Happy new year

Blog 30/12/09

Hi all, firstly hope you all has a wicked Christmas and have reasonable if not big plans for the new year. There have been quite a few interesting tales since my last update, so this could turn out to be a long one. I'll try to be as succinct as possible. So basically out here has been very haphazard with the number of people. One day it will be just me, the next day, with many. However I shall begin from the start which is basically before Christmas. For Christmas, I/We organised a Christmas party on xmas eve for all the remaining trackers and assistants. The other volunteers from the other camp and all the researchers came to Bai Hokou for this party. We made pizza , played music, drunk beer, danced and smoked. Late into the evening after many of us had drunk too much and smoked too much, a forest spirit (Matanga) came out of the forest. A traditional Bayaka party custom, this particular spirit is the tree spirit, and is a huge dancing talking bush that dances to the drumming and beating of the Bayaka. Its all very surreal but wicked good fun. Considering this year was the first year i'v been away from family and out of the Uk, I wasn’t looking forward to it. Il be honest, I wouldn’t say it was amazing, but it was definitely different. Don’t think I would have had a dancing bush in the UK. I think that being away from the Uk for xmas is something people should definitely do at least once. It does put into perspective the time over xmas with family. I think that its just lucky I know that xmas isn’t the only time my family will get together. So as I was effectively in charge being the only volunteer in camp and only semi responsible person left, I had to get up first thing the next day after the party. I was just glad that I started the party early for my own sake. When I say I woke early, I got up at 5.45am the standard time here just as sun rises. I then tidied the party and headed into the forest in the afternoon to the Gorillas (the ones you actually get to see, not the unhabituated ones!).

I must admit Christmas day was a memorable day with the gorillas. Often they are very inactive and sleep a lot. So I expected a slow afternoon. Fortunately for me however, a particular gorilla called Mossoko Abuli (literally means big head in Bayaka) is a charactersome gorilla. He is continually eating, so I feel I have some common ground with him. Anyway cutting a long story short, it was the first time in which a gorilla has come particularly close on its own accord, and ended up feeding in a tree directly above me within a couple of metres if that. Was particularly cool.

Wildlife out here recently had an upswing with many sudden sightings of cool things often at unusual times. Firstly was a group of Red river hogs we came across while tracking the unhabituated group, which we sneaked up on and observed only metres away again. They were completely oblivious to us, and as there funky looking pigs particularly cool to see (look on google). I also recently went on a Bai Tour and saw numerous elephants again, but for the first time was able to stop and see the Forest Buffolo that are found in the Bais. They are also cool looking, but particularly quick and particularly aggressive and hence we stayed at least 100m plus from these 22 individuals. The coolest however was one night while reading. I was reading in the dark form my ipod, when I saw movement ahead of me. I stopped quietly and saw this catlike creature walk past, similar size to a domestic cat at a guess just longer and shorter. I thought it was a mongoose, but later realised by its blotchy dappled fur that it was some form of a Genet. Mainly nocturnal carnivore that is incredibly silent and hence very illusive. I have a feeling it comes to the same place daily as I go that I think was it yday also. A sad thing was found 2 days ago also, a juvenile elephant was found dead in the nearby Bai, fortunately it appears to have died from some natural cause rather than poached. But when we found it, it was probably a few days old and hence had started decomposing already, never a nice sight. I have also still been pursuing my learning of Sango, which is now starting to pick up speed, especially as I can now have a laugh and a conversation with the trackers, making the waiting hours in the forest much more exciting. But still major issues when it comes down to anything unusual in the conversation, I look moronic and just stare in silence. Fortunately they realise this and just laugh at me. I shall finish this blog with yesterdays vast events. I say vast because it considers elephants.

Elephants in camp. I was cooking spaghetti and just finishing by straining it, when I noticed a particularly large shit in the middle of the camp. Never a good sign. I then saw the devastation one elephant had caused the night previous. I found this thought highly amusing and continued with the day. Then after dinner that evening, I was watching some film or reading or something, when I heard loud screeching and shouting from the Bayaka. The elephant had returned and was back in the same area. It was scared off by the Bayaka only for another elephant to return 2 – 3 hours later. Waking me from my dosing sleep, I started wondering how many could possibly come. The answer is another 2. We ended up with another 2 or 3 in camp at 3.30 am back in the same place eating our trees and destroying parts of buildings. The problem is now that there is a massive hole in the fenceline that all the elephants know about. Im sat here at 7 pm awating for our next guest to turn up…… who knows!!! Anyway I had little sleep continually hearing noises thought to be elephants. So this better not continue.That’s all for now, so take care and have few southern comforts for me over new years! Il be having headache hangover inducing beer! I miss my southern comfort and my pasties!!! ……and gammon! In fact many different things largely involving food and drink!
Take care and Seasons wishes Dean x