Walkabout...

We had planned a short walking safari around the Ndutu area and as it turns out, all the available rangers were busy attending to an 'emergency' with an elephant. We found out later it was quite sick.

Our driver/guide is very good friends with the Warden for Nduto and so despite being very busy, he agreed to take us on a short safari walk. We needed a ranger, or warden in this case, as we needed to be with someone carrying a firearm. We're not talking about a pistol...they carry AK-47 machine guns! Guides are not allowed to carry weapons.

Gibson (warden) taught us more during that walk than we could have imagined. The destruction of trees by elephants, the regrowth made possible due to the high moisture content in some trees, the fact that leopards often scratch at trees to mark their territory, the killing habits of elephants and rhinos (who often attack from head-on), and African buffalo (who often charge and kill from the rear). We learned that warthogs back into holes in the ground so than exit is easier and timely in the case of passing animals. He is more concerned about risks associated with being in buffalo territory than he is with leopards.

And we also learned that poaching is still very prevalent. He told us of a time when he was a ranger, that they were out on patrol and they came across poachers. Three of the ten rangers were killed that day. That is one of the reasons they no longer carry standard rifles and now carry AK-47 machine guns...so they are better able to match the firepower of the poachers. Very sad, but a fact of life here.

Another great day of living and learning.