June 30, 2008 (Monday) 11:00 P.M.

Day 8

A day of transition

Before we could set out for a long day of driving, everyone was excited to recount last night’s thrills. Late at night, after even our Dorobo guides had gone to sleep, several students saw a large shadow dart behind our tents. Lighting in a nearby bush clearing   revealed two penetrating eyes -- predator eyes. Later, a quick squeal and powerful roar confirmed our fears: simba. Two ominous pants followed the attack, and then there was complete silence. Nearby, a hyena moaned to add to the sounds of the African night. This morning, a lion’s paw prints were among many fresh tracks that dotted the road into camp.

We saw a new side of the park on our last game drive in Tarangire. As the landscape became greener, great herds of zebra mingled with wildebeest. Beautiful hibiscus replaced dry savannah grass and we spotted baobab trees laden with fruit. Impala, waterbuck, Dik dik, elephant, and giraffe were common in this new area. Hundreds of butterflies filled the air or rested on white Morning Glory.  The trees above the road provided many amazing sights, including a Verreaux’s owl (larger than a backpack), Marshall’s eagle, Vervet monkeys, and troop of baboons amongst the branches.

As we were checking out of the park, one of the rangers provided us with an unexpected interview. After looking at the various poaching photos in the station, we knew another interview would be important to our expedition. Nelson Mwakafwila discussed some of his poaching encounters and described the struggle to identify illicit meat. He noted that domestic meat could be differentiated from wild meat by smell and look, but that species-specific identification was usually impossible. The meat of a rare animal such as the Topi or Oryx can easily be mistaken for that of common gazelle. When asked if species-specific identification would change his job, Nelson described how important and useful such technologies would be for him.

It is a very nice experience if we get any help to identify such meat for the game wardens. I need that help because my work becomes difficult to perform because I have known the tools, equipment, [needed] to identify meat. I use long ways and need your help on that. -Nelson Mwakafwila

After experiencing so much wildlife over the past two days, leaving the national park illuminated the significance of Tanzania’s agriculture.  Fields of corn, sugar cane, and sunflowers broke the natural habitats we had grown used to in Tarangire.  After a stop for gas in the town of Babati, we enjoyed a brief stretch of paved highway.  Then we began the long climb to the Nou Forest.

As the terrain changed, so did the people. Small villages of different tribes passed by and excited children waved to us.  As we neared our new camp, the brush thickened and the road became no wider than our Land Rover.  After forging a small river, we finally arrived at our new campsite. Tall trees and thick brush surround our tents. This small clearing in the Nou Forest will be our home for the next two days and a base for the exploration of a new ecosystem.

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