at a fraction of the size of an adult.

Exhilarated from this exciting detour, we sped on to the cheetahs. And as we reached the spot, where only two other vehicles were parked, the two brother cheetahs descended from their tree and walked away, not far from us. We watched them for as long as we could, until they crested a hill, marveling at their beauty. I haven't seen a cheetah in the wild since 2005, so this was quite magical.

Joseph thought he knew where they were going, so we headed back onto the road to try and follow them. Along the way we found a beautiful herd of topi and stopped to watch them bask in the sun. They have a tendency to bow their heads while they secrete pheromones from a large gland below their eyes, but it gives them a thoughtful look. Very cool.

We emerged on the other side of the hill in time to see the cheetahs heading toward us. They were not afraid of the car at all, walking within a few meters and then stopping at points to survey the savannah. We stayed with them for the better part of an hour, getting some spectacular views as they played with one another, paused for a drink, and generally posed looking awesome.

Finally they walked off on a side of the road where off-track driving is not allowed, so we waved goodbye and headed back to the lodge. Yet again, our game drive was going much longer than expected. We were supposed to be back by 11:00; it was already 12:30, and we were a ways from camp.

On the way back we stopped off at a hippo pool with a squat toilet complex and a ranger, where you can alight from the vehicle and walk to see the hippos. The hippos were huge, as was the one crocodile we saw on the banks. We climbed back in the car and headed back.

We detoured into the Out of Africa section to try and find our mating lions, unsuccessfully. We did see some great elephants though! While we were on the side of the road watching them, a band of mongooses ran out of the grass and swarmed around our truck. They were all making little squeaking noises, and the movement of the 50+ of them was a bit mesmerizing. We watched as they made their way to the shade made by our truck where they all settled in to cool down. Among them were a number of babies, who alternately ran or were carried in the mouths of their mothers. So cute! We finally left them and headed to camp, arriving in time for a late lunch on the terrace.

The beetroot/potato salad and fresh pizza hit the spot after a long day of driving, and I indulged in a facial at the spa before the afternoon drive. Located at the far edge of the camp in a separate tent, the spa has a treatment terrace where you can relax to the sounds of the river and the hippos. Pure bliss!

Guinea fowl!

Dancing elephant :-)

Is this not the most gorgeous sight ever?

Surprise lioness!

Lion mating; the first of many sightings on this trip and the butt of most jokes.

And back to sleep.

Lion prints on the side of the road.

Pregnant hyena with radio collar.

Siria Escarpment in the background.

Baby black mamba!

CHEETAH!!!!!

TWO CHEETAHS!!!!

So majestic.

Pretty poser.

Smile for the camera.

Just look at that beautiful animal.

Time for a drink.

Surveying.

Topi with mud-encrusted antlers.

I love it when the topi stand on termite mounds. It makes me giggle.

Kori bustard, world's heaviest flying bird.

Go home hippo, it's noon and too hot for you!

Baby hippo on the river bank.

OMG I love this landscape.

Bunny in the grass! We spotted this but no lions, interestingly. We found out later we were looking on the wrong side.

I mean, really. This is amazing.

Hello friend!

Banded mongoose.

Seeking shade in our car's shadow. So cute!

Masai Mara: Day 1

Lots of stories, so I am going to break this into multiple posts so it's not overwhelming. For me, or for the reader.

Day one started out cold and rainy in Kampala with an early trip to the airport. Traffic was bad to start, but once on Entebbe Road we moved at a decent clip. Flight was fine, and we landed in Nairobi about eleven am. Our cab was there to meet us after we cleared customs, and we headed over to the domestic airport (Wilson) for our flight to the Mara. To our surprise the AirKenya terminal had a pleasant place to sit, a small cafe with decent food for lunch, and several helicopters to gawk at as we killed three hours.

Originally we were told we were the only ones on our flight, but when it was finally our turn to board there were a handful of others. Keep in mind this is an eleven-seater bush plane. The good news: our stop (Kichwa Tembo) would be the second stop instead of the third. I hate flying, and small planes present a particular challenge for my anxiety.

Our takeoff was smooth, and other than a few rain clouds our 45 minute flight to the Mara was decent. I read a bit of the inflight magazine, which made me laugh because one of the featured articles was on the camp where we were staying on this trip and the next article was about the Serena in Zanzibar. You know you've made good travel choices when they appear in an inflight magazine.

As we landed at the first airstrip we got our first glimpses of hippos, zebras, large herds of cattle, and some assorted antelope. This almost distracted me from the crosswind landing onto the muddy airstrip. One person disembarked, two more got on, and we were off again. It only took another five minutes to get to Kichwa Tembo, where the landing was even scarier as we started to swing back and forth as we touched down. Thank you very much rain the night before.

I gratefully climbed out of the tiny plane and was greeted by Joseph, guide extraordinaire. My friend D and I were paired up with a lovely couple from the UK; I know it was probably just because we were on the same plane arriving at the same time, but we couldn't have asked for better safari companions. Experienced safarigoers, they were up for staying out as long as possible each day and seeing everything. Plus they were just plain fun!

Joseph loaded us up into a swanky open-air vehicle, with comfy bucket seats, padded armrests on the sides of the vehicle, and a cooler full of drinks. Plus pillows and blankets on each seat! In what would become a trend in the coming days, the 20 minute drive to camp took over an hour as we stopped at everything. Topi, zebra, and buffalo all grazed along the airstrip, and it wasn't long before we encountered our first elephant herd.

We eagerly took pictures of everything we saw, knowing full well that by the end of the trip we'd be taking a whole lot less photos of these same animals. We had landed inside the park and needed to exit to get to our camp. At the park gate, we saw a beautiful yellow lab with a working vest on doing exercises with a ranger. Joseph told me he's an ivory and gun-sniffing dog to detect poachers. He has three brothers who all do the same at different gates. How cool is that? He's apparently quite good at sniffing out contraband.

The road from the gate to camp was full of zebra and eland. I realize now that these photos of eland may be the only ones I took all week, despite seeing many more.

Baboons were also present, including the very large male pictured below. Several zebra were obviously pregnant, and there were lots of little babies.

We passed several Maasai manyattas on the 10 minute drive from the gate to camp, including a number of herdsmen with their cows, goat, and sheep. Lots of waves and smiles and jambos, which would continue all week. Joseph, a Maasai from a village 180 km away, told us that each camp supports a village. The Olonana village has several residents who work at the camp in various capacities and is the designated visit site for our camp's guests.

Even as we pulled into Sanctuary Olonana's driveway, it was hard to tell where the camp could be - it blended that well into the environs. We arrived at the formal entrance, greeted by a Maasai man in traditional dress playing the flute to welcome us. Maurice, the manager, and Yvonne, one of the asst managers, warmly welcomed us with smiles and cold towels and led the way through the beautiful forest on unobtrusive stone paths.

We arrived in the main common area, home to the dining room, the library, and numerous inviting couches and chairs. We went out onto the several-tiered deck, marveled at the hippos in the Mara River, and settled down on the deck with welcome drinks. Maurice oriented us to camp and got us registered and explained how things would work. We then headed for our tents; D and I had tents next to each other but entirely secluded. The camp has fourteen luxury tents, each on a wooden platform and with its own view of the Mara River. My tent, #3, overlooked a hippo pool.

Isaac showed me around the very impressive tent, with two beautiful beds, two wardrobes, a desk, a sitting area, lots of room to spread out, and a lovely bathroom. I settled in, noticed all the little details, unpacked a bit, and then headed for the main lodge. I settled down on the deck to take advantage of the free (and very fast!) wi-fi, which was just one of the little details that made the camp so lovely.

When it started to get dark and a bit chilly, I headed inside and found not one but two fires roaring. I settled onto a sofa near one of them and soaked up the welcome heat. D joined me after a while, and we enjoyed pre-dinner snacks and drinks. Sanctuary Olonana is all-inclusive, which just made it that much more lovely. A guitar player strummed softly in the middle of the room, and the other guests filtered in and shared stories of the day.

We adjourned to a table and were feted with the first of many amazing three-course meals. Big John, the head chef, and his team are truly artists with food. Everything was fresh and tasty and perfectly-portioned. Olonana has an organic garden, where it grows 75% of the produce used at camp. Each course was garnished with fresh herbs, and it was lovely to taste asparagus and strawberries after so long.

As we finished our main course all of the kitchen staff came out of the kitchen with a cake, lit with candles, and were joined by what seemed like the entire staff. They had real and makeshift instruments and formed a line and sang and danced their way around the dining room twice, to everyone's delight. We were all wondering who was being celebrated; as the cake came by us I got a look and saw "Happy Honeymoon!" written across the top in icing. The cake finally landed at the table of our vehicle companions, who looked as surprised as anyone. We found out later that it was L's birthday, not their honeymoon, but it was all in good fun. (It later came out that there was a birthday, a honeymooning couple, and a couple celebrating their anniversary there that week; they'd just sent the wrong cake. But the right sentiment!)

D ordered tea after dinner; after it came we both realized how chilled we were, even inside. We headed back to our tents. I took a quick shower and then bundled up and slid into bed. I cannot tell you how happy I was to discover the hot water bottle in my bed. That little thing kept me warm and toasty all night long and was just such a welcome touch!

I fell asleep quickly and dreamed of exciting safari adventures to come...

Our trusty bush plane.

Zebras!

The first ellies of the vacation.

There was PLENTY of grass for everyone to indulge in.

How classic a Masai Mara scene is this?

The awesome anti-poacher dog!

He sniffs out guns and ivory.

Preggers.

Eland

Baboon striding with a purpose.

Hippos outside my tent

My tent's private terrace

Mara River

Masai Mara: the Stuff of Dreams

Confession: I love safaris. That probably is not a surprise to any of you, but I always forget a little bit just how much I love them in between trips. Which is kinda cool, because then it's like, "whoa this is awesome!" all over again each time. So I was very much looking forward to my inaugural trip to Masai Mara, which has always held a coveted spot on my bucket list. But my experience there last week surpassed even my wildest expectations, and it was just the first in what I hope will be a series of visits.

Five days. Four planes. Six takeoffs, six landings. 26.5 hours spent on safari. Thirty-two lions. Eight lion mating sessions. Two cheetahs. Two (!) leopards. Seven black rhino. One baby black mamba. More than 50,000 wildebeest. Big Five. One amazing camp. 769 photos. Countless memories. And lots of stories to come!

I have now gone on safari in at least nineteen parks in ten countries on three continents (I fear I'm missing/forgetting one or two and am not counting Disney World), with amazing sightings and experiences in each one. But Masai Mara really was the experience of a lifetime, probably because it is the park I grew up watching on TV in nature shows and reading about in books and magazines, the quintessential savannah paradise. And I am so grateful that my career affords me the opportunity to experience things like this more than once in a lifetime.

So, as I sift through my hundreds and photos and videos and get ready to write a series of blog posts about the vacation, consider this a teaser post...

Catventures

 Our apartment complex is home to a small but mighty band of feral cats. Several of my neighbors are animals lovers like me, so we've been on a mission to reduce the population growth so the family is sustainable and can keep the rodent/insect/lizard population in check. (I have never seen a mouse or rat here, but I do watch the cats eat moths, geckos, and grasshoppers with gusto.)

Last January the female cat gave birth to three kittens. An orange one invited himself to live with my neighbor, a beige one went home with another neighbor's nanny, but the grey one didn't find a home, despite our best efforts. She stayed around for the most part, disappearing for weeks at a time but always coming back. Not terribly friendly, she remained an elusive compound resident.

In February one neighbor knocked on my door one night, saying she heard kittens crying. We traced the noises to a raised garden bed by the pool and - sure enough - there was a loud little black kitten on the ground. We picked him up and placed him back on the bed, where the grey cat snatched him up and took him back to her nest. Little grey was now Momma cat. In the light of day we realized there were two kittens - the black one and a beautiful grey tiger striped little one. They were at that point about 3-4 weeks old, we think. We visited them twice a day to try and socialize them, with the hopes of finding homes. On Valentine's Day, after coming home from a ladies' night out, I heard a terrific scream coming from the raised bed and saw Momma cat fighting with the presumed father (and also grandfather, as we believe he's Momma cat's dad as well). I chased him off, but the next morning I found the little grey kitten lifeless.

We bought a shovel and buried the kitten, with Momma cat and the lone remaining kitten watching. It was quite sad. They left their nest then and didn't return. We'd see one or both of them occasionally, but they were fleeting sightings. At that point they were both so feral we didn't have hopes of catching either one.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I went down to the gym for my Saturday morning workout and was followed in by the black kitten. He was only a little bigger than the last time I'd seen him, and he was clearly starving. Momma cat was nowhere to be found. I made the decision to feed him - something I'd never done before - because I just couldn't watch him starve to death. I brought the food down to the gym and let him eat while I ran on the treadmill. Momma cat came in and scarfed down some of the food while I watched, first batting black kitten out of the way but finally letting him eat too. She was very clearly pregnant, which explained why she had stopped nursing him and was clearly trying to distance herself from him.

My neighbors and I started an active campaign to find him a home. Over the next week he became our shadow, meeting us at our doors every morning, escorting us to the shuttle, and then meeting us at the top of the stairs when we got him. On Friday morning he came down to the parking lot and tried to get in the van, which was the sign we needed to find a foster home before he got himself run over. One neighbor took him in that night, and in the last two weeks he has blossomed. He's filling out, playing very well, and completely socialized. He needs a home! I call him Arthur; his foster mom refuses to name him in hopes of finding a forever home soon.

Meanwhile, Momma cat started coming back around and looking for food. She didn't look pregnant anymore, but she also wasn't acting like she had just given birth, and she didn't seem to be producing milk. Amazingly, when she thinks she's getting fed she'll tolerate being petted and prodded.

One day, though, we came home from work, and the guard told us there were kittens. She showed us where, and - sure enough - there was a tiny little bundle of grey fur. As we watched, three more forms came into view. Three grey, one black/grey with striped markings. They were in a raised bed right next to my apartment. We decided that for the sake of the kittens and Momma cat, we'd feed her to keep everyone alive and to give us a chance of getting her spayed in a few months. We estimate the kittens were, at that point, about five days old. No open eyes and very clumsy movements.

We christened Momma cat Lolita, Lola for short, and I started a routine of feeding her every other day on my porch. Lola associates me with food, so she always comes to greet me, morning and evening. Interestingly, even if there is food in her bowl, she won't eat unless I'm home. I'm trying hard to build the relationship so we can get her spayed as soon as she weans them. My cats think it's very odd to see another cat eating on the porch, and they watch in fascination. Lola and Callaghan meow at each other through the front door, but that's about as far as the interest goes.

At first Lola was a little put off by our ogling the kittens, but over the past two weeks she has calmed considerably. She has moved them twice, but each time she willingly shows me the new nest. One day this week, while she was eating, I was looking for the new nest. I almost stepped on one of the grey kittens, but the nest was nowhere to be found. He was shivering, so I picked him up and cuddled him as he squealed. I brought him to Lola, but she had no interest. So I went looking again. Lola finished dinner and came to show me the nest, and I put him back, and she licked him. I believe this is the same one who had fallen out of the previous nest and also had to be returned. He's a wanderer.

I've named the four kittens Arlo (the wanderer), Janis, Pete, and Lucinda. They are now about 2.5 weeks old and still very clumsy in their movements, always looking for Lola and their food. They do, however, respond to voices and are now perking up whenever we talk to them, edging each other out to see what's going on. We have at least one confirmed home and are working on the others. The vet is ready to spay Lola as soon as she weans, probably in another 4-6 weeks. So, anyone in Kampala want an adorable kitten?

Lola's progeny

Arlo

The latest nest

Lola, pointedly ignoring Arlo

Seasonless Cooking

All right, I'm on a roll - one post a week for two straight weeks! And let's see if I can get #2 up for tomorrow later this evening.

This week's blog prompt theme is food, and I'm using Prompt #2: Cook something! The theme is “Seasonal Foods,” wherever you find yourself in the world.

Some people find it limiting or boring to live in a climate with no discrete seasons. I am not one of them. Or, at least, not here, when every day of the year is wonderful. I do miss elements of spring and fall in New England, but those are mostly related to things to do with friends and family. Plus, you either have to survive a New England winter or be prepared for an upcoming one to really enjoy those seasons. So, all in all, I adore my 80-ish degrees and sunny year round Kampala climate.

In that vein, I don't really cook based on the season, or even what season it is in New England. Instead, I cook when I find ingredients for something that strikes my fancy which - as any expat knows - is the driving force behind many a meal overseas. Luckily most ingredients I hanker for can be found relatively easily here, with some exceptions. Many fruits and veggies are year round, though the rains do drive when broccoli and cauliflower are big and beautiful or small and slightly scary. Meat is usually easy to find, though my favorite organic chicken farm has been short of chicken breasts lately while their new crop matures. They promise me chicken breasts next week, so I am planning on chicken parmesan at a minimum. A lot of U.S.-based foodstuffs can generally be found in my pantry or ordered online, and I can generally count on staples like milk, sour cream, and some cheeses on the local economy. Not 100%, but better than a lot of posts.

As a result, my cooking is eclectic. As I mentioned last week I tend to cook on Sundays for the whole week, and inspiration often comes to me only on a Friday or Saturday as I browse the market offerings. This week was no different. I had a craving for guacamole, generally easy to satisfy here where avocados are abundant and delicious, and then I decided on a soup for the week. Wild & brown rice mushroom soup is simmering on the stove now, a new recipe I got off of the rice package. It's something of a comfort food, one I associate with fall in New England, but it'll work well this week as a quick dinner. Throw together a nice side salad with toasted pine nuts - perfection! The guacamole has been a nice snack this weekend, and there's enough for the next few days as well, as long as the avocados hold out.

I'm terrible at food photos, so this blog will have to suffice. Bon appetit!

Because I'm Happy

Theresa at SubjectVerbObject is inspiring Foreign Service Bloggers (yes, we're an entity deserving of capitalization) to rejuvenate our blogs and get us through the spring slump, if such a thing can be blamed for my writing laziness. This week I chose Prompt #1:   Tell us about what you’re doing to stay happy at Post, even when everything from housing to R&R to your spouse’s work schedule seems to be going wrong.

I love my work and life in the Foreign Service, but there are some days that just leave me feeling defeated. I've had a couple of those in the past month, but thankfully my coworkers and friends at Post and around the world are there to validate my efforts when I need a self-esteem boost. While external validation is wonderful and has been particularly appreciated recently, I also need to do what I can to keep myself happy and healthy, inside and out.

Regular exercise contributes a lot to staying even-keeled, and I've discovered that Zumba after work is a fun, social activity that gets me off the treadmill/elliptical and is well worth getting home later some nights. My colleagues and I keep each other motivated to go, since it's much more fun with a decent sized group, and we make sure to laugh a lot as well. Plus, I'm finally getting the steps to Pharrell's song 'Happy' down, so that's a plus!

To compensate for getting home later a few nights a week, I've been very good at cooking a big meal on Sundays so I have dinners for the rest of the week. I am generally fine eating the same thing for several nights in a row, and this way I don't stress about what to make or how much time it'll take to make since all I need to do is reheat. We work long days Monday to Thursday, and since I need to keep a fairly rigid sleep schedule to stay healthy, every moment saved is precious. My cats agree that more evening cuddle time is important

Regular facials, massages, reflexology, and mani/pedis is another way to stay happy, especially since the services are so affordable here. I really should take more advantage of these opportunities for the remainder of my tour.

One of my favorite things, no matter where in the world I am, is planning and anticipating getaways. I love traveling, particularly if it involves seeing animals, and right now I have a lot to look forward to. TripAdvisor is an instant pick-me-up as I read reviews of the places I'm going soon and get giddily excited. The NYT did an article about the importance of anticipation for vacations this week, and it definitely struck a chord.

Finally, I have my awesome friends to rely on. Whether it's high tea, venting sessions, or teaming up to find homes for neighborhood kittens, my friends at Post play a big part in my happiness. While I'm very sad to bid adieu to many of them this summer, it means both that a new crop of potential friends is moving in and that I have more worldly destinations to visit when departing friends get to new posts.

I look forward to learning about other happy-keeping strategies around the world!

Very Cool Uganda Video

I still have six months left in Uganda, and that will include several more local safaris. But this video, which is making the rounds this week, made me realize a lot of reasons why I'll miss it here. Best of all, I recognized many of the places featured and already have trips booked to a few more.

Since I can't figure out how to embed videos that aren't on YouTube, you'll have to follow this link. Trust me, it's worth it, particularly if you've been to or plan to visit Uganda. See if you can spot the cameo appearance of my favorite antelope, the Jackson's hartebeest!

My Favorite Ugandan Livestock

When I went home for Christmas, we all went to my brother's for Christmas Eve. In a quiet moment I cuddled up on the couch with my niece and my iPad, showing her pictures from some of my safaris. The biggest wow I got out of her was not for photos of lions, elephants, or giraffes. Nope, she was amazed by my photos of cows. When I passed the photos around, my brothers also got super excited by these cows. As did everyone else when the photos made the rounds. Granted, these are no ordinary cows. They're the magnificent Ankole cattle which never fail to impress me either. I remain in awe of this breed and love seeing them whenever I get a chance.

Long horns are the most impressive feature of the breed, reaching seemingly preposterous lengths and girths. I really don't know how some of these cows keep their heads up! Related to Egyptian longhorn breeds dating to 4000 BCE crossed with South Asian humped cattle who came to Africa, the Ankole evolved from the Sanga mix of these two ancient breeds. While Sanga offshoots are in Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and environs, the Central-East African Ankole-Watusi breed found in Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi are considered the most remarkable, according to Oklahoma State University.

Ankole are not prolific milk producers, so they've been fallen out of favor among farmers who need to make money off their herds. They remain a significant status symbol, though, and I often hear of families who keep a herd of Ankole cattle for nostalgic reasons, even when they've diversified into Friesians/Holsteins for commercial purposes. (Ankole cattle a're rarely raised or killed for meat, as they only represent status and wealth when alive.) The New York Times Magazine did a fascinating article on the decline in Ankole cattle in Uganda in 2008, citing experts who project the breed will be extinct in 50 years. I certainly hope that's not true, as they're just a beautiful breed of cattle and very gentle.

I had a close encounter with an Ankole bull at the Uganda Wildlife Education Center; he wanted the veggies I was feeding to the giraffes, and I had to physically move his head out of the way by his horns. He didn't mind; he just moved on to the next person.

Ankole cow horns are a popular decoration in Uganda, and I've started to pick up a few sets for family members (and plan to get one for myself). I know a cow has to die for me to get a set of horns, but I do know they're not being killed exclusively for the horns. So here's a few photos of these gorgeous cows and their horns.