Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Return to Madagascar

Greeting Everyone,
After 28 years we decided to revisit the exotic island of Madagascar. On our first visit in 1995, we were volunteers on an Earthwatch project collecting reptiles and amphibians in the southern part of the island. This trip would be different in that our focus would be on observing many of Madagascar’s endemic lemur and carnivore species. We booked our tour with Patrick Richard a young guide based near Ranomafana National Park. 

Us in Madagascar, 1995

We started our long journey on August 28 from Phoenix and after stops in Newark and Paris, we finally arrived in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar on Aug. 30. We were based at the Relais des Plateau, a nice hotel near the airport to recover from jet lag and prepare for our upcoming expedition. A day tour to Lemur’s Park gave us a nice introduction to five of the lemur species found on the island. Most of the park’s lemurs were confiscated pets and will be rehabilitated and returned to the wild.

Female Black Lemur

Patrick met us at the hotel on Sept. 3 for the official start of our tour. We returned to the airport for a short flight across the island to Morondava and on to Kirindy National Park, our first destination. The draw here is the best chance to see a Fossa, Madagascar’s largest carnivore. Best described as a cross between a cat and a mongoose, Fossa had been regularly seen at the Kirindy Ecolodge but during Covid, they disappeared. As we pulled into the parking lot a group of tourists had gathered behind the lodge’s kitchen. Could it be that the Fossa had returned? Much to my delight, a female Fossa was searching for water and possibly a handout from the kitchen. Marc managed some photos in the growing darkness and just like that we had seen one of our most sought-after mammals for the trip!

Female Fossa

We hustled to prepare for our first night walk and soon after we started the walk, our guide spotted a Pale Fork-marked Lemur, our first lemur seen in the wild! Like many of Madagascar’s lemurs, this species is endangered and occupies a narrow strip of western Madagascar forest.

Pale Fork-marked Lemur

I spotted another nocturnal lemur which turned out to be a Gray Mouse Lemur. They were common in the forest and we spotted at least 7 of these tiny primates.

Gray Mouse Lemur

A third lemur species, the Red-tailed Sportive Lemur was also observed. Our quest to see at least 30 species of lemur was off to a good start. We also got glimpses of Bastard Big-footed Mice (yes, that’s their actual name) scurrying along the forest floor. The mouse (Macrotarsomys bastardi) gets it name not from frustration one may encounter in trying to view and photograph it but from French naturalist, Eugene Joseph Bastard. One paused long enough for Marc to snap a photo.

Bastard Big-footed Mouse

The following morning we entered the forest on a path near our bungalow to search for more wildlife. We got better views of the nocturnal Red-tailed Sportive Lemurs that we had seen the night before now that they were in their day roosts. 

Red-tailed Sportive Lemur

We encountered a group of diurnal Red-fronted Brown Lemurs high in the trees. Surprisingly they came down to greet us. At first, I thought they were super inquisitive but the real reason was for water. Using an empty snail shell, our local guide offered water to the lemurs who hesitantly then eagerly accepted it!

Drinking from a Shell

Further down the trail, we came across 3 Verreaux’s Sifaka high in a tree. We had seen these critically endangered primates back in 1995 in the Spiney forest of southern Madagascar. It was a privilege to see them again here in Kirindy. 

Verreaux’s Sifaka

Our search turned to another of Madagascar’s carnivores, the Bokiboky. Despite our best efforts, we came up empty-handed. We returned to the lodge where our local guide said there was a Fossa near cabin 11. I thought he was kidding but sure enough, a female Fossa, possibly the same individual we had seen the evening before, was snoozing next to the cabin!

Snoozing Fossa

As we were preparing for an afternoon walk, our local guide informed us that a male Fossa had shown up behind the kitchen. He was much larger and more wary than the female we had seen. What a privilege to have multiple and prolonged sightings of such a rare and unusual animal.

Male Fossa

We returned to the dry forest to resume our search for the Bokiboky and had about given up hope of finding one when Patrick spotted a Bokiboky digging under a log! Amazingly 2 more individuals showed up and we had 3 Bokibokies to admire and photograph. The Bokiboky or Narrow-stripped Mongoose is not a mongoose but is a member of the Malagasy carnivore family and is the only species in the genus Mungotictis.      

Bokiboky

That evening, a walk yielded the same lemur species but our main quarry, the Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat remained elusive. Early the next morning we left Kirindy for the long drive to our next destination, Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. We drove along NR8, a sandy rutted track past patches of deciduous dry forest and a few villages. We reached the Mania River and watched as Haja drove our 4x4 onto the ferry, more like planks on two pontoon boats. 

Mania River Ferry

We reached the town of Belo sur Tsiribihina for lunch and because of security concerns (apparently bandits have been robbing tourists), we had to join a caravan to our final destination. A second ferry across the Manambolo River brought us to the luxurious hotel, Le Soleil des Tsingy. 

Soleil des Tsingy Hotel

Despite the 10-hour drive we opted to do a night walk near the park headquarters in the village of Bekopaka. We succeeded in finding our 6th species of lemur, a Peter’s Mouse Lemur.

Peter’s Mouse Lemur

September 6 promised to be an auspicious day. It was Patrick’s 30th birthday and we were to do a hike in the Big Tsingy. We were joined by local guide Martisenga and set off on a bumpy dirt track to the start of our trek. I was surprised when Martisenga pulled out 4 harnesses with two carabiners each. I had no idea we’d be doing technical rock climbing!

Martisenga and Peggy

We set off with my apprehension growing into the forest where Martisenga left the trail and told us to wait. He returned moments later and beckoned us to follow. He pointed to a tree where a Randrianasolo’s Sportive Lemur was roosting. This was a new species of lemur for us and a great one to see!

Randrianasolo’s Sportive Lemur 

We continued on and to my delight, Martisenga spotted a Decken’s Sifaka in a nearby tree, it was joined by two others giving us great views. I’ve wanted to see these critically endangered primates after watching a documentary showing how they leap from tsingy to tsingy in search of forest patches in between to feed on leaves and fruit.

Decken’s Sifaka

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better we encountered a group of Rufous Brown Lemurs, our 9th species of lemur so far!

Rufous Brown Lemur

After our lemur fest, it was time to climb! At first, it was more of a scramble over limestone rocks. Care had to be taken where you grab onto the rocks as some have sharp edges. We reached our first exposed area where we had to clip onto a cable with both carabiners. I tried not to look down but focused on the climb ahead. Flat rocks to step on had been bolted along the route and Martisenga was there to give me a helping hand. When you reached the end of a cable, you had to unclip and clip onto the next. And so it went, clip, climb, and un-clip. Ladders were also strategically placed to assist in the really steep places. We haven’t done anything this arduous in years!

Tsingy Ladders

We made the final push to the top viewing platform where we were rewarded with a stunning view over the Big Tsingy.  I don’t know of many places on the planet where sheer limestone pinnacles pierce the landscape. The area is so extraordinary that it has been designated as Madagascar’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site. The word tsingy is indigenous to the Malagasy language and can be translated into English as “where one cannot walk barefoot”!

On Top of Big Tsingy

We continued across the top of the Big Tsingy to a hanging bridge across a particularly deep canyon. The crossing looked scarier than it actually was, very similar to the rainforest canopy walkways that we have been on.

Peggy Crossing on Hanging Bridge

We started our descent, stopping in a canyon for lunch. As we were eating, I turned around and to my amazement, a Ring-tailed Vontsira was sneaking up behind us! Apparently, the Vontsira had become accustomed to getting a handout at this popular lunch spot. The Ring-tailed Vontsira is another of Madagascar’s endemic carnivores and the only species in the genus Galidia

Ring-tailed Vontsira

It was a short climb out of the tsingy and back into the forest. I was happy to be done with the rock climbing. As we were nearing the car park, Martisenga saw a Fossa cross the trail! Unfortunately, the rest of us missed it. It took us 5.5 hours to hike a mere 3.1km but what an exhilarating trek it was, an auspicious day indeed!

The following morning we were poled down the Manambolo River in dugout canoes to explore some caves for bats.  We managed to find 3 species, Bent-winged Bats, Mauritian Tomb Bats, and Madgascaran Flying Fox. 

Manambolo River


Bent-winged Bats

Back at the dock, we walked to the Small Tsingy nearby. Although not as strenuous as the Big Tsingy, it did involve the use of cables and ladders to get to the top. The view wasn’t as expansive as the Big Tsingy but still impressive.

Small Tsingy

Early the next morning we started the long journey back to Kirindy National Park joining the queue for the ferry across the Manambolo River. On the other side, we joined the convoy through bandit territory. We drove through without incident and reached the town of Belo sur Tsiribihina for lunch at the Mad Zebu. We arrived back at the Kirindy Ecolodge in the afternoon and made plans with local guide Alfred to search for Malagasy Giant Jumping Rats. Tonight was our last opportunity to find them so the pressure was on. We drove to a different part of the park where Alfred knew the location of a couple of burrows. We set off on foot to the first burrow but no rats were above ground. We sat on a nearby log in the darkness waiting for one to emerge. After an uncomfortable 45 minutes, one made a quick exit and we only got a glimpse of its rear end and tail, rats! We followed it to another entrance to its burrow and waited for it to come out again but it didn’t. We returned to the main burrow entrance and waited without any luck so Alfred suggested we try a different burrow. As we approached we could see a rat above ground. It paused long enough for a good view and for Marc to get some photos, success! 

Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat

The following morning we said our final goodbye to Kirindy Ecolodge and drove to the Akiba Lodge and private reserve for our last chance to find a Madame Berthe Mouse Lemur, the world’s smallest primate. We encountered a very friendly group of six Red-fronted Brown Lemurs and a group of four Verreaux’s Sifaka including a mom with a young baby. Our local guide also pointed out two roosting Red-tailed Sportive Lemurs. We came across the Verreaux’s Sifaka family and the Red-fronted Brown Lemurs again feeding on fruits that had fallen on the ground. It didn’t look like a natural setting. Patrick and our local guide explained that they were fed jujube fruit during the dry season by the lodge staff to keep the lemurs inside the reserve where they’d be safe. It did make for good views and photos.

Verreaux’s Sifaka Family

Our local guide knew where there was a roosting tree with mouse lemurs. He was able to coax them out with a twig coated in sap. They looked smaller and different than the Gray Mouse Lemurs we’d been seeing. Could they be Madame Berthe Mouse Lemurs? They turned out to be Gray Mouse Lemurs so sadly no new lemur species on this walk.

Gray Mouse Lemur

Continuing our drive to Morondava, we made a stop at the Avenue of the Baobabs, a prominent group of Grandidier’s Baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri). These massive trees endemic to Madagascar towered nearly 100 feet over a barren landscape, the only remaining trees in a once-dense tropical forest.

Avenue of the Baobabs

We continued on to Morondava arriving at our hotel, Palissandre Cote Ouest resort around noon. Later in the afternoon, we ventured out to the beach along the Mozambique Channel.  

View of the Mozambique Channel

Tomorrow we would return to Antananarivo. The first leg of our Madagascar odyssey had come to an end. Stay tuned for the next leg of our journey.

We hope all is well with everyone,
Peggy and Marc

Our route map:


Wednesday, March 08, 2023

Ghana’s Sacred Monkeys

Greetings Everyone,
Our exploration of the West African country of Ghana is nearing an end. We’ve seen an incredible array of wildlife from picathartes to pangolins but there were still targets on our wish list. Monkeys in Kakum National Park had been extremely wary and secretive so we took a detour to visit the Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary. Not only are monkeys protected here they are considered to be sacred by the locals. This is a long-standing tradition going back to 1827. The monkeys are so revered that they are buried in coffins. Two species of monkey are afforded this extraordinary status, Lowe’s Monkey and White-thighed Colobus. We were greeted by friendly Lowe’s Monkeys (Ceropithecus lowei) looking for a handout. Not only are they protected, but they are also fed. Maybe not the best practice but it was great to see these primates at close range with no fear of humans.

Lowe’s Monkey

The White-thighed Colobus (Colobus vellerosus) were further inside the forest. They too showed no fear of humans and were lounging about in the trees. This has to be the best place to see these critically endangered monkeys with less than 1500 individuals remaining. Little did the ancestors of the people of Boabeng-Fiema know that hundreds of years later they would be protecting an endangered species.

White-thighed Colobus

White-thighed Colobus

We continued our drive to the Bobiri Guesthouse and Butterfly Sanctuary, our destination for the night. The sanctuary protects 54 square kilometers of tropical forest with some impressive trees like this African Whitewood (Triplochiton sceroxylon). The timber is used for veneer, furniture, molding, and guitars.

African Whitewood

The following morning we took a walk along the road. Mammal activity was light but we saw some nice birds like this Narina Trogon and butterflies.

Narina Trogon

Bobiri is the only butterfly sanctuary in West Africa and harbors over 400 species of butterflies. The small sample we encountered give us an appreciation for the diversity of species found here. One of our favorites was this beautiful Citrus Swallowtail.

Citrus Swallowtail

We left the reserve after breakfast and continued our drive south toward the Atewa Range Forest Reserve. We were hoping to get an afternoon walk in but thunderstorms nixed our plan. We returned early the following day to search for a Blue-moustached Bee-eater, yes a bird, not a mammal. I was hoping to see mammals on our way to the top of the ridge but other than a Red-legged Sun Squirrel we saw none. We did find a bee-eater about halfway up. They are stunning birds with a blue head and belly, a red throat, and a chestnut back. Marc was able to photograph one in the process of capturing one of its favorite prey items, a moth. 

Blue-mustached Bee-eater

We decided to continue to the top of the ridge to get a view overlooking the upland evergreen forest, rare for Ghana. After our hike, we resumed our drive to Accra, our trip was coming to an end. Since our flight was not leaving until late the following day, we decided to squeeze in a visit to Shai Hills Resource Reserve. A primate, Tantalus Monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus), new to the trip lives here. They had little fear of us and we got good views and photos as they crossed the road.

Tantalus Monkey

Surprisingly, there was a small herd of Plains Zebra in an enclosure. It’s not clear if zebra ever inhabited Ghana but the government decided to introduce them from South Africa. Eventually, they will be set free to roam the reserve.

Plains Zebra

Buffon’s Kob inhabit the savanna but they were far from the road and difficult to see in the tall grass. We did a short hike to a cave to see the Egyptian Tomb Bats that roost there. There were the last mammal that we would see on our Ghana Tour topping our list at 41 species (see below)!

Egyptian Tomb Bat

We returned to Accra to prepare for our flight home. Although delayed by three years, we were happy to finally have made it to this tiny West African country. A big thank you to Ashanti African Tours, Rosematilda in particular, for their patience and help in setting up this trip after two failed attempts due to Covid. We are also grateful to our guides Jackson and Philip for all their hard work in finding us so many animals and birds. Of course, the highlight was seeing the Black-bellied Pangolin but the Picathartes nesting site was a close second. Finally, we’d like to thank our drivers Johnson and Richard for getting us safely from one destination to the next. We trust that the people of Ghana will continue to protect their rich natural diversity for generations to come.

We hope all is well with everyone.
Peggy and Marc

Our Route Map:



Ghana Mammal List: February 23 to March 11, 2023

 No.   SpeciesScientific Name Comments
   1Western Tree Hyrax
Dendrohyrax dorsalis 
heard only
   2African ElephantLoxodonta africana x cyclotis Mole NP
   3West African PottoPerodicticus potto Ankasa & Kankum
   4Demidoff’s GalagoGalagoides demidoff Ankasa, Kankum & Bonkro
   5Northern Lesser GalagoGalago senegalensis Mole NP
   6Patas MonkeyErythrocebus patas Mole NP
   7Green MonkeyChlorocebus sabaeus Mole NP
   8Tantalus MonkeyChlorocebus tantalusShai Hills
   9Lowe’s MonkeyCercopithecus lowei Kakum & Boabeng Fiema
 10Lesser Spot-nosed MonkeyCercopithecus petaurista Kakum
 11Olive BaboonPapio anubis Kakum & Shai Hills
 12Olive ColobusProcolobus verus Kakum
 13White-thighed ColobusColobus vellerosus Boabeng Fiema
 14Greater Cane RatThryonomys swinderianus Kankum, only Marc & Philip
 15Beecroft’s AnomalureAnomalurus beecrofti Ankasa
 16Pel’s Anomalure Anomalurus pelii Kankum
 17Striped Ground Squirrel Xerus erythropus Mole NP
 18Fire-footed Rope SquirrelFunisciurus pyrropus Ankasa, Kankum & Bobiri
 19Small Sun SquirrelHeliosciurus punctatus Ankasa & Kankum
 20Red-legged Sun SquirrelHeliosciurus rufobrachiumAnkasa, Kankum & Atewa
 21Green Bush SquirrelParaxerus poensis Ankasa & Kankum
 22Slender-tailed SquirrelProtoxerus aubinnii Ankasa
 23Forest Giant SquirrelProtoxerus stangeriAnkasa & Kankum
 24Emin’s Pouched RatCricetomys emini
Kankum
 25African Savanna HareLepus victoriae Mole NP
 26Straw-colored Fruit BatEidolon helvum Bonkro
 27Hammer-headed Fruit BatHypsignathus monstrosus Ankasa
 28Egyptian Tomb BatTaphozous perforatus Shai Hills
 29Black-bellied PangolinPhataginus tetradactyla Bonkro
 30Pardine GenetGenetta pardina Mole NP
 31 White-tailed MongooseIchneumia albicauda Mole NP
 32Gambian MongooseMungos gambianus Mole NP
 33Common WarthogPhacochoerus africanus Mole NP
 34Western HartebeestAlcelaphus buselaphus ssp. majorMole NP
 35 Sudanese BuffaloSyncerus caffer ssp. brachycerosMole NP
 36BushbuckTragelaphus scriptusMole NP
 37Red-flanked DuikerCephalophus rufilatus Mole NP
 38Western Roan AntelopeHippotragus equinus ssp. koba Mole NP
 39Defassa WaterbuckKobus ellipsiprymnus ssp. defassa Mole NP
 40Buffon’s KobKobus kob ssp. kob Mole & Shai Hills
 41Plains ZebraEquus quaggaIntroduced in Shai Hills

Friday, March 03, 2023

Praying for Pangolins!

Greetings Everyone,
We’re in the tiny West African country of Ghana searching for rare and unique wildlife. Near the tiny village of Bonkro, the locals have protected the forest as it harbors nesting sites for White-necked Rockfowl which draw birders and their tourist dollars to this tiny community (see our previous blog post). There is another creature here capturing more attention and drawing tourists to the “Picathartes Forest”. Two species of pangolins (Black-bellied and White-bellied) also make their home here. These virtually unknown animals have gained the world’s attention sadly for being the most trafficked mammals on the planet. Tens of thousands of pangolins are poached every year for their scales used in traditional Chinese medicine. Just like rhino horn, the scales of pangolins are made of keratin which has no medicinal properties. Biting your fingernails would give you the same benefit if there was one. Pangolins are also killed for their meat considered a delicacy among some wealthy Chinese and Vietnamese.

Airport Billboard

We started our search for a Black-bellied or Long-tailed Pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla) on the morning of March 3 in the Kwabena Sam Forest. Philip,  our guide, had seen one here last December so it seemed the logical place to start. We walked along an old logging road without seeing much except for a few squirrels and birds. We tried another logging road with the same result. It was hard to imagine pangolins living in such a degraded habitat so close to the main road. We gave up our search and returned to the guesthouse for lunch. Searching for pangolins in the tropical heat was exhausting work so we retired to our cabin to take a nap.

In the meantime, Philip went to the village to solicit help in finding a pangolin. He said there was a man there who could smell pangolins! I was half asleep when I heard a gentle knock on the door around 3:00. I opened it and a local man, Abu, said “I have found a pangolin”. I told Marc to get up and we threw on our clothes, grabbed our bins and Marc’s camera, and rushed after Abu through the forest. We followed paths through a cocoa plantation to the site where Philip was waiting. Philip asked, “What took you so long?”.  The Black-bellied Pangolin was hiding under some leaves with only the tip of its tail visible, bummer!

Black-bellied Pangolin Tail

Philip said it was active and would move soon so we sat on a little hill and waited and waited. We remained focused on the site for 70 minutes and finally, the pangolin crawled out from under the leaves and gave us a breathtaking view!

Black-bellied Pangolin

What an awesome little creature, so unique in having scales instead of fur. It blended so well into the leaves, it’s no wonder they are notoriously difficult to spot. It takes a trained eye to pick out the tail of a pangolin hiding in a thicket. The pangolin remained motionless for another 10 to 15 minutes before clambering onto a stump where it paused in the open.

Black-bellied Pangolin

It climbed a cocoa tree and once along the trunk, we could see its long tail which can be as long as 28 inches. We left this amazing animal in peace happy with such an intimate encounter. Back at our cabin, I thanked Abu profusely for finding the pangolin for us. The experience caused me to cry and I asked Abu not to kill pangolins and to protect them. He assured me that he would. 

Black-bellied Pangolin

That night we returned to the forest for a short walk. Finally, we were able to get a proper view and photo of a Demidoff’s Galago (Galagoides demidoff), another nocturnal primate found in the forests of tropical West and Central Africa.

Demidoff’s Galago

Straw-colored Fruit Bats (Eidolon helvum) were feeding on figs high in the canopy but Marc was able to photograph one of these colorful bats.

Straw-colored Fruit Bats

We returned to the guesthouse and turned in after a VERY rewarding and fitting World Wildlife Day!

The following morning we said goodbye to Venus and Felicia, our gracious hostesses. Like many Ghanaian women, they were colorfully dressed which prompted me to come up with this little poem:

“Ghanaian ladies are impeccably dressed in brightly colored dresses perfectly pressed”.

Venus and Felicia

We broke up the long drive to Mole National Park, our next destination, by spending the night in the city of Kumasi. The following morning we continued our journey north. The lush tropical rainforests of the south gave way to arid grasslands the closer we got to Mole National Park. We arrived in the late afternoon and settled into our chalet at the Zaina Lodge. That evening we went for our first game drive encountering animals typically seen in the savannas of East Africa. We managed to see Buffon’s Kob, Patas Monkeys, Northern Warthog, Defassa Waterbuck, Western Hartebeest, Olive Baboon, and African Elephants.

Western Hartebeest

We returned to the lodge for dinner before heading out on a short night drive. Northern Lesser Galagos (Galago senegalensis) were bouncing around in the bush making it difficult to get a good view let alone a photograph. Finally one stayed still long enough for Marc to capture this picture. Also called bushbabies because their calls sound like a human baby crying, these nocturnal mammals are perhaps the most widespread primate in Africa.

Northern Lesser Galago

The following day, March 6 was Ghana’s Independence Day. We celebrated by what else going on a safari. As we were preparing to leave, three elephants visited the waterhole behind the parking lot causing a lot of excitement with the lodge guests.

Elephants at the Parking Lot

We got very lucky this morning seeing Gambian Mongoose, two African Buffalo, and a Western Roan Antelope in quick succession! The Gambian Mongoose (Mungos gambianus) was a new species for us as they are only found in West Africa. A large family group was foraging along the road and were we able to get good views and photos.

Gambian Mongoose

The African Buffalo found here form a distinct population and are the West African or Sudanese subspecies (Syncerus caffer ssp. brachyceros). Their appearance is a mix of Savanna and Forest Buffalo traits.

West African Buffalo

Our second-night drive yielded another mammal lifer, a Pardine or West African Large-spotted Genet (Genetta pardina)! We saw at least 3 of these elusive, nocturnal animals.

West African Large-spotted Genet

While we were admiring the beautiful genet, a White-tailed Mongoose (Ichneumia albicauda) made an appearance on the road in front of our vehicle. Curiously, the White-tailed Mongoose found here have brown tails.

White-tailed Mongoose 

We returned to the lodge and turned in after a very rewarding mammal-watching day!

Our final day in Mole National Park yielded two more mammals to add to our life list! A Red-flanked Duiker (Cephalophus rufilatus) ran across the road giving us a great view. These small antelopes are native to West and Central Africa.

Red-flanked Duiker

The second lifer was a small group of Green Monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus), another primate native to West Africa.

Green Monkey

We stopped at a waterhole for a mid-morning break. As we were enjoying our coffee and cookies, six male elephants came in for a drink. It’s a thrill to watch these majestic animals on foot.

Marc and the Elephants

We walked to another larger waterhole where a breeding herd of 16-17 elephants was drinking and bathing. The elephants here are actually a hybrid between the two species of African Elephants, the African Savanna Elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis).

African Elephants

On our final night drive, we were hoping to find some of Mole’s rarer nocturnal animals but had to settle for an African Savanna Hare (Lepus victoriae).

African Savanna Hare

This section of our trip to Ghana exceeded expectations in many ways. I was praying to see a pangolin and Abu answered my entreaties with an exceptional sighting of an amazing Black-bellied Pangolin. More importantly, I implore humans to stop persecuting this animal and protect it and its habitat. Stay tuned to see what’s in store for us on the final leg of our Ghanaian journey.

We hope all is well with everyone,
Peggy and Marc

Our route map: