Safari Notes

Tiny. Weighing about 2.5mg. They have long legs and a pair of scaled wings. And they are, so far - apart from our fellow humans - the deadliest creatures to us. Mosquitoes . They cause malaria , dengue fever and the West Nile Virus . And even with all the facts that we have , each year, they kill hundreds of thousands of people. Especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We can fight back , but the mosquito, the Anopheles mosquito in particular - is winning in Africa. And the cost, both material and human, has been high. Too high: The vast majority of malaria deaths occur in Africa, south of the Sahara, where malaria also presents major obstacles to social and economic development. Malaria has been estimated to cost Africa more than US$ 12 billion every year in lost GDP, even though it could be controlled for a fraction of that sum. There are at least 300 million acute cases of malaria each year globally, resulting in more than a million deaths. Around 90% of these deaths occur in Africa, most...

Although rather late, it's very comforting and relieving to know that : in response to growing pressure from international law enforcement agencies and conservation groups, eBay , the online auction giant, announced Monday that it would ban all commerce in ivory, including most heirlooms, to avoid providing a market that will encourage the slaughter of endangered elephants . Not only are endangered animals, including chimps, marmosets and leopard cubs, ... being bought and sold online , but a recent scientific survey recently released states that : one in two mammal species on Earth are in decline and at least one in four are at risk of disappearing forever . This is too distressing! How bad has the situation got to get and be, before we wake up and do much more than we are now doing to protect all animals? When and if mammals and other animals go, we go; their being threatened and endangered, is a danger to us.

Few places on Earth, can match Uganda's natural beauty. From the flat savanna lands of the North, to the dry, but still strikingly beautiful, dry lands of the North East; to the rolling hills and mountains of the East and West - Uganda is a feast for the eyes. Mount Elgon is as unforgettable as Bwindi . One of the most unforgettable sceneries one can see, is driving from Kampala towards the West - through Masaka, Mabarara, Fort Portal, Kabale and the Queen Elizabeth National Park; or from Kampala towards the east through Kigumba, Murchison Falls and on to Gulu and Lira; or through Tororo and on to the stunning slopes of Mount Elgon at Mbale. For those intending to visit the Lake Albert area, there are very good facilities at the Lake Albert Safari Lodge . And the scenery around, is just breathtaking. And for those visiting Kampala, there is the fine Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel right by Lake Victoria - offering excellent facilities. Except for malaria, which can be deadly, most...

Joachim Chissano won before ; now it's another South African leader who has scooped it again : "The coveted $5-million Mo Ibrahim Prize for African leadership has been conferred on former Botswana President Festus Mogae. He was rewarded on Monday for maintaining stability, prosperous path and leading the fight against AIDS. His efforts won Botswana the name 'the African Shining Jewel.' Mogae becomes the second recipient of the prestigious annual award. The Mo Ibrahim Award is the biggest individual prize in the world. The inaugural prize went to former Mozambican President Joachim Chisano last year. The Batwana are reportedly brimming with pride after Mogae is regarded internationally as an exemplary African leader who ensured that the tenet of democracy flourished under his rule, making Botswana a rare political and economic success story on the continent, VOA reported." AfricaNews

In November 1979, the member nations of the Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations (FAO) established World Food Day at the Organization’s Twentieth General Conference. World Food Day, which occurs every year on October 16 to commemorate the anniversary of the FAO, is a worldwide event designed to increase awareness, promote understanding, and encourage action against hunger. Hunger and poverty are far too commonplace in many countries around the world. Thus, every year, World Food Day serves as a reminder of the FAO’s enduring quest to provide a long-term solution to these persistent problems. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to promote the concept that access to nutritious food is an fundamental human right and cannot be denied to any individual. Act against hunger .. World Food Day provides an occasion to once again highlight the plight of 923 million undernourished people in the world. Most of them live in rural areas where their main source of income is the a...

This just in from the wonderful people of WWF : New hope was extended to some of the world's most diverse and endangered forests today as WWF, four Indonesian ministers and ten provincial governors announced a bold commitment to protect the remaining forests and critical ecosystems of Sumatra. WWF Go here to: thank Indonesian officials for signing the first-ever island-wide commitment to protect Sumatra's stunning biodiversity. Urge them to continue to work together to implement a plan that will protect Sumatra's forests and endangered species. The Indonesian island of Sumatra holds some of the world's most diverse – and endangered – forests, which provide livelihoods for millions of people and shelter some of the world's rarest species. It is the only place on earth where endangered rhinos, elephants, tigers and orangutans can be found together . Take Action and join WWF in its campaign for a Living Planet! This is the least that one can do to prot...

Kenya is taking action in trying to solve its energy problems: Kenya is turning to cheaper geothermal power generation to deal with the biting energy crisis brought home by high fuel prices and thinning electricity reserves. BDAfrica Kenya has an electricity capacity of 1,215 megawatts, compared with peak demand of 1,150 megawatts, leaving a reserve capacity of less than the 15 percent recommended international average, Murungi said. To improve Kenya's energy situation, the country will invest 4.5 billion Kenyan shillings ($61 million) sinking 12 geothermal wells to generate as much as 7,000 megawatts of electricity, and 750 million shillings on the accompanying transmission company, he said. Bloomberg This is real great news for Kenya. At last, we are seeing some action in the right direction. Environmentally friendly, cost effective and overall - the country will enormously benefit from geothermal power. With its huge reserves, it's planned that the country will develop 630 m...

On and around lake Victoria, Kenya, Hippos were once thriving and many; just a decade or two ago, hippos could easily be seen, in Kisumu town - the largest Kenyan town by the Lake. But now, due to human encroachment and activity they are in danger of being wiped out completely, there. And now, otters, which once too were a common sight, are in danger of facing the same fate as hippos: Otters [Fisi Maji in Swahili] were once a common sight along the shores of Lake Victoria in the morning and late afternoon. They have webbed feet, a fine streamlined body for rapid movement through the water, and a strong, muscular tail to help steer them. Otters often travel up to 50 km in a night in search of food -- mainly fish and crustaceans like crabs and mollusks. But their numbers are thinning because of the encroachment of farmers into the wetlands and groups clearing the area in search of reeds and grasses for building houses and cottages along the beach. Otters are also killed by pollution, inc...