Wildlife Query

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Matt Smith

A Gambian dropwing dragonfly? Image by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/billsboy/3128016760/in/set-72157594414970392/}Nigel Kendall{/link}

One of our readers has been in touch to see if anyone out there can identify this fine species of dragonfly – photographed last December in The Gambia. The photographer thinks it might be a species of dropwing (possibly Orthetrum icteromelas) but isn’t sure. Either way it’s a fabulous picture and if anyone has any info then please get in touch at the usual address!

Hymn to the Baobab

Posted on July 29, 2009 by Matt Smith

The Baobab

Aah, the mighty baobab tree… One of the treats of any stay in The Gambia is the unforgettable sight of a baobab tree, crazed and incongrous against the bright blue of the sky or the low hum of a scorched-sky sunset. On first sighting – with its squat body, leathery pachyderm bark, and Gorgon crown of roots – it was so utterly different to any other tree I’d ever seen, it held my gaze, drew me over to it. I stood beneath the gravid green of its pendulous fruit and thought, ‘now I understand why this tree is held in such esteem…’

A huge baobab dwarfs a brave climber...

There are actually eight species of Baobab, only one of which occurs naturally in The Gambia – the huge African Baobab. Of the 7 other species, 6 occur only on the island of Madagascar and another, the Boab, occurs only in northwestern Australia. The tree can grow to extraordinary dimensions (there is one African Baobab in South Africa that is an astonishing 47 metres round the fattest part of its trunk) and can live for millenia, though measuring an individual tree’s age is made difficult by the fact that the wood doesn’t produce annual growth rings. Radiocarbon dating has been used however, and that same South African Baobab is thought to be over 6,000 years old…

One of the Baobab’s remarkable properties – and the reason for its bestriding of the desert lands – is that it is able to store water in its trunk. Up to 120,000 litres at a time. During the rainy season it will gorge itself and the trunk will fatten noticeably; come the dry season when all around is parched and rasping, the Baobab drinks its fill and loses weight. But it’s not just water the Baobab can provide – it gives of itself with altruistic glee:

The fruit has a higher vitamin C content than an orange and a higher calcium content than cow’s milk. It can also be ground down to make coffee and the seeds used as thickener for soups and for seasoning. In East Africa, the the dry fruit pulp is covered in sugary coating and sold in packages as a sweet and sour candy called “boonya” or “bungha”.
The leaves can be used for salads or boiled and eaten.
The bark can be pounded to make rope, mats, baskets, paper and cloth
Glue can be made from the pollen

Baobabs at dusk. Image by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/97968921@N00/2846353305/}Ze Eduardo {/link}

Considering all this it’s little wonder that the Baobab has such a presence – both in the sense of the way it supports an entire ecosystem, its entwinement with everyday life, and its ubiquity in local mythology. It’s probably worth knowing that if if you pick a flower from a Baobab tree you will be eaten by a lion, but to counter that if you drink water in which a Baobab’s seeds have been soaked you will be safe from crocodile attack. All this and probably the coolest thing of all is that the Baobab’s flowers open at night and are pollinated by bats. What’s not to love?

If that hasn’t convinced you to go The Gambia right now, seek out a Baobab, slip on some sandals and a smock and sink to your knees in epiphanic ecstasy I don’t know what will. Yea mighty Baobab, we are your humble servants.

Enjoy the rest of the photos below.

The Tree of Life

A Baobab grove

Baobabs in the wet season

A Baobab by night. Image by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomward/78482550/}Tom Ward{/link}

A Visit to The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust

Posted on June 24, 2009 by Matt Smith

This is a guest post to follow Monday’s post from Anna Saillet. Today we have the diary of Dena Schwartz and Vicki Miller who visited the Horse and Donkey Trust in November 2008. Once again, thanks to Heather Armstrong for the permission to print these.

A Gambian boy with his donkey

The Gambia Horse & Donkey trust is a small charity, working in the heart of The Gambia helping to make poverty history. Through education and care this little charity has already made a huge impact. Having become involved with the charity here in the UK we felt it was time to see the reality for ourselves. Privileged to be invited by Heather Armstrong the charities director, we set off to help make a difference!

Day 1 Nov 2008
After 6 hours flying and an 8 hour journey by road, ferry and river boat we arrived in the remote village of Sambel Kunda for our first glimpse of the Gambia H&D head quarters.

The first thing you notice is the heat, plus a surprising amount of dusty green foliage and yet no grass! Weeds, lots of inedible weeds, clearly very little to live on, how do the people and animals survive on this scorched landscape?

Head quarters has two main yards, housing mares, stallions and many donkeys, each and every stable is covered in mosquito mesh, insects really are a major problem here. The hay is unfamiliar to us, thick, hard and stalky, this ground nut hay looks unappealing. It’s a shock to see horses in such incredibly poor condition; we can only wonder how they survive this level of emaciation. Residents at HQ have many stories, some sad, some tragic, many inspiring. The energy is day to day here, the focus on basic survival. Man and beast working towards the same goal.

The Gambian staff proudly introduced us to the current four legged patients, sharing their individual stories. It becomes ever clearer the value of a working animal. The compassion and dedication of the staff to educate and rehabilitate is so evident. Two little mares really tugged at our heart strings. Molly, a young filly who fell into a fire and suffered horrendous unimaginable burns to the face and neck, proved that spirit is everything as she makes an amazing recovery! Welti another emaciated, severely injured young mare battles the odds. These animals hold no resentment to man, they seem to know we are here to help.

Day 2.
It’s like Christmas! A shipment arrives from the UK, one hundred and forty boxes generously donated by a wide variety of supporters back home. Headcollars, Snaffle Bits, Harnesses and a myriad of medical supplies are unpacked.
We set to work organising all the donations as well as preparing for the eagerly anticipated annual Show being held here tomorrow. In the past several hundred animals have come from far and wide to compete, get medical help and comfortable equipment.

All around normal yard duties were taking place, the Gambian staff are each responsible for certain animals. After mucking out, feeding and watering, dressings are changed, ticks removed and the animals are groomed or bathed. Dena sets to work with her plant remedies, making wound gels and healing blends. The animals seemed happy to have these natural products applied; their selections were surprisingly similar to equines back home. Each wound is then covered in a thick layer of green clay to draw out poison and prevent further problems from flies. This works effectively giving the animals respite from these biting horrors!

Excitement builds in the village as show day nears; everyone plays a part in the preparations. Giant water butts are filled, bunting and gazebos erected, competition rings prepared.

Molly with Suzanne and Anna

Day 3: Show Day!!!
From all around horses and donkeys appear from first light, many have travelled through the night walking endless miles to attend this much anticipated event.

Horses, donkeys, mares with foals at foot and stallions attend. The stallions seem to fare well; maybe the testosterone helps them hold condition. The donkeys generally fare the best, dealing with the extreme temperatures showing greater stamina.

As a group of 14 volunteers we are all assigned a Gambian veterinary student to work alongside us throughout the day. The students are so knowledgeable and invaluable as they translate, helping us to communicate our message compassionately. In between judging we spend our time swapping harsh Senegalese bits and rope from around the lower jaw to gentle English head collars and snaffles. Our advice is welcomed by owners; many have never looked inside their animal’s mouth to see the damage caused by these devices. We talk of the 500% increase in productivity of a healthy animal. We discuss their needs and provide advice. They visit the trained farrier’s on site for much needed foot trimming. They receive help from Suzanne our UK vet with her team of Gambian trainees, the team worked tirelessly all day with emergencies as well as routine procedures, often working with the most limited of supplies. All help was provided without charge.

The donkey show

The show proved to be, as last year, a great success both for the community and animals alike. The charity is essential for spreading the word, education and progress for this developing country.

After each show class, awards, rosettes and prize money were presented by the dignitaries. As well as healthiest mare and stallion classes there was a special class for ‘project donkeys’ these donkeys are donated by the charity to needy families. A ‘donkey club’ class was also held, the club was established to encourage and educate the community children and to make learning fun. Gymkhana donkey games were the highlight of the day drawing the biggest crowd and the most laughter.

As the day drew to a triumphant close, hundreds of animals left the site proudly wearing their rosettes, new head collars and bits, with comfortable feet and teeth, wormed, treated and ready to go back to work. We danced late into the night, celebrating with the locals, knowing that every minute of our day had created a positive, lasting impact for the animals and families of The Gambia.

Day 4.
Market day, every week The Gambia Horse & Donkey Trust attend three weekly markets in different locations. Providing veterinary care, head collars, bits and harness fitting, these days are always hot and hectic. Sick, injured and weak animals are treated; recovering animals come for check ups and the owners receive well deserved praise, encouragement and further guidance.

Back on site normality is restored; concern grows for Molly as she seems off her food. She is blood tested to check for the one of many debilitating diseases. One of the female donkeys loses her battle for life and is found to be carrying a young foetus. The ups and downs of being here is challenging. Sadness and joy are hourly emotions. Lazarus, the charities first rescue, suffers choke – an alarming time for all, thankfully he made it through. Welti’s leg wounds continue to be a worry, this little soldier allows us to lift her to her feet daily, we give her much encouragement and keep our fingers firmly crossed.

A winner! Image by Sally Barron

Day 5.
Dena spends the day working with the animals, using a combination of English and African plant oils to ease away stress and emotional issues. The donkeys get their daily opportunity to self medicate on Spirulina, Barley or Wheat Grass to boost their weakened immune systems.

Vicky continues to assist wherever needed, from wound dressing to bathing, from organising supplies to hand feeding – so much to do.

We all feel so very privileged to be involved, to see first hand exactly where the money and equipment is being used. It is hard to portray how quickly supplies get used here and how essential is it to keep it coming. This charity may be small but its effects are felt country wide!
Any help you can give will be truly appreciated.

What can you do? …Please collect for us any
Small and cob sized Head collars
3inch to 5 inch Snaffle Bits
Wormers
Bandages and veterinary supplies

And of course we need money, every penny really does help, you can donate on line and sponsor animals at www.gambiahorseanddonkey.org.uk

Life as a volunteer for GHDT

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Matt Smith

Today we have a guest post for you – from Anna Saillet who spent a year in The Gambia volunteering for the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust, the charity organisation set up by Heather Armstrong (you can see her website here: The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust). On Wednesday we’ll have a similar piece with a five day diary from Dena Schwartz, an animal aromatherapist who visited The Gambia with Heather in late 2008. We like these pieces because they show a side of The Gambia that the average visitor rarely sees and provide a real sense of lives lived and local colour. If you wish to support the charity then please visit the site above.

Anna and Molly

Can you think on your feet, stand on your head and rub your belly all at the same time? I think that’s what it should have said on the advert to volunteer for Gambia Horse and Donkey for a year!

Living in a tiny remote village without electricity and hot water is the easy part, and eating a meal which doesn’t contain rice is a huge treat with indescribable pleasures! Routine is out of the window. Whilst we have a basic outline of a routine, involving going to local ‘lumo’s’ (markets) every Saturday, Sunday, Monday and every other Tuesday, the days, weeks and months all merge into one. Time takes on a whole new dimension, somehow going fast and slow all at once!

This is not the place for the faint hearted or the indecisive. Every day is filled with decisions to be made, whether it be a call of life or death for a sick animal, a decision on which staff members should go trekking each day, or simply what we can have for dinner with such a limited selection of ingredients!

With 14 trained Gambian staff working at GHDT the yard is always bustling and each day has its own challenges. There are several regular programmes which we undertake, one being the school education programme. This involves travelling around to 10 local schools to teach Grades 5, 6 and 7 about how to care for horses and donkeys correctly. Conscious of not wanting our classes to be ‘just another boring lesson’ we often find ourselves dressed as donkeys crawling around a classroom floor, doing puppet shows with soft toy horses and donkeys, and regularly clearing up donkey droppings from a classroom floor when our real life demonstration animals decide to deposit a small and entertaining present for the class of giggling children. Watching the mayhem ensue when we had a ‘real life’ (dressed up classmate) tsetse fly in the classroom trying to ‘bite’ his fellow students ended in great hilarity when one girl got so frightened of being ‘bitten’ that she jumped clean off her seat, straight on top of the Headmaster who had decided to sit in on the class! Our last lesson before Easter confirmed that our rather ‘different’ lessons had indeed been a great success. On doing a quiz with each of the classes I was more than a little overwhelmed to see almost every hand in the class go up to answer each question, stretching higher and higher in the hope that they would be given the opportunity to answer the question. And even when the correct answer was given hands still stayed stretching upwards for the chance to expand on the answer to prove that they remembered more than their friend. I am by no means a teacher, and to get such a wonderful display of understanding, of lessons which I have written brought a tear to my eye.

Anna and Eyeore

The weekly treks to lumo’s are hot, busy, difficult and rewarding. Treating sick animals on the basis of physical signs only is difficult at the best of times, let alone in the blistering heat! Thankfully some of our staff are trained in the use of the microscope, so are able to look at the blood of horses and donkeys to confirm whether or not an animal has Trypanosomiasis, which is a very common and dangerous disease here. It is not uncommon to be presented with horses and donkeys with severely fractured legs asking us to fix them. The things that have been achieved here make me seriously question just how many horses are unnecessarily put to sleep in the UK, as we have living proof in our horses and donkeys at GHDT that they can recover from broken bones, horrendous wounds, horrific burns and even diseases which cause temporary paralysis. The general conception here is that Allah will decide whether an animal should live or die, and this means that often an owner will not allow us to humanely kill a sick animal, and instead we have to do everything we can to save the animals and limit its suffering. This at times can be heart wrenching, but when I see our stallion, Tallah, galloping around the paddock totally oblivious to the fact that he ever had a broken leg it gives me the strength to just keep on trying our best, with the little that we have.

The house at GHDT is a busy one. It’s certainly not the place to be if you’re the sort of person who likes to finish work and relax at 6pm! If there’s not a member of staff around asking for one favour or another, then it may be someone from the village begging for a lift to the nearest hospital perhaps for a lady going through a difficult birth or a child with a broken arm. If you’re lucky this call will come around 8 or 9pm; if you’re not so lucky it is more likely to be around 3 or 4am! And of course, with a yard of often sick horses and donkeys it’s inevitable that from time to time there’s the odd one that needs someone to stay up with it all night, to nurse it through to the daylight hours; that’s without taking into consideration the night time feeds for any orphaned horses, donkeys, sheep or goats that happen to fall into our lives! Then you have the odd night in which there are no dramas. No knocks on the door, just a nice cold shower and an early night. It takes a while of living at GHDT before you are able to get a good nights sleep however. The nights you most need a good sleep are undoubtedly those in which the animals create a cacophony of noise; donkeys braying, dogs howling long into the night, hyenas laughing, cows mooing, bush babies screaming and crickets chattering away to each other in their morse code language! Once you’re habituated to it, it becomes quite normal and I rarely find myself being awoken, other than to have the odd chuckle to myself as Rocky (our puppy) tries to fit in by singing with the big dogs, but she is so obviously tone deaf that it’s adorable!

We are very lucky to have vets from the UK to come out 4 times a year to teach some students from Gambia College about equine medicine. Our staff (including myself) are extremely lucky to have been taught how to do injections, stomach tubing, and stitching amongst other important procedures. The house comes alive with people during these periods, and also at the time of the Annual Show. Last year we wondered where we were going to squeeze 19 visitors from the UK, but amazingly we managed it and had two of the most hilarious weeks of my time here. It seemed a little daunting to share the house with an extra 19 people, but it could not have been more enjoyable!
Amongst all of this I have helped to put out a bush fire, managed to rescue a vehicle from being totally sunk in the mud of the rainy season, attended some wonderful local entertainment programmes, carried tree trunks on my head, taught some English lessons, organized the day to day running of the busy yard, and so the list goes on.

Life here is not for the faint hearted. You have to be flexible yet rigid. For some of the very gory scenes I have witnessed or been part of I am thankful to be blessed with a strong stomach. Above all, this place gives you a great sense of adventure and achievement. On a good day it feels as though I’ve climbed a thousand mountains and taken in the beauty of the view at the top of each and every one. On a bad day it feels like you’re sinking to the bottom of the river, but these are few and far between, and anyway……… wouldn’t life be boring without a challenge!!

And a footnote from Heather: “With her usual modesty, Anna ‘forgot’ to mention how she saved the lives of a boat full of people when the boat capsized on the river in a freak storm. After ensuring that everyone was safely holding onto the capsized boat, she swam through strong currents and ran barefoot for several miles through dense bush to seek help. No lives were lost and Anna is deservedly something of a local heroine – THANK YOU ANNA!”

A big thanks to Anna and to Heather for allowing us to publish this piece.

Chris Packham on The Gambia

Posted on June 2, 2009 by Matt Smith

Chris Packham in The Gambia

Hi all – we’d like to welcome all the new readers to the site and to introduce a very special guest poster: Chris Packham. Chris, who I’m sure you’ll know by now, is the current face of the BBC’s fabulous nature series Springwatch, and has a longstanding relationship with The Gambia going back many years. He has run several birdwatching and nature workshops in the country on behalf of The Gambia Experience and frequently visits the country for holidays. We’d like to thank him for this post and for some fantastic images – and here’s to many more trips to The Gambia! Also, while you’re here please do take a chance to look around the blog and see check out our manifesto – come and get involved!

Over to you, Chris:

It will sound silly given I normally only visit for only two weeks a year but the Gambia has come to feel like a second home. To be fair I don’t actually get home that much, maybe for a total of two or three months out of every twelve, so perhaps its just the annual continuity that underpins this feeling. What seals it are the fabulous cocktail of things the country has to offer. Some are obvious: sunshine, great hotels, good food; and for me – top quality birding and wildlife and for most others marvellous beaches . But this is what you see in the brochure, what you don’t realise until you get there is the wonderful hospitality and friendly nature of the people . We have many friends there now, from all walks of life, and we really look forward to seeing them and catching up on all the news and gossip. They on the other hand are always so pleased to see us, its like we have never been away.

That’s not to say that the place doesn’t change; I made my first trip in 1988 or ‘89 and since then there have been lots of changes, more hotels, roads, a lot more people! But what hasn’t altered is the flavour, the mood, the aura – that’s still the same and it’s great.

A Squacco Heron (image by Chris Packham)

I suppose the main reason that it has become a regular place for us to visit is the accessibility of the wildlife – particularly the birds – and that it’s possible to combine this with a typical family holiday, poolside fun, a bit of culture and music etc. You can still walk out of the back of the Bakotu Hotel, our long term favourite, and enter straight into a bird fest. That’s after you have ticked off a big list of friendly exotics in the beautiful gardens. The famous Kotu stream, the golf course, rice fields and, dare I say it the sewerage works are teeming with a great range of species to excite the British Birder. Further a field there are some really good nature reserves which always yield some totally top birding and photographic opportunities; and for the last couple of years we’ve taken a catamaran trip out into the mouth of the Gambia River where we’ve been double delighted to have plenty of dolphins frolicking around the boat and been treated to the best food afloat – the lady is French and everything is fresh!

Dolphins in The Gambia (image by Chris Packham)

It’s also worth mentioning the local bird guides – always on hand to help out. Some are superb, many competent, but some absolute jokers! It’s best to do some research before you go and to get recommendations; always agree an agenda and a price and book them in advance. I’ve always had the pleasure of working with Malick Suso and his local knowledge of sites and his sight and sound recognition skills are absolutely invaluable. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, a good local guide will always pay dividends.

This spring we also visited Mandina Lodges for the first time and what can I say . . . the accommodation, the service, and the food is totally amazing – not to mention the beautiful creek side location. It’s all Eco friendly and the owners are really switched on, incredibly helpful; the kind of folks who put the H in hospitality. If you want a break from the hustle and bustle of the coast this is the place to chill and unwind. You’ll never want to leave!

A Senegal Parrot (image by Chris Packham)

Lastly, photography. The simple truth of it is that I’ve got some of my best pictures here in the last few years. The birds are normally approachable, as are the local people, and the light can be lovely too if you get up early – which you should! There’s plenty of colour and lots of details to catch your eye so go well armed with all your usual gear.

Just a few hours from the UK, The Gambia is a brilliant place to get to grips with Africa on a budget and with almost all the comforts of home. I often get asked ‘which is the favourite place you’ve visited?’ and the The Gambia is always on the list.

See more about Chris Packham’s bird tours in The Gambia.