One of the best experiences of my life was moving to Kidepo Valley in northern Uganda to manage a remote safari camp (the nearest gas station was in Kitgum, 160 kilometres away). As manager of Nga’Moru Wilderness Camp, I presided over a team of 20 Karamajong staff, including a world-class chef, and saw to our guests’ comfort, security and enjoyment. Throughout my five-month tenure I lived in a tent at the back of the four-acre property which was not fenced in, so wild animals wandered through at will. The list of species living in Kidepo Valley National Park is staggering. Often at night, buffalo would graze right outside my tent. Occasionally a lone lion or a herd of elephant would pass nearby. And every morning I heard hunting hyenas. Camp overlooked the valley and beyond it the border with South Sudan. On clear nights I could see twinkling lights on the summit of Mount Murangole, home of the Ik people, who were the subject of The Mountain People by Colin Turnbull. Otherwise, by day it was a view that had not changed in 5 million years…
