It was very difficult to describe what I was feeling when I stepped out of the back door of our lodging, took the short walk doing a stone pathway onto the viewing platform, and took in my first views of the African savannah. It was all there. The waterhole, the mix of open grassland and scrubby bushes, animals and birds intermingled, and a horizon stretching miles into the distance. I could almost hear the great David Attenborough’s voice providing the commentary: “Here...in the heart of Africa...we can experience biodiversity unlike anywhere else on Earth…”
We had arrived at Mole National Park, one of the jewels in the crown of Ghana’s nature experiences. My father and I were booked in for a 3 day stay and we couldn’t wait to start exploring. The journey the day before had been a long one - a full day’s drive north from Takoradi to Kumasi to Tamale, culminating with a seemingly endless red dirt road, deeply rutted from the rain so it jolted the car incessantly. It was all we could do to shovel down some food and a swift beer before tumbling into bed.
We were into the second week of our Ghanaian adventure, which had already packed in an amazing list of “pinch-me-now” experiences: the canopy walkway through the jungle at Kakum, the humbling slave fort tour of Elmina on the Cape Coast, punting through reedbeds and lakes to the floating village of Nzulezu, seeing a young boy dragging a 30 foot python up the street, and fighting the powerful waves of the Bight of Benin at Green Turtle Beach. And all this while being hosted as guests of honour in a tiny village, quite literally in a mud hut (albeit a nicely appointed one), dining on fufu - a kind of sticky dough ball made of ground cassava - and chicken and tomato broth. And don’t get me started on the heavenly, rich scent of chocolate that permeates everywhere as Ghana is one of the world’s leading exporters of cocoa.
My first taste of Africa had been everything I could have wanted and so, so much more. Through a neighbour from England who spent long periods working in region, we were offered an authentic experience that you wouldn’t find in any travel store. We were living and breathing Ghanaian life, albeit as ‘obruni’, a wonderful term that colloquially covers everything from ‘stranger’ to quite literally ‘white man’ and is used by some as a term of endearment and others as a lightly veiled threat.
The story behind it is very poignant. The word translates as “the people who come from the space between the sky and the sea” - an evocative description of the explorers and later traders and then slavers whose boats had appeared on the horizon centuries before. Having seen first hand the brutal conditions that were meted out on natives in the slave forts before they were crammed onto ships and sold around the world, it is not hard to appreciate why ‘obruni’ is a term with much cultural baggage.
From white sand, palm-fringed beaches and lush, humid jungle, through temperate forests and busy city sprawl, we had found ourselves in Mole, a completely new ecosystem in the far northwest of Ghana, close to the borders of both Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire. After the preceding week of much driving and new experiences daily, we were looking forward to really getting to know this place. And the best way to do that, was on foot.
Every morning and afternoon, groups of visitors from the lodge gathered to go on walking safaris into the bush. Several guides undertook this task, but their leader - the incomparable Zechariah Wareh - was the guy to be with. An unassuming, softly-spoken and humble man, Zechariah possessed encyclopaedic knowledge of Mole and the surrounding area and most importantly for Dad and I, its wildlife.
Having gotten to grips with many of the jungle and forest species over the previous week (in the company of another phenomenal birder and guide, Robert Nkator), we were excited by the prospect of exploring a completely different habitat which would hold many new birds and animals that we had not encountered previously.
Over the course of our three days, we took multiple walking safaris, traversing different parts of the park, from the high escarpment where the lodge nestled, through dried-up wadis and hidden watering holes, and out across the savannah. The wildlife was indeed plentiful, with many species of antelope, warthogs, baboons and several different monkeys as constant companions.
And as hoped for the birding was spectacular. While never abundant in terms of vast flocks of a single species, the variety was stunning so several hours in the field brought a rapid accumulation of species. Several times, we bumped into feeding flocks. As we desperately tried to observe and identify each new bird, another one or two would hop into view. In no time, 15 or 20 new species were seen without moving more than a couple of feet - and getting neck ache looking up into the canopy.
On two of the three days, we registered over 100 species in the day, the majority of which were lifers for both Dad and I. Wonderful, descriptively named birds such as Green-tailed Bristlebill, Red-bellied Firefinch, Fork-tailed Drongo, Black-crowned Tchagra, Spotted Honeyguide, and the massive and stately Abyssinian Ground Hornbill.
But it was our final morning that will remain indelibly etched in our memories. We had the pleasure of being Zechariah’s only guests. By this time, our shared love of birds and the natural world had created a great bond between us so it was fitting that we got to enjoy our last Mole morning together.
We took a new path that wound its way around the back of the rocky cliffs and gradually down towards the plain. When we reached a patch of trees, Zechariah beckoned for us to stand still. We heard movement in the undergrowth, and suddenly a female elephant started to emerge. The first time you meet an elephant in the wild is not something you forget in a hurry. I can still close my eyes and see the gentle look in her eye as she tenderly broke branches with her trunk and ate the leaves. We enjoyed her presence for a few magical minutes before she blended back into the undergrowth.
Invigorated by this sighting, we continued on, seeing many new birds and getting better views of some we had seen during the preceding days. Eventually we made our way back towards the main watering hole. We had heard there was a party of elephant around that day and Zechariah seemed determined that we would have more than one sighting.
Possessed with a innate sense of the environment around him, borne of years in this country, he led us on a circuitous route around the lake and wending between clumps of trees until we emerged into a clearing...and were confronted by a huge bull elephant. Standing on his own, he immediately surveyed us, weighing up the situation. Having recovered from the initial thrill, and grabbed a few photos, Zechariah encouraged us forward to get a closer view.
As we approached, the bull started to get restless. The ears started flapping and he began pawing the ground. Zechariah could read the signs, but even then, what happened next got the adrenaline pumping full on. Suddenly, the bull charged us. Zechariah immediately went into offensive mode, shouting to us to run and holding his rifle high above his head and gesturing to the bull to stay back.
After a few lumbering paces, he thankfully stopped, trumpeted his displeasure, then stomped off into the bush. Hearts pumping and excitedly grinning, we all agreed it was the perfect way to end an amazing stay at Mole. Later that morning, as we relaxed on the grass beside the overlook, enjoying the displaying pair of Martial Eagles overhead, we knew we had a story that would become part of Fieldsend folklore for generations. (And if you’ve checked out the images on my Work page, you’ll know we have the pictures to tell the tale!)
A nice postscript to this story is that we were able to give back to Zechariah in a very practical way. One of his passions was to educate local youth about birds, and light the spark about conservation, but one of the things he lacked were resources. Before the trip, we had gathered together a dozen old pairs of binoculars that had been donated which we presented to Zechariah on our final day. He was so touched and humbled by this gift. It made us appreciate all the more the chance to share in his passion and know that in our small way, we had provided the opportunity for others to do the same.