Congo Rangers

Category: Elephants, Logistics, Mountain Gorillas, Rangers | Date: Mar 29 2007 | By: admin

Things at Camp Karema are coming along really well! We have a good team of 20 guys from the local village, all working hard and fast under the direction of Patrick, a local carpenter who I first met in 2004 when I got him to build a bunch of rabbit hutches for me! He then went on to build my guard house and workshop with a machete as his only tool, but this is the first time I have worked with him in the field.

Patrick is excellent and really knows how to get the most out of his workers while keeping everybody happy! He also makes sure that everyone has a job to do, knows what it is, and gets on and does it! Sometimes even the best paid expats managing some of the largest NGOs out here don’t seem to get this right, so it is a skill that is not to be underestimated. “You must stay humble,” Patrick tells me, “that way local people will respect you and work well with you.” Makes sense…

In fact Patrick, pictured here above in the middle, is himself learning a new technique about laying roofing material. He has only ever used banana leaves before now, but they’re not really available at this altitude, so we are having to use coarse grass which requires a totally different technique.

Fortunately there are a couple of Mzees (Swahili for Old Wise Man) in the team who know exactly what to do… Fascinating watching them work and creating these giant bamboo spirals into which the grass will be fixed.

Anyway, the work was coming on so well that other than paying salaries and buying bamboo and other material, it was almost taking care of itself. This allowed me a bit of time to take in the incredible atmosphere of the camp. And this is what the hut was looking like at the end of the day.

The fallen tree in the middle of the camp was actually pushed over by an elephant just a few months ago, probably around the same time the rebels swept through the forest! Let’s hope the elephants are a little more gentle with our tents.

Technorati : bukima, congo, drc, fzs, karema, mikeno, virunga, wildlifedirect

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Category: Crises, Elephants, General, Hippos | Date: Feb 11 2007 | By: admin

Today a group of 43 elite Congo Rangers have gone to Ishango, on the northern shores of Lake Edward. This is about 15-20km east from Muramba, and home to hippos, elephants and buffalo. The Rangers are going to protect the area from a potential Mai Mai attack.

At present the situation is still unclear and we are trying to obtain additional details regarding the Mai Mai’s intentions. But based on precedent and last year’s hippo massacre we fear the worst. The elite Rangers will be doing their utmost to protect the wildlife of Virunga… More to come later but I just wanted to let you all know this.  

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