Tagging New Goats Completes Our Visit…
A few hours drive takes us to the other side of the park and overnights at the rangers’ barracks and teaching centre…and views most hotel owners would kill to be able to offer.
A few hours drive takes us to the other side of the park and overnights at the rangers’ barracks and teaching centre…and views most hotel owners would kill to be able to offer.
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| the view from the rangers' barracks...really! Extensive tea growing operations in this part of the country. Plantations and small farmers' fields side by side. |
Over 120 goats were tagged in 3 different communities over 2 days for groups belonging to 2 different cooperatives, all located along the SE border of, and VERY close to, Nyungwe National Park.
DUFATANYE (Help Each Other)Cooperative
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| a great opportunity to re-visit a new cooperative and a last sensitization before tagging begins... |
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| sign here, take this tag and your goat (tethered outside) and proceed to the vet waiting on the hill... |
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| singing marked the end of the sensitization/tagging process. And these guys can sing |
DUHUZE (Together) Cooperative
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| Once again, sign next to your name, take the tag and your goat to the vet by the tree... |
Once again, many of these farmers are ex-poachers, having moved away from illegal hunting in increasing numbers over the last 7 years.
It took some time for these men to come forward and be honest about their activities inside the park.
Now they see a different future for themselves and are sharing their ‘skills’ by assisting park rangers to locate snares, and poacher’s lairs.
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| another cooperative, and another tagging session. MOST of these guys were poachers so we are very impressed with their commitment to a different way of living. |
Recognizing that incidences do still occur, the cooperatives agree among themselves to keep an eye on each other and each others animals for the long-term stability of the project.
If anyone is caught poaching, all his goats will be taken.
Their rules.
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| Zabulon, our most wonderful vet, explains how/when to give the goats their meds... |
They also agree that while their children will look after the goats, they belong to the entire family and no one member. That way, if the father leaves the family, the animal(s) stay with the family.
Good.
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| skinnamma-rinky-dinky-dink... |
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| One of our bucks, pumped and ready to do his duty! |
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| These young bucks are trying to figure out who gets first dibs on nearby nannies... |
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