Magic hippos?

OMG, this is starting to get ridiculous. Not just the no-hippo thing, but also the amount of superstition and magic and all that goes with the Mende culture. A week ago, the men reported that they knew a special man in Mapuma who would guarantee a pygmy hippo in the trap within 1 week. The workers agreed to his conditions (Le 200,000 to catch a hippo within the time) and he gave them magic water which they all put on the traps. Of course no hippo after the week. Then now…Minah went to Potoru for his bigger better magic man, who I shall now call Mr. Magic. Mr. Magic wanted 1 million leones to say that we will catch a hippo in 4 days’ time. That’s about $250, a significant amount of money for anybody. I’d already told the assistants I had no say in that one, as I don’t believe in magic, etc, but the workers decided to go ahead and agree to Mr. Magic. I think there was a sheep sacrifice in there somewhere. Now this morning, Bobor (one of our newer field assistants), said that somebody dreamed that we got 1 hippo in the trap, and 1 hippo was still around the area, and killed 3 people, so apparently all the workers got together and did a sacrifice (not animal this time) so that nobody would die. I dunno, the whole thing just adds to my general bad mood. And having the vet and the funder around also sighing and cursing isn’t making it any better. I kind of just want to go back to bed now!