 "I haven't seen a giraffe yet," responded our travelling companion to our park ranger when he asked us what we would like to see when we arrived at Lake Mburo National Park for our late afternoon walking safari. We drove around the winding roads for a while looking for giraffes but no luck. But, our ranger had received word that the resident giraffes had been seen in a certain area that morning, so that seemed promising. Although Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest savannah park in Uganda, finding giraffes in its 260 square kilometers did seem rather unlikely to me as we'd already toured the park extensively and not seen even one. And, what would be the chances that the giraffes seen in the morning would still be in the same area when they have all that space to roam? Slim I would think. But what do I know? The answer is nothing. Nothing apparently compared to the years of wisdom our ranger had. Well, not only did the ranger rise to the challenge of finding us a giraffe but he delivered an experience we will remember for a lifetime.  It was late July afternoon on another very dry day in Lake Mburo National Park when we had one last safari adventure of the day before dinner. Unlike most safaris, this park offers a walking safari and let me tell you how different the experience is when you step on the ground and get out of your vehicle. Without the confines and protection of the vehicle you feel both vulnerable and free. It's exciting and terrifying at the same time. In this park you can do a walking safari for two reasons: One, you must have an armed ranger guiding you and, two, it's relatively safe because there aren't any predators (ie lions) in the park. Local cattle farmers have decimated the lion population (that's a whole other issue). Of course you have to keep your eye out for water buffalo as they are regarded as the most dangerous and feared animal in the park. The next day we saw a guy climb a tree to get away from a herd of water buffalo that was crossing the road. He had abandoned his bicycle by the side of the road and made a mad dash for higher ground. (I have no idea why he was on a bicycle - seems rather daring and risky to me. I don't have a picture of the guy in the tree but here's a picture of water buffalo crossing the road that I took from the safety of our vehicle.)  Once we arrived near the spot where the ranger thought the giraffes might be, we didn't see any water buffalo (thankfully because my tree climbing skills are not up to par, rather non-existent actually) and so we hopped out of our vehicle. We headed off along a path, one of the many paths made by animals that criss cross the savannah, like antelopes and zebras, traversing the park creating a little animal super highways. Apparently animals like to walk in single file thus creating these well trodden dirt paths. Just watch where you step because there might be the odd meadow muffin, if you know what I mean. Incidentally, giraffes aren't that easy to see amongst the trees. They camouflage extraordinarily well. Legs like tree trunks and bodies the colour of grass. Also, they generally don't move all that quickly. But we kept on, because you just never know what you'll see. It was very quiet in the park with only the sound of our footsteps breaking the dry stalking grass and the birds squawking and chirping in the distance. And then, up ahead a set of eyes and ears emerged from atop the treetops and lo and behold we had our first giraffe sighting! Our travel companion could check 'see giraffe' off his to do list. But then, as we approached a little curve in the path, we saw a few more and then a few more. And then suddenly so many giraffes we couldn't count them all! There had to have been 20-30 right in front of us just grazing on leaves from the treetops. I wish I was a poetic writer so I could describe the sheer jubilation of that moment of seeing the giraffes only feet away. I think the look on my face in this photo captures my sensation pretty accurately. While we were all screaming with amazement on the inside, on the outside we were subduing our exhilaration with quiet oohing and ahing and OH-MY-GOD-LOOK-HOW-CLOSE-WE-ARE-TO-THE-GIRAFFES! I made an instagram reel to try to capture how close we were to them and how they move within the trees of the savannah, and how they were observing us while we them. Even looking back at it now, I'm in awe that we were gifted with this time with these beautiful creatures. Feel free to check it out here - @traveltaleswithjuli.  There is something so profoundly amazing at seeing an animal in its natural environment, the way it should be. It was absolutely glorious. These animals are both graceful and awkward and I kinda relate to that. They walk with a rhythm of a metronome but run like Phoebe from 'Friends'. Again, I can relate to that.   Fifteen Rothschild's giraffes were re-introduced to the park in 2015. The translocation from the Murchison Falls by the Uganda Wildlife Authority was two-fold: One, to help control the acacia trees, and two, to diversify wildlife species while boosting tourism to the park. The rare Rothschild's giraffe is considered a near threatened species with approximately 1,400-1,500 remaining in the wild. There are now 37 giraffes in Lake Mburo National Park so I'd say this has been a success! According to our ranger, the giraffes are in excellent health. There is enough food for them and without predators, they stay calm and live happy lives. Five Fun Facts about Rothschild's giraffes: 1. An adult Rothschild's giraffe is a very large animal weighing between 1800-2500 pounds. It is also one of the tallest giraffes reaching a height of 16-19 feet. Baby Rothschilds are already 5 feet tall at birth. 2. An adult Rothschild giraffe can eat about 75 pounds of food a day and spends about 16-20 hours a day eating. They are herbivores and their favourite food is the acacia tree. 3. They are not particularly keen on sleep, which is good because they don't require much. It's common for them to sleep as little as 30 minutes a day and are known to have quick power naps sleeping for just minutes. 4. They are the only giraffe that has 5 ossicones (like a horn but not really). There are two on the top of their head, one in the middle of their forehead and one behind each ear. 5. They look like they are wearing knee-high socks. Such stylish giraffes. Bonus fact: A group or herd of giraffes is called a Tower. The older I get the more I fear that if I don't take a photo of something I may not remember it. An irrational fear, that's for sure. I had to remind myself to put down the camera and just be in the moment. To breathe in the moment. To take in the scent of the air and listen to the sounds of the savannah. I can't imagine I'll ever be given this opportunity again. I wanted to simply watch them and feel all the feelings so that when I looked back on this moment I could remember what it felt like to be standing within feet of these tall, graceful yet awkward creatures. Because I put my phone down and just watched them, I can still hear the sound of their hooves on the ground as they walked around. It's the only sound they made. I truly loved every day I spent in Uganda - the people, the places and the wildlife are extraordinary. As part of a 9-day 'Best of Uganda' tour with Follow Alice, our package included a chimpanzee habituation and a trek to see the mountain gorillas (both incredible experiences). Walking with the Giraffes was not on the itinerary but it's easily one of my favourite experiences of the whole trip. Quite honestly, I still can't believe it happened. A once in a lifetime experience that's for sure.  I'd be remiss if I also didn't mention that we absolutely loved our two-night stay at Mihingo Lodge. It's located on the park boundary. Our room had a view of a water hole (which the lodge fills to ensure animals have water so as you can imagine it's a hub of activity given that all the others in the park are dry and empty) and it had the most unique bathroom of any of the places we stayed with an amazing shower with a view unlike any other; the food was exceptional and service was attentive, and the infinity pool overlooking the savannah was extraordinary.
It started to rain shortly after taking this photo of me in the pool. The first rain in nearly 6 months. The staff said we brought blessings of rain. In so many cases you don't want rain on your holiday but in this case is was welcomed by everyone.
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