Hippo Talks
Well, it is Christmas Eve in Africa and I am once more back in the bush after a whirlwind tour of Scotland and England--a visit that certainly opened my eyes regarding how it is to be in a country where everything works and runs efficiently, where people are so kind and welcoming.
My homecoming left much to be desired, with even my domestic pets refusing to be friendly, and I had only been gone for three weeks. I was wearing perfume and my cats are more used to a bush lady than a town one. Fortunately the hippos are not as fussy, as once they heard the all too familiar voice they relaxed, ignoring the Chanel 19, obviously aware that it was just one of those funny human quirks that people practice every now and then.
England, especially London, was simply amazing: to walk at a fast pace, to be surrounded by all cultures; visiting Selfridges, Marks and Spencers, shopping from morning until well after dark. I could have shopped for a month without faltering. What a pleasure it was to see goods one never, ever finds in Zimbabwe. And then there was the amazingly friendly shop staff in London who could not do enough for you, the free makeovers, the general liveliness and vibrancy of London, as well as the meals in the restaurants. All was just simply divine.
Yet I was there to work, or should I say to talk, and did I talk! I was first met off the plane by Mark Powell, a hippo supporter who soon will be running the Trust’s web site. Then, after four days in London, it was off to the Midlands to visit friends and hippo supporters. Next was Edinburgh, to meet up with the Hwange Conservation Society’s organizer, John Gillon. Anne and Ian Wilkinson, fellow Committee members of the Hwange Society are the ones I knew. Anne has supported Tembia hippo through the Hwange Society for the last few years, with the Hwange Society having made donations along with their sponsoring, to help the Turgwe Hippos on an annual basis. John Gillon kindly invited me to come to the UK and had set up five talks at various venues from Scotland to Bristol. British Airways had offered the Hwange Society the free air ticket, and Hwange in return offered me the trip.
Another girl, Julia Robinson, who used to be employed by Dr. Bill Jordan of Care for the Wild International, organized one more talk in her home village of Slimfold, in West Sussex. So I knew I would have six talks to give during those three weeks. Two at village halls, one at Edinburgh Zoo, and three at veterinary colleges.
In those three weeks I met over 300 new people, 48 of which were Turgwe Hippo Trust supporters. During my visit, I was fortunate to stay with Suzie Marsh, her husband Doug Dale, and their cats. Suzie is a very talented sculptor and her hippo sculptures, which are part of her work, have been modeled from photographs of the Turgwe Hippos. In between a fast and furious schedule, I did have one day where we walked along the Cornish headland with the beaches for ourselves. It was a memorable experience, especially having not seen the sea for over six years and a British sea for more than sixteen.
The talks were well received, with many of the students keen on coming to Zimbabwe to the Turgwe Hippo Trust and helping out on a voluntary basis. We can offer this facility for short duration stays of up to three weeks. Any new enquiries please contact me at my e-mail address: paolillo@users.sourceforge.net
It was truly wonderful to meet some of the hippos' foster parents and people who have donated to the hippos in the past or bought Turgwe Hippo Trust merchandise. A special thank you must go to Bob van den Berg and Floor Siegelaar for coming all the way from Holland to the Slinfold talk. They have both visited the Turgwe Hippos in Zimbabwe and are foster parents, but it was superb of them to fly over just for a couple of hours talk at the Slinfold village hall.
I was complimented by many at each of the six talks, telling me that it was highly interesting, and that the passion I feel for what I am trying to achieve here shone through. Many of the students said it was a better talk than most of their lecturers gave- a big compliment for myself as I had been so terribly nervous to talk to strangers about the hippos without the hippos present. I am used to having safari outfits come along here to our home, Hippo Haven, and meet the Turgwe hippos. I have only once in the previous fifteen years spoken in public without the animals around to keep me company and for the people to enjoy.
So the talks went brilliantly and that is what matters. I have already had a couple of new foster parents come through from these talks and people purchased some of the goods I had brought over especially for the event. Though nearly all monies raised were eaten up on my return, as practically every single piece of equipment that the Trust runs has broken down since I came home!
Jean-Roger looked after the animals and the home while I was away. One of the two game scouts that we have had on loan since the harassments earlier in the year was caught poaching. Sadly, it is quite a common occurrence these days! The remaining game scout recovered only 12 snares in those three weeks. Since then we have changed scouts, and the new one found 26 over a shorter period. Another new guy has just found 8 today, which speaks volumes.
While in the UK, I was in e-mail contact with Jean-Roger and he told me how the baboons had stolen his reading glasses! On my arrival home we eventually found them lying under a tree, so obviously they had lost interest in them. Unfortunately, not before we had had to buy a new pair. It would have been nice to have found them earlier.
Our vehicle broke down while I was away. Luckily, Jean managed to borrow a four by four from our neighbour. This was harsh for me, as I had been staying with fellow vegetarians in some of the places. The owner of the car is in the hunting business and the back of the truck was filled with trophies, or so they are called. You can imagine how I felt. Yet without his help I would still be at Harare airport, so...!
Then on the second day home, the poachers killed a warthog. Not one that visits our home, but nevertheless they killed one of these charming animals. The scouts chased them off and recovered the piggy but it was already dead, having been hunted by using their dogs as well as bows and arrows.
The next day, the starter motor of our ancient generator died and believe it or not we had to organize the new part from the UK.
Many thanks to Mark Powell, for his amazingly efficient, fast ordering and delivering of said part. After 16 days without water pumped into our pans or our home tanks, without electricity to charge the laptop and main house computer-or for that matter to charge our torches- we were operative again.Then, guess what happened: the boiler drum burst, which meant no hot water. Then, to cap it all, the mobile phone connection to the laptop is giving us problems. So, for the time being we cannot send or receive any e-mails from our 200 foot climb up the rocky hill next to our home. To send this web story or any mails we need to drive 32kms (20 miles), and use 4 liters of diesel in a country where fuel is hard to find. It's been one hell of a welcome home!
On the positive side though, thank God, we had over eight inches of rain in eight days shortly after I returned home. This rain was desperately needed, as all the animals had got tremendously thin in the short time I was away. Every single hippo’s backbone was sticking out. It had been so hot and any bit of nourishment left had been eaten by a multitude of hungry, grazing animals. All were in dire straits. Nature came through, as lowveld grass is a miracle in itself. It sprouts practically overnight and within one week an emerald carpet stretches as far as the eye can see, and already animals are putting back weight. The kudus have lost the terrible mange look that appears when they are undernourished. The hippos are slowly regaining their normal rotund shapes.
On my return, my immediate need was to see the hippos. In two days I had seen 20 of the 21 in the two groups. Tsakus, Abe’s calf was the only one I had not seen and, of course, I was worried. Then just after the first rains, when the river flowed beautifully once more, I found her with her mother Abe, and knew all was well.
Since the rains Abe has been in a fight, but with whom is the question. She is covered in a multitude of criss-cross cuts all over the top of the body and down towards the stomach area. She seems to be fine, as all the cuts are superficial, but they certainly do not look very nice. Mystery and her two sons, Kuchek and Zen, had gone missing. So once more I worried. Had Abe and Mystery had a tremendous fight and was Mystery even worse off than Abe? Cows will fight each other and often it is due to one of them having a male calf. Mystery has two!
Today, Christmas Eve, I was given an early Christmas present. At the Mokore pool just across from our home, there were 17 of the 19 hippos that are often with Robin. Mystery, as well as both her sons Kuchek and Zen, was there and none of them are as scratched and cut as Abe. So obviously whichever hippo fought Abe, it was not Mystery.
Climber has gone off since the river came down in flood, so I am hoping that she has gone away to have her first calf. She is of the right age, as many Turgwe Hippos have their first calf when they are just over five years of age. Climber was born in March 2000 and was looking pregnant back in October.
So the hippos have pools and a running river, thanks to the rains. The grass is growing once more, and is already up to six inches in height in places. The New Year is approaching and with a New Year one has New Hope. Hope for the animals, for their future, and for Zimbabwe.
There is a new article in the January edition of the Smithsonian Magazine, from the USA. Written by Paul Raffaele, it is about the Turgwe Hippos and what we are doing here. I have not seen it yet but I am sure that Paul has done the hippos justice. He came here and met them all personally. He fell for one of the Vervet monkeys, “No Name” and they became great mates, so I am sure he will come back here again one day.
For all the hassles I have returned to, and for all the joy of being in the UK, it is nice to be back in the bush with Jean-Roger and the animals. I just have to hope that 2006 will bring some positive events in this Wildlife Conservancy’s future.
It was great to step away from the bush for three weeks. To buy a dress!!! And to look, for once, a little bit like a lady instead of wearing my usual bush attire. Yet nothing beats waking up to 5 odd vervet monkeys clambering around in the trees, waiting at the back door for titbit, or the baby baboons pulling faces through the kitchen back door. But best of all is the sound of the hippos bellowing their hippo laughs. Because of this, I am truly grateful for this life that I lead and for the help from all those people in the UK and in other countries who make it possible for these hippos to have a life and a future.
I wish you all a tremendous Christmas and may 2006 be the beginning of a year for animals, both domestic and wild, to have better futures.
I also would like to thank Alice Egoyan, the American artist who has run the Trust’s web site for the hippos for several years. She too needs her own life, and to develop her talents as an artist. So she is stepping down from running the hippos’ web site and Mark Powell of the UK has kindly offered to take her place. Alice, we will never lose touch and the hippos are still waiting to meet you in the flesh, especially your Tsakus. Many, many thanks for all you have done for these hippos over the last few years.
Karen Paolillo, Hippo Haven, Save Valley Conservancy, 24th December 2005.
