Alex and the crew in Ruaha
As the day slowly quickly turns into night, the sun is setting on my first trip to Tanzania. The last two weeks of my stay have been mapped out and planned, and it feels like it will only be a short matter of time until those plans turn into past events. The pace of life out here is slow, but with so much to see and experience, the days fly by. In the past couple of weeks since my last post, the days have kept up this pace. One of my main duties for the Ruaha-Elephant Conflict is to help Julius, our awesome translator and guide, lead villagers on trips into Ruaha National Park. I have been on a couple since my last post, and as always, some new animal comes across our sight that I can happily check off my list. Two Eland, a large antelope noted for its leaping abilities, were about 20 meters from our Land Rover. Two villagers pointed them out to me and Julius, who were anxious to know what they were. As the Eland is not an easily seen species, it doesn’t get the glamour and coverage that species such as the elephant and lion get. Julius talked about elands, and explained how lucky they were to have seen them. On our last trip, we were lucky enough to see large pride of 15 lions eating the remains of a buffalo they had brought down. Despite there being a generous amount of lions within Ruaha, it’s always an adrenaline-pumping experience seeing these large cats up close, especially a fully-maned male.
My days are coming to a close here, and it’s hard not looking back and revisiting some of the unique things I’ve been able to do and see here in southern Tanzania. From visiting a Masai boma and getting a first-hand tour of the ways of their tribe, to hiking through bush to climb a waterfall shaped by massive boulders, my last couple of weeks have been something I’ll never forget. A picture may say a thousand words, but it can explain the sense of adventure I have experienced here in southern Tanzania. While pictures are fun to look at, and are great at helping think of past events, it’s the memories of what I’ve done that will remain with me.
– Alex
