Wechiau Hippo Sanctuary

At the end of the SES expedition, my long-time friend, Bill, joined me at Mole, and we hired Solomon, one of the expedition's drivers, and his 4x4 Nissan. After spending two more days there to enable Bill to see the wildlife in the Mole National Park, we travelled to Wechiau, a village close to Ghana's northwestern border with Burkina Faso. We wanted to see the contrast between Mole, a national park from which the indigenous people had been expelled, and an ecotourism project which was run by the local people.


Campsite at Mole	When we left Mole, we spent some time at a village which Solomon had identified as a cheap source of desirable goats. He bought three

The guesthouse at Wechiau, with traditional sticks-and-mud roof	Delicious meal, prepared by our guide, of sardines and rice

Early morning, out on the river in a canoe - a monitor lizard basks in the sunshine, high up in a tree	Gliding down the river, we came across malachite kingfishers going about their business

At last, we found the hippos, feeding on the bottom in mid-river, keeping a wary eye on us	They would disappear under the surface for several minutes, then surface with a great exhalation of air and water

Cup of tea brewed on the kelly kettle	Grey hornbill

Village children carrying traditionally	Bill chatting with backpackers. Note the ladder to get on to the roof at night for cool sleeping

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Stock photography by Pat Bennett at Alamy
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