September 26th

I’m feeling much more optimistic about the traps this time around. We have an official supervisor who is also the medicine man in town and my field assistant’s grandfather. He’s one of the oldest people in the village, and has seen pit traps made in other parts of the country for animals such as African buffalo. He has given the diggers specific instructions that make a lot of sense. I think when I shamed the village after the last time that they are really giving me people who know what they are doing (hopefully??). Falf of Minah’s household is working for me which makes me feel better about the whole thing, because they are generally very competent people. Minah helped choose the location (he knows these animals better than me after working on the island for almost as long as I’ve been alive!!). Also, the old Pa liked the area when we showed it to him this morning.

Pa Ansu (the supervisor) is instructing the men not to cut any trees around the area, to carry the dirt directly from the hole far far away, not to walk on the animal trail itself, and also says that the men should not all stand around the hole trampling the nearby vegetation. The final instruction that is interesting is that women should not go to set traps. So here I am sitting at my desk while the men have all the muddy fun. I have heard the same prohibition from Minah when I wanted to go watch him set cable snares in his farm, so I don’t think it’s just a ruse to keep me away. However, I don’t want to be the one blamed if we don’t get any hippos so I am ok, and I can go look when they’ve finished the traps. I’ve also sent Kenewa with my camera and strict instructions to come back and explain everything that went on.

Later…

I went to go look at the finished trap and I must say I am impressed! If I didn’t know where they dug it I might have fallen right in! My field assistants came back very excited and glowing about the entire work ethic of the new trap diggers.

It looks like Mapuma is going to let me have my own choice of cooks after all. I feel like I’m learning to be a manager, accountant and lots more by trial and error. I think most people go to school and learn this stuff, but here I am out in the middle of nowhere trying to figure out how to make sure things work. Making contracts is a brilliant idea. I have separate contracts outlining the various jobs. It was a little bit of an awkward moment having people who can’t read or write sign on the line but we managed.