Mantana Camp was situated high up on a hillside off the main route from Park Headquarters. Our tented camp was raised on pilings off the ground with wonderful views of Lake Mburo. This Camp had a total of nine double, completely enclosed and screened tents with a veranda to enjoy views of Lake Mburo….View image…

After lunch, we drove down to the Lake for a small boat cruise. Hoping to spot Nile Crocodiles, hippos and lots of birds. Because of its close proximity to Kampala, there were quite a few people down by the shoreline, eating and drinking in a small refreshment area, on day trips. The area around also had many Civet Monkeys running around, trying to get into the parked vehicles…

curious Civet Monkey in Mburo National Park, Uganda
and Wart Hogs, ignoring the people, and feeding on the grass. This was the first time I had ever seen a Wart Hog kneeling down. Pat explained that Wart Hogs bend at the knees to eat grass because of their short necks. Curiouser…and curiouser…

Wart Hogs kneeling down, Mburo National Park, Uganda
Our small, canopied boat was supposed to leave at either 3:00 or 4:00pm (can’t remember) for the Lake cruise. We waited…and waited…and waited. Talked to other groups (people from America attending a photographic workshop in Kampala) while Joseph spent time on his cell phone trying to track down the boat operator. The boat materialized very late, unloaded a group and we headed out into Lake Mburo. Almost immediately, we spotted more Fish Eagles than Pat had ever seen in one spot…View image…and lots of other birds in the Papyrus reeds…Kingfishers..View image…Weaver Birds, etc….View image..

Fish Eagles in Mburo National Park, Uganda
…local villagers filling up gallon jugs of water from the lake and carrying back on their bicycles…

locals getting water in Mburo National Park, Uganda
…and the first Nile Crocodiles we’d seen on this trip…huge….so big that you could spot them from quite a distance…with the granddaddy of them all, entering the water… (As soon as the boat came close enough for a fantastic photo, the crocs would slip into the water.)

Nile Crocodile entering water in Mburo National Park, Uganda 

the huge Nile crocodile entered the water in Mburo National Park, Uganda
…lots more hippos, including one showing aggression…

wide open mouth signals aggression, not a yawn – Mburo National Park, Uganda
…one hippo spouting water (how I got this shot, I’ll never know)…

Hippo spouting water on cruise in Mburo National Park, Uganda 

…more birds, another Nile crocodile and the day was complete.

big old Nile Crocodile, Mburo National Park, Uganda 

relaxing back at Mburo Tented Camp, Uganda