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No AK47s on open display in Karamoja anymore, except from uniformed men. Those that have not been confiscated or surrendered are carefully hidden and taken out only for the occasional cattle raid.

The region is magnificent, scarcely populated, and still quite wild. Elephants are doing well, especially in the North. Buffalo is aplenty, plains game is slowly picking up now that it is not continually shot at.

As for dryness... The dry season this year lasted from mid-January to early April only, and heavy rains ("heavy" is a solid understatement in this regard - this much did not change from Bell's days) are an almost daily occurrence. Just a few years ago you could count on 5-6 months of dry weather, not anymore apparently.

Now, Mr. Bell himself... Well, as someone else pointed out, you just need to read the gentleman's books to have a glimpse of his character. Straightforward, no-nonsense, no bulldung. Contrary to his armchair detractors who for the most part would be incapable to take a taxi in Kampala by themselves, Mr. Bell had balls in cast iron.

He roamed a region where the main pastime of the locals was to poke spears through their neighbour's ribcage, and law was totally unexisting. All by himself among the locals, organising his own safaris. Anybody even remotely acquainted with African logistics can appreciate what it means to organise some 400-odd natives, and keep them in line for months on, completely out of any supply line, with threats from two- and four-legged predators.

And poaching... Poaching what from who? Who gave any right to the King of Belgium or old George or Victoria over the land and elephants and whatever else belonging to the Karimojong, Dinka, Acholi, Allur, Pokot, Toposa, Baganda, Aliab, or whoever else? Poaching? When the local chiefs and elders and kings were in full accord with the hunter, and everybody around benefited from meat, salaries, rewards, trade? Poaching what? Bell shot 1000 bull elephants in his career, only 5 years of which were in Karamoja. That's at most 150 bulls per year in an area of 20 to 30,000 square miles, where herds were plentiful. In the fifties and sixties, 20,000 elephants were culled in Northern Uganda to make space for agriculture...

Just for a note, the Karimojongs still remember Bell, and some people bear his name even to this day. Talk to the elders, and you'll notice that they have much more respect for him than for most any white man who came ever since. Now, let any self-righteous all-knowing specialist come here, and try to earn the respect of the Karimojongs... That will be funny to watch.

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