We went south the other day with our friend Aleia to help
with her project on animal health at the forest edge. We found out that these
particular farmers aren’t having the same problems of losing their cows and
pigs to sickness that we often hear about in the more northerly villages where
we work, but on the other hand one had recently lost 4 goats to a python. You
win some you lose some I guess. Jess enjoyed the chance to be “off-duty” in the
communities and take lots of pictures, Andrew pitched in and helped catch
chickens and squirt the animals with tick spray. When the team would arrive at
a household, the family would move basically all the furniture that they owned
out into their yard where we would sit and entertain children and birdwatch and
eavesdrop while the team filled out forms. Then we witnessed some exciting
injection and bloodsampling procedures (unbeknownst to the villagers, Aleia is
also just learning ropes in terms of veterinary care). People here often
automatically assume that if you are white, then you know what you are doing.
They even thought that Andrew and I were also vets, until they watched Andrew
trying to spray down the cow. Fortunately, we made it to the end of the day
with all animals and people still accounted for and more de-wormer on
four-legged things than ourselves. We’ve
posted some funny pictures though.
with her project on animal health at the forest edge. We found out that these
particular farmers aren’t having the same problems of losing their cows and
pigs to sickness that we often hear about in the more northerly villages where
we work, but on the other hand one had recently lost 4 goats to a python. You
win some you lose some I guess. Jess enjoyed the chance to be “off-duty” in the
communities and take lots of pictures, Andrew pitched in and helped catch
chickens and squirt the animals with tick spray. When the team would arrive at
a household, the family would move basically all the furniture that they owned
out into their yard where we would sit and entertain children and birdwatch and
eavesdrop while the team filled out forms. Then we witnessed some exciting
injection and bloodsampling procedures (unbeknownst to the villagers, Aleia is
also just learning ropes in terms of veterinary care). People here often
automatically assume that if you are white, then you know what you are doing.
They even thought that Andrew and I were also vets, until they watched Andrew
trying to spray down the cow. Fortunately, we made it to the end of the day
with all animals and people still accounted for and more de-wormer on
four-legged things than ourselves. We’ve
posted some funny pictures though.