Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Since arriving three days ago, we have: had our safety training (eg. if you see a leopard at night- just keep casually walking- they don't really attack apparently. Note: we haven't needed this tidbit of info), tracked rhinos including Kori with her baby, stumbled upon Taleo- the dominant male of the sanctuary on trail, eaten wild honey collected from the scrub, cut down trees to build traditional huts or bandas for the rangers and their families, watched an immense storm approach across the plain, gone birding to see the prehistoric looking shoebills (google them- my iPhone didn't have enough zoom to capture a descent pic), floated past papyrus and water lilies in the swamp in wooden canoes, some of us hiked to the top of a rock formation overlooking Ziwa (the rest sat and watched as cattle passed by)...  So much more to come in our last day here. This afternoon a rhino ecologist (initially someone said he was a rhino psychologist lol- so tell me how you felt when your mother kicked you out of the herd) studying here will give us a lecture before we head out for more tracking and a night patrol in trucks driving along the electric fence at the perimeter looking for poachers. Poaching isn't a problem here with the surrounding communities invested in reporting poachers- but part of the conservation plan is be vigilant and provide 24/7 protection. 

Note: Since writing this, we have completed our night patrol and are headed back to Kampala. I now respect the rangers even more. 2 solid hours of briskly walking along the roads of Ziwa with only the moonlight and the other person in front to guide you, was excruciating. During our one break, several of could barely breath- asthma, heat, dust and elevation are not a good mix. The guides ended our patrol with still another 1.5 hours to go partly out of pity for some of us and also because a fire had broken out in a field across the sanctuary and all rangers were headed out to put it out. Despite this, we left Ziwa with a tinge if sadness saying goodbye to the rangers that had become our friends, Charles- the waiter in the restaurant who had served us over 200 coffees/tea & bottles of water & sodas and endless plates of curry, rice, potatoes and some of the best coleslaw I have ever had, Hassan our program director who was so attentive, and yes the many goats that provided us with lots of laughs!

MacGyver Dan and his assistant Sara fixing a chair on my porch at Ziwa