What a busy time! Between working at the wildlife centre and the LSPCA, it sounds like I will be working pretty much 7 days a week for the next 5 ½ months. Last week I went with the LSPCA to assist with a free rabies vaccine and microchip clinic in a local village called Kauma. This is important contribution to the local communities, as there are many human deaths here from bites from rabid dogs.
Once we arrived in the village, we set up a shade structure, a table, and began registering dogs and cats as the villagers brought them. In total we vaccinated about 53 dogs and 4 cats. The condition of most of the animals was pretty sad, the vast majority extremely thin, ears scabby and bleeding with flystrike, and many covered in mange. We are quite a novelty when we arrive in the villages - it is quite a trip to try to work with 100 Africans gathered and pressed up around you, watching you work and checking out the action. I am usually the only white person to go out with the team, so when we roll into town, there is normally a mob of kids running alongside the vehicle, jumping up and down and yelling ‘musungu!!!!!’ which means white person.
Yesterday we had a livestock day in the village of Chinsapo. While our veterinarian went to out to examine corralled animals, I stayed at the tent and dealt with the smaller animals that ended up there, mostly chickens, ducks, and rabbits. I literally spent nearly 5 hours straight vaccinating chickens against Newcastle disease, and needless to say I don’t want to see another chicken again for a while!
Things at the wildlife centre are quite busy as well. This is the biggest managerial position I have ever held, so it is a bit intimidating for me, though a great challenge and experience. I am slowly starting to get used to the routine of things and getting my feet on the ground. This week we are preparing for a release of 15 vervet monkeys in Kasungu National Park next weekend. It will be my first ‘field trip’ and first release with the project, so I am quite excited about that, as well as seeing some beautiful scenery and wildlife while we are there.
Lilongwe seems to be a city of contrasts. Some of the neighborhoods are incredibly upscale, with huge, sprawling mansions with beautiful gardens, yet less than 5 minutes drive away are the poorest, dirt road villages you could possibly imagine, with people barefoot, dressed in rags and struggling to survive. Everyone in the upper and middle-class neighborhoods employs a gate person, whose sole purpose seems to be opening and closing the gate for you to drive through when you leave or arrive home. I even have a driver provided to me by the centre, who shuttles me back and forth to work every day, and takes me wherever I need to go during the day. It is kind of weird. I am living in a middle-class home which I am sharing with my boss and another co-worker, who both do a lot of shouting at soccer matches on TV! I have not had roommates for quite a while, so this is something I am still getting used to as well – fortunately they are both pretty cool.
I am slowly starting to find my bird peoples here! Have made several contacts and should be meeting most of them tomorrow night at a birds of Ethiopia presentation (yes, my bird geek mode is in full effect!). Though we have some great birds even in our yard and around the nature sanctuary, I can’t wait to get out of town to do some serious birding!
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