Well the past eight weeks have just flown by and the day has arrived for me to wave a fond farewell to STE. I can honestly say it feels like just yesterday I was scaling the broken bridge for the first time, luggage in tow and doses of anxiety and excitement in equal measure.
I arrived in camp following an eventful week in Westgate Conservation Area where I was helping with animal censuses (which should, by all accounts, have been renamed Gerenuk censuses!) and teaching Samburu warriors their ABCs (utterly surreal but so very rewarding!) with STE’s former education officer turned lion researcher, Shivani Bhalla. You might expect that this in some way prepared me for my STE experience but that was not so. Each and every day has brought a new and exciting adventure (as well as a slightly darker, but solely dirt-induced, skin tone!).
The vast amount I have learnt during my time here is not something that I could ever dream of obtaining from reading a textbook or attending a lecture; this is the real life example. I have loved working alongside such a dedicated team of researchers and conservationists and hope that it is not only myself that has benefited from this.
In terms of my project work I managed to clean the mammal census data which spanned the period from July 2005 to July 2010, before producing a series of graphs documenting the fluctuations in the number of different mammalian species observed per patrol and also the relative proportion of individuals found along each route for all species. This work has in the past been overshadowed by the long-term monitoring work and so received little in the way of analysis. As such, I was particularly keen to compare how different species responded to last year’s drought and the devastating flash flood in March. With some expert insights from David and Jerenimo I was able to summarise the preliminary conclusions in a final report.
But the learning doesn’t just start and stop in the office. It’s been the little things like comparing cultures, sharing a laugh over dinner with new found friends and exchanging English phrases for Swahili which has helped to make the experience all the more enjoyable. As has the adventures out in the field.
One of the joys of conservation work, I find, is the excuse to get out into the field for data collection. On numerous occasions now I have found myself completely surrounded by a family of elephants peacefully munching away and totally unfazed by our presence. A few weeks ago, however, I had an altogether different experience when we had to treat an injured bull with horrible gunshot wounds to the lower leg and shoulder. When news came over the radio that the first dart had missed the target my heart was in my mouth, but after a few more (equally heart-stopping) minutes the dart was successfully administered, the elephant off and the team in hot pursuit (…though obviously at a safe distance – a semi-tranquilised bull isn’t something you want to obstruct!). We dodged the spiky acacia and pulled up behind a now very wobbly bull just as he fell to the ground with a thud that kicked up an enormous cloud of dust partially obscuring him from view. Thankfully for all involved he had fallen onto the side exposing his wounds making treatment much simpler.
In the field you have to make do with what you have so a water canister doubled as an elephant foot rest allowing the vet to treat the gunshot wound on the lower leg. I didn’t envy the guys who had to lift it up! A second vet tackled the wound to the shoulder and the suspected infection transmitted to the ear. Whilst extensive investigation revealed no bullet, a lot of pus was removed and the bull was patched up nicely. Fingers crossed for a full recovery! I know I won’t forget this experience in a hurry but I hope for the elephant’s sake he can!
So all that is left for me to say is a heartfelt thanks to all the staff at Save the Elephants – you have my utmost admiration. Keep up the great work and I’m sure I’ll see you all very soon, especially as I intend on returning to Samburu in November to continue work for Shivani in Westgate…seems once you have had a taster of living out here you just don’t want to let go!