Agandi (hello) everyone

My April newsletter showed me... holding a rather large looking thing! It caused much intrigue with replies ranging from… what a large potato….. to Jack and Jill went up the hill…. Jack be nimble, Jack be quick……… is it organic!

Artocarpus heterophyllus or Jackfruit (spelt in one word) originated in the rain forests of the Western Ghats in India. Today it is commonly seen in central and eastern African, in-fact most of the way from Entebbe to Bwindi. The exterior of this rather odd like fruit is not edible, but the flesh and seeds are. Jackfruit tends to be an acquired taste and does not appeal to those unfamiliar with it. The ripening of a jackfruit has an odor which has been compared to the smell of rotting onions…… with the result of its aroma often discouraging people from trying the interior.

But it is the cutting and preparation of the bulbous looking fruit that is somewhat difficult. The fruit is very sticky and can actually be used as glue. It’s therefore advisable to oil or grease ones hands to prevent some of the stickiness from transferring to one’s fingers and mouth, but washing up afterwards is still a chore!

Sad news: Bwindi lost one of its oldest silverbacks, Nkuringo from the Nkuringo Group who died last week from old age.

Until next month when I return from Uganda,

Ishasha, located in the southern sector of the Queen Elizabeth National Park is truly one of Uganda’s best kept wildlife secrets. I decided to launch a community based elephant dung paper making project; to show the locals that they too can benefit from their nemesis and to make sure that they realize the value of visitors to the park. Although still in its infancy, I hope that with months to come, we will be supplying visitors with a selection of beautiful elephant dung cards and envelopes.