Ruaha Wildlife Management Area (Monday, July 27)

The morning was full of lectures and talks about Ruaha and the widlife and conservation issues in this area. We had a discussion, led by Dr. Mutekanga from the WCS Ruaha Landscape Program, about conservation and the Maasai way of life, and how we think they should move forward. Deanna talked to us about the HALI (Health for Animals and Livelihood Improvement) Project that she, Jonna, and Harrison work on. HALI works with communities in two areas around the Ruaha WMA to address livestock and wild animal health issues. They are specifically looking into bovine TB rates in the Maasai cattle in these areas, in the Idodi and Pawaga Divisions, and also bovine TB rates in wildlife surrounding these areas. They are also collaborating to asses the human health in the area, and the prevalence of bovine TB.

Group discussion time at Chogela Campsite

For the afternoon, we split into groups for field exercises in the Wildlife Management Area of Ruaha. My group had an exercise identifying plants on a drive through the WMA. We went with Mzee Mhoro, the former Herbarium Technician at the University of Dar es Salaam, Mzee Moses, the village chairman of Idodi, and Mzee Mbano, the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Ruaha Landscape Program, and they pointed out different plants and their uses. They seemed to know a traditional medicinal use for every plant we came across, and I'm starting to understand how lots of our medicines are derived from plant sources.

Scenery in the Ruaha WMA

There was a big fire in the forest as we made one of our last stops, and although it was far away when we arrived at that stop, by the time we were preparing to leave we could see the flames licking at the trees and dry grass just a short ways away. Rather than continue on and have to drive back through a raging fire, we turned around a bit early and headed back to camp.

Our group for the plant walk in the Ruaha WMA

The fire coming towards us