I visited several nature parks in Ghana. In the south I saw Kakum National Park, the Bobiri Forest and Butterfly reserve, the Wli Waterfalls, the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, and the Shai Hills Game Reserve, in the center I visited the Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary and the Mole National Park, and in the northern parts I saw the Wechiau Community Hippo Sanctuary, and the Gbelle Resource Reserve.
In Paga I visited the sacred crocodile ponds. These are supposedly the "friendliest" crocodiles in Ghana, and it is said that the souls of the royal family reside in them. They are well fed. You buy a chicken and the local guide will call a crocodile out of the pond and feed it the live chicken. It is amazing how fast the crocodile snaps its jaws shut around the chicken.
Pictures of birds in Ghana and other nature pages are separate:
Hazy evening at the beach on the Gold Coast. (504k) Savannah in the Mole National Park. (1053k) Kintampo waterfalls. (765k) Flooded Black Volta River near Buipe. (567k) View of the Volta Lake near the dam. (572k) Upper Wli Waterfall. (1204k) Bosomtwe Lake (a meteor crater) in the haze. (808k) Brush fire. I saw lots of those. Most of them are deliberately set to get rid of the old dry grass and to start new growth. There are always people around the fires, catching animals that are flushed out. (714k) Fresh growth out of burned grass. (891k) Canopy walkway in the Kakum National Park. (1382k) She was even more afraid of the canopy walk than I was. I walked only a short part of the canopy walk. My fear of heights just doesn't let me do much of this type of walking. (1084k)
Plants
Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra, german: Kapokbaum, french: Arbre à kapok). (816k) Fan Palm. (932k) African Baobab (Adansonia digitata, german: Afrikanischer Affenbrotbaum, french: Baobab africain). (921k) African Mahogany (Khaya sp., german: Afrikanisches Mahagoni). (1071k) Ofram Tree (Terminalia superba, german: Limba, french: Fraké). (1323k) Strangler Fig. The host tree has already died, only the fig that grew around it survives. (1220k) Tree. (609k) Philodendron. (1117k) Bamboo. (1390k) Tree with seed pods. Termite mounds in the background. (980k) Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica, german: Mimose, french: Sensitive) before I touched it. (789k) Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica, german: Mimose, french: Sensitive) after I touched it. It started to fold up its leaves. (804k) Peregrina (Jatropha integerrima, french: Epicar). (584k) Ouabain (Strophanthus gratus, french: Strophanthus glabre du Gabon). (584k) Water lily. (682k)
Insects
Army ants crossing our path. (1059k) Giant ant. It was over 2 cm (0.8") long. (940k) This area was full of termite mounds. (1298k) Termite mound, about 3-4 m (10-13 ft) high, with tall spires on top. As I recall, these spires help with the air circulation through the mound. (1255k) Round-backed Millipede (Juliformia ord.). (828k) Outer shell of a millipede. It was burned in a brush fire. (1125k) Banded Groundling (Brachythemis leucosticta). (712k) Skimmer (Orthetrum sp., german: Blaupfeile, french: Orthétrum). (685k) Dropwing dragonfly (Trithemis sp., german: Sonnenzeiger). (595k) Mating Red Baskers (Urothemis assignata). (558k) Butterflies in the Bobiri Forest and Butterfly reserve. (1064k) Gregarious Forest Grass Yellows (Eurema senegalensis) in the Bobiri Forest and Butterfly reserve. (754k) Dark Blue Pansy ssp. oenone butterfly (Junonia oenone oenone). (775k) Paula's Sailer (Neptis paula). (860k) Variable Diadem (Hypolimnas anthedon). (516k) Northern Angola White Lady butterfly (Graphium angolanus baronis). (847k) Western Dotted Border ssp. chloris (Mylothris chloris chloris). (828k) Plain Tiger ssp. alcippus butterfly (Danaus chrysippus alcippus, german: Kleiner Monarch, french: Petit monarque). (847k) African Stick Mantis (Heterochaeta sp.). It was sitting on our car. (509k)
Reptiles
Agama Lizard (Agama sp., german: Agamen). (783k) Female Peter's Rock Agama (Agama picticauda, german: Agamen, french: Agama agama). (542k) Peter's Rock Agama (Agama picticauda, german: Agamen, french: Agama agama). (758k) Close-up of a male Peter's Rock Agama. (570k) Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus, german: Nilwaran, french: Varan du Nil) in a tree. (720k) West African Crocodiles (Crocodylus suchus, german: Westafrikanisches Krokodil, french: Crocodile d'Afrique de l'ouest). (854k) West African Crocodile (Crocodylus suchus, german: Westafrikanisches Krokodil, french: Crocodile d'Afrique de l'ouest) in the sacred crocodile pond in Paga. (1181k) Close-up of the West African Crocodile (Crocodylus suchus, german: Westafrikanisches Krokodil, french: Crocodile d'Afrique de l'ouest) in Paga. (1004k) The sacred crocodile got its chicken. (980k)
Mammals
Probably African Sheath-tailed Bats (Coleura afra, german: Afrik. Schiebeschwanz-Fledermaus, french: Emballonure d’Afrique) in a cave in the Shai Hill Game Reserve. (425k) Egyptian Tomb Bats (Taphozous perforatus, german: Ägyptische Grabfledermaus). The bats were actually somewhat active, they were flying around frequently. (575k) Bats on the cliffs of the Wli Waterfall. They are staying outside, not in a cave. (1158k) Harem of female Buffon's Kobs (Kobus kob kob, german: Senegal-Grasantilope, french: Cobe de Buffon). (778k) Bachelor Buffon's Kobs. The males that don't have a harem stay together in a bachelor herd. (669k) Dominant male Buffon's Kob (Kobus kob kob, german: Senegal-Grasantilope, french: Cobe de Buffon). They frequently stay just a little away from their herd of females. (829k) Female Defassa Waterbucks (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa, german: Defassa-Wasserbock, french: Cobe à croissant). (949k) Female Kéwel Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus, german: Buschbock, french: Guib harnaché). (1076k) Feeding Northern Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus africanus, german: Warzenschwein, french: Phacochère). They always go down on their front knees to feed. (834k) Northern Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus africanus, german: Warzenschwein, french: Phacochère) with some serious tusks. They can be very aggressive and dangerous with their tusks; even Hyenas shy away from warthogs. (1086k) Tantalus Monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus, german: Tantalus-Grünmeerkatze). (725k) Lowe's Monkey with baby (Cercopithecus lowei, german: Lowe-Meerkatze, french: Cercopithèque de Lowe). (736k) Lowe's Monkey (Cercopithecus lowei, german: Lowe-Meerkatze, french: Cercopithèque de Lowe). (895k) Close-up of a Lowe's Monkey (Cercopithecus lowei, german: Lowe-Meerkatze, french: Cercopithèque de Lowe). (706k) A troupe of White-thighed Colobus (Colobus vellerosus, german: Geoffroy-Stummelaffe, french: Colobe magistrat) in a tree. (1297k) A White-thighed Colobus hangin' out. (950k) Close-up of a White-thighed Colobus (Colobus vellerosus, german: Geoffroy-Stummelaffe, french: Colobe magistrat). (633k) Graveyard for monkeys in the Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary. (1460k) Female Olive Baboon with baby (Papio anubis, german: Anubispavian, french: Babouin olive). (805k) Female Olive Baboon with baby. She is holding on to the tail of the baby. (975k) Male and female Olive Baboons (Papio anubis, german: Anubispavian, french: Babouin olive). The baby is clinging to the belly of the female. (985k) Threatening male Olive Baboon (Papio anubis, german: Anubispavian, french: Babouin olive). (789k) Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius, german: Flusspferd, french: Hippopotame amphibie) resting in the river. (697k) Hybrid African Savannah × Forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana × cyclotis). (1024k) Close-up of an African Savannah × Forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana × cyclotis). (1113k) He was pushing over a small tree. (934k) He had an erect penis for a while. (814k)
Dr. Günther Eichhorn Travel Website
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