update on Earthwatch study [2000]

Jambo. Sorry I skipped over the black rhino study - and I don't have time to do it justice now, but I'll see what I can do in the 5 minutes I have.

I definitely recommend doing one - the people are great and very eager to learn, the people that run it are very aware of safety and getting the most out of the experience. My team was 9 people - 2 couples, a set of brothers and 3 single women. The 3 of us shared a thatch-roofed hut (individual rooms) and we were also teamed up together, so I got to know Wendy and Anette very well.

We would go out into the bush each morning between 7:45 and 8:15, and walk between 5-13 km. The most exciting times were those first few days being chased by elephants, lions, buffalo, and rhino (more details on those later). The last day was a special treat - we went out with the rhino patrol (as soo as they spot them, we note where they are on the GPS and what they are doing). We tracked 2 adolescent males and found them! They were napping in some brush 50 m away!! Rhinos can only see 50 m, and the wind was blowing in the right direction so they couldn't smell us, so we were relatively safe. But when we took some pictures, they both stood up and looked in our direction. We stood quiet and still, but they were at attention for a good 15-20 minutes. And when the guard made sure we knew to climb a tree if they started charging, it didn't make us feel so secure! But eventually they lay back down (ears still rotating, listening for us) and we backed away. What a way to end the experience!

Brigid

Jambo from Kenya [2000]

That's hello in Swahili. It has been an exciting week. I'll go into details later as I can only write a page worth today. Monday was spent traveling to here (Sweetwaters Reserve outside Nanyuki). My accommodations are 1/4 of a thatch-roof hut, which is very comfortable. So far I have been chased on foot (and had to run away from) 3 elephants, 2 rhino, a cape buffalo and today we had to walk slowly away from a lion (running would have only encouraged her to gore us). The guards only had to shoot (to scare off) for the elephants - we had followed one big male swimming down the river, and when he cane out of the river and charged us, we ran towards a momma and baby who charged us as well. Lots of running for that one, but I haven't had to climb a tree to get out of reach of anything yet. Other animals I have seen in their natural habitat include: zebra, lions, elephants, giraffes, warthogs, hartebeest, eland, hyenas, baboons, cap buffalo, bushbuck, impala, Thompson's gazelles, reedbuck, ostriches, jackals, hippos. Also chimps in a Jane Goodall sanctuary - one threw rocks at us through the fence! Yesterday I went into town to look at their wares, and that was a whole different adventure.

Other notes: The night sky is gorgeous - I can see the milky way clearly - but I have not seen the moon yet - I'm not sure why. Daily schedule is: get up ~6:30; eat breakfast (usually porridge and toast); go out into the bush with an armed guard from 8-12 or so (different tasks each day),; shower; eat lunch; rest until 3 (generator-run electricity is only on 6a-12p, 3p-11p); download data we collected in the morning; do an afternoon activity (or nothing); eat dinner; night activity (or nothing). Afternoon and evening activities are things like game drives and trips into town. Tonight we are going to a disco in town - should be very interesting!!

By the way, I can't see my own email, so I will not be able to read/respond to them for another week. Hopefully next Thursday or Friday.

Brigid