Safari Notes

Ebola With the recent Ebola outbreak killing at least 17 people and causing over 400 to be hospitalized in Uganda, in Kibaale District in particular - one wonders if the country, or any other country for that matter, can manage a serious Ebola outbreak. During the outbreak, public rallies and the shaking of hands in Kibaale District were banned. Would such measures help? How can they be enforced?

World wide, Africa has the least people using this most powerful, very useful of tools: the Web and the Internet. That's according to Tim Berners-Lee's newly created and just launched Web Index , which is described as a  new country-by-country global study that measures the impact of the Web on the world’s people and nations .

Lesula Monkey It is the 21st Century and, incredibly, a new monkey species has been discovered in Africa. In the Democratic Republic of Congo. In June 2007, a previously undescribed monkey known locally as “lesula” was found in the forests of the middle Lomami Basin in central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) .

Stephen Kiprotich When John Akii-Bua won the gold medal at the 1972 Olympic Games in the 400m hurdles in Munich , at the same time setting a world record, Uganda celebrated and rejoiced. As a little boy, I remember seeing him driving around in his Peugeot 604 - then, the only 604 in Uganda. Akii-Bua was pampered and cheered wherever he went. Idi Amin , the then President of Uganda, multinational and international companies, and people showered him with gifts. In 1978, Amin was deposed and Akii-Bua's life slowly started disintegrating. In 1997, he died, at only 47.

Sudan Wildlife Had it known peace and stability, the Sudan - where some of the greatest animal concentrations are in and some of the greatest animal migrations take place - could have been one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world. Many say the greatest animal migrations on Earth take place in South Sudan. Researchers, who only recently could be able to study South Sudan's wildlife, are still very surprised and at times astonished that so many animals still survive in the wild.

Ever thought of how comforting it would be to know of any diseases or their outbreak out there? Especially when you are traveling? Well, there is a very useful and detailed free online site that just does that.

Ecotact Ever heard of Ecotact ? Few companies or projects have captured my imagination as this Kenyan company. A company that is so ingenuous and creative that it has won world wide recognition and several international awards. Incredibly, very few Kenyans know or have ever heard of it. As they state on their site: