▁turn ▁may ▁d rain ▁west ward ▁into ▁the ▁B ahr ▁el ▁J eb el ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁White ▁N ile ▁or ▁east ward ▁into ▁the ▁Ve ven o ▁River . ▁ ▁L t . ▁Colonel ▁P . ▁Mol loy ▁visited ▁the ▁sw amp ▁in ▁the ▁dry ▁season ▁between ▁ 2 3 ▁and ▁ 2 5 ▁February ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁possibly ▁the ▁first ▁European ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁area . ▁Starting ▁from ▁Mong alla , ▁he ▁tra ve led ▁east ward ▁across ▁dry , ▁open ▁grass land ▁for ▁between ▁ ▁and ▁▁ ▁to ▁a ▁pool ▁on ▁the ▁K hor ▁Son , ▁the ▁name ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁K iny eti ▁River ▁near ▁the ▁sw amp . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁local ▁people , ▁the ▁Bad iger u ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁reliable ▁source ▁of ▁water ▁between ▁Mong alla ▁and ▁La fon . ▁Mol loy ' s ▁observations ▁of ▁wild life ▁t ended ▁to ▁confirm ▁that ▁the ▁water , ▁which ▁he ▁found ▁drink able , ▁remained ▁year ▁round . ▁When ▁Mol loy ▁visited , ▁the ▁K hor ▁Son ▁was ▁between ▁ 1 5 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 ▁yards ▁wide , ▁w inding ▁across ▁a ▁flat ▁plain ▁between ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁shall ow ▁de press ions . ▁In ▁the ▁winter , ▁the ▁ ▁wide ▁plain ▁would ▁be ▁flo oded ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁sw amp . ▁ ▁Mol loy ▁described ▁rich ▁wild life ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁sw amp . ▁He ▁observed ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁pel icans , ▁open - bil led ▁st ork s ,