In my garden today

Ama and Boots

Uganda tomorrow

Going to Uganda tomorrow to try to take a snare from a baby gorilla. Send all your positive vibes our way - this is the same group we worked in 8 weeks ago. and this time the snare is around the baby's neck and shoulder. Three silverbacks, 2 blackbacks, a juvenile male and 2 moms with babies. We will need good luck....

And for smiles, here is Ama relaxing in her bed the other night!

Home, part 2

Last month I had a week at home in Indiana with my family and friends. It was great. Too short, but great. I got together with all my sisters and their kids for the first time in YEARS!!! Here we are, all together, on Halloween at Linda's house.

I also had a great time with all of the Newells at a gathering at our house - Veronica and Daniel are growing up so fast!

It was so wonderful to spend time with Bob, Sara, Taylor, Aaron and Sydney, and a great dinner out with Peg - Bob's mom. My cousin Kris also took the time to drive to Indy meet for lunch - we had a wonderful time. And of course cuddle time with Fred (he was a total wiggle butt - I miss him so), Dave and Misty too...I squeezed a lot of love and visiting into that week!



I had a great time at the zoo too, gave a talk or two, and just hung out at the hospital. It felt comfortable and familiar, and I loved seeing everyone!!!

I also was determined to squeeze in a massage - my aching back really wanted a good massage, so I made an appointment, and at 9am sharp I showed up at Massage Envy, only to find out they had NOT booked my appointment! I argued, pleaded, whined and got angry, to no avail. There was no appointment. Did I DREAM I made the appointment? Have I really lost my mind????? I was crushed. The only other time they had available was when I was not available.... No massage for me.

BUT THEN.... on my way home from the zoo, I passed a place called Dove Spa. I was drawn like a moth to a flame - I back massage might really be possible! I zipped into the parking lot and walked into the typically low light and mellow room, but nobody was around. Maybe they are all giving massages, I thought.

"HELLOOOOO?" I said softly. I was determined. Two Chinese women came hurrying to the check in window - I was so relieved - I was going to get that knot worked out of my back for sure!

The older woman said "You want furr body, backie or footie???".

"Uh, pardon me?" I said back, a little confused. I though they would take my name and make me fill out a full medical history...

"Furr body, backie or footie?"

"Well, uh, backie I guess."

"Ok, you go in room 1 take clothes off"

"Um, do you want my name?"

By this time a man walked in and welcomed me to Dove Spa. I thanked him and asked who would do my massage.

"The girls. Go to room 1 and take clothes off"

HMMM, I thought. But I REALLY needed a massage. I went to room 1 and took my clothes off. The younger woman came in and turned on some nice massage music and started in on my back. I said "you can push a little harder if you want" and she said "English no good", so I just relaxed and hoped for the best.

IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST MASSAGES I'VE EVER HAD!!!! She worked out the knot I'd had in my right shoulder for the past 6 months. I felt like a million bucks. Backie indeed. I'll go backie next time I'm home!!

Bob, Taylor and Sydney dropped me off at the airport. It was hard to leave in some ways, but I am so looking forward to Bob and Taylor's visit over Christmas! We'll trek gorillas on Christmas day, then visit several parks in Uganda. Can't wait!!!

I landed in Kigali and felt at home and familiar there too. After the 2 hour ride back to Ruhengeri it was great to see Leon's smiling face, and hear Faustin's wonderful laugh, and AMA!!!! She was soooo happy to see me!

When I got back to Ruhengeri I was surprised with a new MGVP retreat - a little bungalo behind my house where I can work, hide, and well, maybe drink some wine with my friends!

Home, part 1

Yesterday I was hurrying to get everything done that needed doing before I left for 2 weeks, and trying to say goodbye to everyone - then, as usual, I was a bit late, so I flew out the door to the waiting taxi, and when we were on our way I realize I had missed saying good bye to Ama. I will miss her!!!

Eddy and I are headed to Texas for an AAZV meeting - I am soooo happy Eddy won a scholarship so he can attend this meeting. He is one of our best and brightest, and a heck of a nice guy too! It will be great to have him there! We got to Kigali with absolutely no problems for either of our flights. Amazing. Unfortunately it was really hot, and I was so sweaty and very smelly by the time I got to immigration at Kigali airport that I was embarrassed, and I had another 36 hours to go…with no change of clothes...ugh. As I was filling out my immigration departure form I started to smell a familiar, but not so good smell. Not me, but Chewy. Ugh. Chewy is one of our guard dogs, and I love him like crazy, but he smells really bad (yeasty ears, chronic wet dog smell...). Where on earth was the small coming from????? Is it my pillow??? ME???? After some surreptitious sniffing, I realized with horror that it is my pants. Oh no. Mzungu that smells like sweat and wet dog getting ready to board a plane. Nice. I went to the bathroom and scrubbed my hands and tried to delicately clean my pits. But the pants.... nothing to be done.

A quick 1.5 hour flight to Nairobi, then a 3 hour wait. At Nairobi airport I am for the first time in months, surrounded by white people. I am used to hearing a language I don’t understand, but here there are dozens of languages. People in turbans, tons of American, Asian and European tourists, and Africans of every flavor in their beautiful colors. I walk, shop and watch. And sweat some more, but here in Nairobi there is such a bouquet of smells I blend in. After I check in, I am ushered into the air conditioned waiting area (thank god, my pants no longer smell like wet dog, at least to me, and I’m not getting any strange glances or crinkled noses in my general direction). But there are NO Africans in the waiting area. None. No people of color. Feels strange. I watch as countless people walk under an air duct that is dripping water every now and then. It feels a little like candid camera – people duck and look up, some bemused, some angry, and some just confused. Four older ladies walked under it, obviously traveling together, and they each one got dripped on, giggling and pointing at one another. Maybe that will be me and my girlfriends in another decade! It is amusing. Then Ty Pennington blares on the television – “GOOD MORNING CARTER FAMILY!!!!” Oh-my-god. I watched as the team meet the unfortunate and tearful family, send them on vacation, and then tear down a house that would be worth a fortune in Rwanda. But it isn’t in Rwanda. That’s what I have to keep telling myself. And so my re-entry to life in a developed country begins.

On the flight to London (boarded at midnight) I pulled on my socks and got out my fleece, trying to settle in for a sleep. I was seated next to 2 men who won a week long trip to Malawi through a trident chewing gum contest! Nobody wins those! They had a blast and stayed at the best lodges – no strings attached. Amazing. They didn't ask me what I did in Rwanda – I’m sort of glad, but sort of disappointed too. We all slept until they woke us for breakfast at 5am.

London. Heathrow. Cold wind when we deplane at 6am. Shiny and well lit with huge shops. Coffee and a muffin for $10. Perfumes and leather bags. People with pink hair, people with long tweed coats, young moms looking harried, backpackers. TONS of white people speaking English. Then I see a group of businessmen from Kenya, and feel a bit more at home in their midst for a moment. Not sure why…Maybe I still want to be part of that world?

Time to board the plane to Houston where I meet Eddy and we head to South Padre Island for a week. Then HOME for a week! I am soooo looking forward to family and friends! There will probably be lots of americans on this flight. Hope I don't smell too bad....

A day that got my heart rate elevated....

http://www.gorilladoctorsblog.org/field-blog/2010/10/20/intervention-in-uganda-saving-a-baby-mountain-gorilla-from-a.html

Graduation at Art of Conservation classes

Yesterday I attended the graduation celebration for 2 Art of Conservation classes.
www.art-of-conservation.com

Like any other graduation it was exciting and chaotic. Proud parents, who in general are much less educated than their children, sat on the sidelines as the kids walked up to the front to say "I am an Art of Conservation Graduate" into the microphone, and receive their portfolios of work to share with their parents or guardians. There were a large number of local kids gathered to watch the proceedings, and many local authorities attended and gave nice speeches. The kids performed for the crowd with songs and dance - several were directed at thanking Julie and Art-of-Conservation. Great day full of smiles and enthusiasm! Take a look at the photos, and you'll get a sense of the feeling of the day.















Local authorities watching alternative fuel briquette demonstration.







Julie receiving gift of traditional gown.

Flat tire at the Uganda/Rwanda border

Last weekend I went to Kisoro, Uganda for a bit of a holiday. It was election weekend in Rwanda, AND I visited with some friends in Uganda. It was great fun - we drummed with Sheba, hiked to see Golden Monkeys, ate good food, drank good beer and in general had a blast. I stayed at the historic Travelers Rest. Here are a couple of photos of the hotel.

When I got to the border to go back to Rwanda, the crossing was relatively easy - no long lines, no long wait to get the passport stamped - all seemed to be going just fine. But then I got to the truck. the right rear tire was completely flat. I stood looking at it for a moment, considering my options. In a jiffy there were 5 men wanting to help. I chose the one with a Canada sweatshirt, and told him I would only pay one person. He explained that they would all share. OK. That works for me.

By the time I have the doors unlocked and am looking for the jack, they have the spare off the roof. This seems to be really going well! But then I can't find the jack. We all climb into the back of the Land Cruiser and look. No jack. Not to worry. Canada says he can find a jack, so the rest of us sit and wait. And I call Schadrack, my right hand man and administrator, just to let him know what is going on. He told me that for sure there is a jack in the truck, so I scramble back in and look over and under. One of my new "friends" even opens the hood. No jack.

In the meantime Canada comes back with a jack. Yay! He gets it pumping while Sam uses the wrench from his car to try to loosten the nuts on the tire. The wrench does not fit. "We need a spanner" says Sam. And there is much commotion and Kinyarwanda talk about spanners. A guy in a Obama vest says he can find a spanner. We now have a small crowd watching, and I give a little girl a granola bar. She smiles shyly and runs off to eat the tasty treat. Sam runs back to Uganda for a bigger spanner. Fifteen minutes later Sam and Obama vest are back with 3 spanners, none of which fit our truck. Time for reinforcements.

I call Schadrack again, and ask him to send Faustin, our guard, on a moto with the jack and wrench from our other truck. It is a 30 minute drive, so I sit on the spare and wait. Canada, Sam and the others dispurse, but I see them watching, waiting for Faustin in the hopes that I'll still pay them. While I'm waiting, I watch a little wagtail on the side mirror watching himself strut back and forth. Pertty cute until he launches himself into the mirror. I chase him away. I also watch the everpresent yellow-billed kites, pied crows, white naped ravens as they soar and bicker. There are about a dozen boys kick boxing up the street, and the little, crowded buses arrive, unload, reload and take off. Then it starts to rain. But just a little.

Faustin finally arrives and I supress the urge to give him a big hug. Sam, Canada, Obama vest and the others flock back and begin to help Faustin. As they are messing with the jack he brought, Faustin reaches into the back of the truck, removes a side panel behind one of the seats, and pulls out a jack and wrench. I am very embarrassed. Some independent woman.... He yells at the guys in Kinyarwanda, but it sorta sounds like "you idiots, it is right here!"...

The spare is on, the flat tire in the truck, and hands are out for payment. Faustin says "um va!!!" "Listen!!" and there is heated discussion. Finally Faustin hands over the equivalent of 2 dollars. Everybody is happy and we are on our way. Faustin speaks French and Kinyarwanda. I speak english, 10 words of Kinyarwanda and baby French. I apologized in every language I could, and he laughed. What a day.

Drumming in Uganda

I think I've missed my calling...

One whole year

Tomorrow is my one year anniversary, living in Africa. Wow time flies. Today I am sitting at my desk in my little house working at the computer - I am hopelessly behind on paperwork. I'm watching mousebirds, sunbirds and bulbuls as they flit in the bushes just outside my window. It is sunday afternoon and about 75 degrees in the dry season - the sun is bright and the ground is dry and dusty. It is cold at night though (well, 50s...) - GREAT climate! Ama and Boots are asleep at my feet, and I can hear the neighborhood kids laughing and hollering, crows and hadada ibis calling in the distance, and a circular saw is running almost constantly as a house goes up two doors down. I'm re-reading George Schaller's "The Year of the Gorilla" in my spare time, and it is so much more meaningful to me now - I recognize the places he names, I can see his descriptions of trekking through the forest and gorilla behavior in my mind's eye. I am still amazed that I work here. That I see mountain gorilla groups weekly if not more often. That I am privaleged to work in 3 countries with a wonderful team of dedicated people. That my family understands this crazy notion of mine that working in Africa for 2 years is okay...

Rock Island

Last week I spent some time with a friend of a Friend - Tim is an engineer who is with Engineers Without Borders. He worked with Carl, my friend from Madison who has worked here in Rwanda through EWB. Tim and his friends and I went to see the gorilla orphans and talked about Madison Wisconsin, and had a nice time! At the end of the visit Tim handed me a small package from Carl, which contained playing cards and score cards - yay! I need to teach some folks around here to play Euchre! There was also a Rock Island bandanna that looks to be compliments of Melinda - thank you! I put it on my wall so that I can easily go to Rock Island in my memories as I look at the familiar map. And Mary, thank you for the wonderful letter and chive card. I am thinking of you all as you get ready for the annual trek to the rock.

This is the picture I have on my computer desk top from several years ago. I'll be there in spirit this summer!

Our regional veterinary team

Each month all Gorilla Doctors gather in Ruhengeri at our regional office for “veterinary rounds”. We also invite Dr. Arthur, the ICCN veterinarian for Virunga National Park in Congo, Dr. Cyprian, our volunteer veterinarian who is helping with our domestic animals cases, and Elisabeth, the Volcanoes Nation Park Veterinary Warden and our dear partner in Rwanda. We meet to discuss cases, specific gorilla medicine subjects, and in general share our experiences and learn from each other. We have such a great team, and each time we get together I am reminded of what a devoted, knowledgeable and hard working group of veterinarians and professionals I am privileged to work with.

This month we had several interesting and sometimes difficult cases to discuss. Dr. Magdalena and Dr. Fred had a difficult case with the tiny twin gorilla baby in Bwindi who died shortly after she was found. She was much smaller than her twin, and the suspicion is that the mother could not provide enough mild for both babies to grow well. There was Mukunda, the silverback in DRC who had been out of the forest for almost 2 weeks when Dr. Eddy, Dr. Arthur and I anesthetized him to move him back to the forest – a case with medical and political issues that were good for us to discuss as a team. And of course the Pablo group tragedies of last month. We debrief, discuss all medical and political aspects of each case. We try to learn as much as we can from each situation to apply to the next similar case. This is also a part of capacity building for our regional veterinarians. In addition we try to send each veterinarian to an intensive continuing education experience each year.


From left to right around the table: Dr. Eddy, Dr. Fred, Dr. Julius,
Elisabeth, Dr. Magda, Dr. Jacques, Dr. Cyprian and Dr. Arthur.

Each “rounds” we also discuss a specific subject, and this month we talked about anti-inflammatory drugs – you know, ibuprofen and the like. Probably sounds pretty boring, but it is a great learning opportunity for us to discuss in depth the drugs that we use, so that we always use them wisely! This month JP also gave us a lesson on calibrating our microscopes so that we can accurately measure cells and parasites. I learned a lot from him that day.


JP during the lecture portion of his presentation.


Dr. Eddy looking in the microscope, with Dr. Fred, Dr. Julius, Dr. Arthur, and JP the teacher.

You can read the biographies of each of our Gorilla Doctors on the website (http://www.gorilladoctors.org/), but let me tell you a bit more about each of these incredibly dedicated people.

Dr. Eddy and Dr. Jacqes are our Field Veterinarians in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are some of the bravest people I know. Remember that Dr. Eddy went to Walikali to confiscate little Njingala, even though it was a “red zone” at the time. Things are beginning to stabilize in Congo where we work, but Drs. Eddy and Jacques must always be alert to rebel activities. Dr. Jacques is our “fixer” in Congo – he can help make almost anything happen when we need it! They currently work with one truck between them, with little complaint – we are working on acquiring another, but funds are limited at the moment!

Dr. Fred is our newest Field Veterinarian, working in Uganda. He came to us with considerable experience with chimpanzees and is working hard to learn all of the habituated gorilla groups in Bwindi! We are trying to secure a microscope for his field station in Bwindi so he can run some simple tests there rather than having to run samples to Kampala or Ruhengeri. Dr. Fred is a great folk story teller and a gentle soul.


Dr. Eddy and Dr. Fred listening intently.

Dr. Julius is our newest Gorilla Doctor. He is setting up an office in Kigali and is the Rwanda Country Coordinator for a program called Predict. He will be coordinating very important work investigating zoonotic diseases in the country (diseases that can move between animals and people). Dr. Julius also comes to us with chimpanzee experience, but will now gain experience with many species as he investigates diseases.

Elisabeth has been working as a veterinary technician with mountain gorillas for over 20 years. Her experience and wisdom make her an invaluable partner to MGVP, and we lean on her when we are making difficult field decisions. She is not only our partner, but a good friend to each of us.


Dr. Julius and Elisabeth soaking up the information JP was presenting!

Jean Paul (JP) is the manager of our Employee Health Program. He works so very hard to be sure all trackers, guides and rangers have their annual physical examinations, receive their results, receive treatment, etc. He also compiles all results and reports and works with doctors and hospitals in all 3 countries. In addition is the lab manager when he is in the office, and is our resident microbiologist. He just returned from an intensive course in primate parasitology in Germany, and will be presenting what he learned there at our next rounds!

Dr. Noel joined us last October as a laboratory technician. He recently received his veterinary degree from ISAE and did his final project looking at parasites in cows around the park. He is hard working, dedicated to learning, and loves working in the lab. We hope to send him to the United States for intensive labwork experience sometime this year once we raise the airfare.

Dr. Magdalena is our Regional Field Veterinarian, and she stands ready to work in all 3 countries if and when needed. She has the most experience in our regional team on management of respiratory diseases, and works a lot with the confiscated orphan gorillas in Kinigi. Like Fred and Julius, she absolutely adores chimps, but we do not hold that against any of them!

Not present at rounds this month were Dr. Jean Felix, who is pursuing masters in Public Health in Kigali at the moment, Dr. Benard, who is the Uganda Country Coordinator for Predict, and Drs. Mike and Kirsten, our fearless and dedicated leaders who work non-stop behind the scenes to keep us on track!


Dr. Eddy, Dr. Noel, Dr. Fred and Dr. Julius.

The days we have our monthly veterinary rounds are long, but we always try to end with dart practice for fun. We use a banana tree in the back yard as our target – he’s still alive, although a bit tattered, especially around the “bull’s eye”!




We are a team of veterinarians and professionals working toward the same goal – gorilla health and conservation. We do that by direct gorilla care, human health care, domestic animal health care. One Health.

Olivier (vet student), Dr. Eddy, Dr. Julius, Dr. Magda, Dr. Jacques, Schadrack (administrator), JP, Dr. Cyprian, Dr. Fred, and in front, Dr. Noel and me!

Many thanks to Molly Feltner for the great photos.