The entry will cover the entire Directed Research period, which extends from the days right after homestay until three days before we leave. We collected data in the field for nine days, in three separate study areas within the Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem. We then would spend the a week and a half with data analysis as well as the drafting of our research papers. The final product would be a presentation to the local community of the research each group, Wildlife Ecology, Wildlife Management, and Environmental Policy.
My research was done in the Wildlife Management(WM) category, specifically, I was to study the habitat preference and functional response of the large mammals between three levels of wildlife protection. The study area consisted of Lake Manyara National Park, Manyara Ranch Conservancy, and the Mto wa Mbu community area. But I won't bore you any further with the blah dee blah details. If you want to see what I did specifically, I can give you my paper or tell you about it in person.I'm just writing this entry to let you know how it went.
So... here we go. What a ride, man. Data collection was a total blast. At least for the most part.. It's kinda hard being stuck in a car with the same people every day for 9 straight days, especially when one or a few of them think that they are leaders. You know those girls that think the world revolves around them, specifically the wealthy ones. Hmm.. sounds a bit like Elon. Anyways, apparently I was stealing the show, but my partner Asha Misra and I were the most competent, collected, and connected people in the entire group. I have to thank her for that. I know that I'm pretty play it cool, but staying on task(at least with data entry) isn't my forte. Out in the field, I'm your guy though.I was spotting animals left and right, identifying and aging/sexing them. It's a ton of fun, and I wanna get really good at it by the end of this lifetime.
Manyara Ranch was actually a really cool place. What is so special about it is that livestock keeping and and wildlife conservation are both practiced there. Tourism isn't huge there at the moment, but if people hear more about it, then the local community will benefit from the protection of their animals and will still be able to look after their families. We saw a number of different animal species there, from the basic zebra, wildebeest, impala, giraffe and elephant, to the lesser known antelope such as kudu and eland. We also discovered steinbok on multiple occasions, which hadn't ever been recorded in the area. It was exciting to see how the ranch was just as effective as Lake Manyara National Park at protecting the animals I love. The park was another ball game. I was used to the area, since I had been to the park multiple times, so I was prepared to be bored out of my mind, seeing the same places with similar faces(the same animals). Boy, was I wrong. Sure the first day was kinda rough, but we got to see elephants right next to the car. It was amazing. Then, on the next two days, I got to see the famous tree-climbing lions.Granted, they weren't in trees, but they were still lions all the same. In fact, the last lion sighting was made possible by yours truly, by spotting them from a long way off. Can you tell I'm proud of that spot? We also saw klipspringer, warthog, hippo, baboons, bushbuck, Sykes' and vervet monkeys, and the ever popular waterbuck. There was also this great occasion when we almost got stuck in the mud, and we slid around like crazy. The car got really dirty ad it was pretty terrifying, but definitely exhilarating. The community area was definitely interesting. There was pretty much no wildlife, only livestock, but the rainy season definitely made it more interesting than that. We slid all over the place in the mud, and even got stuck in the soft ground up to the axle. Very interesting day to say the least, but it was a pretty good way to end it.
Analysis and drafting was a completely different animal. The frustration level I had with people was surprising, especially to me. It's amazing how people like me let others take the lead on things, and then we're the ones stuck picking up the pieces. And a word to the wise, if you're wrong, don't act like you're right. Especially if you've been wrong time and time again. If you're unsure, ask someone for help or at least do your own work to get the right answers. Some people are only quiet because they are thinking to determine the right way things need to be done. Some people spend so much time talking or trying to be in charge that they don't think. Really. It's happened a ton to me in my life
and I'm tired of being right all the time. I don't know everything, not even close, but when I open my mouth I at least know what I'm saying about whatever it is and if I don't know, I'll ask.
So that was that with that and I wrote a paper. Learned a ton about the habitat preferences of many large mammals. Here are my results: Animals that were domesticated had higher average niche widths than wildlife species, meaning that they were generalist species. I know, I know, duhhh. But here comes the interesting part. Giraffe had one of the largest niche widths as strict browsers, and all the monkeys, namely baboons, had really small ones. I also determined that large mammals that were found in both LMNP and MR preferred more open habitats in the park and more covered habitats in the ranch. That means, that they are selecting habitat that is easier to conceal themselves from hunters in the ranch where they are being heavily poached. This is a big step in the overall research for a few reasons. One, because data shows that Manyara Ranch is effective in supporting high biodiversity and density of wildlife while still supporting local livelihoods. This means that it is a successful conservation strategy and management method. Second, behavioral and habitat preference results show that animals are being illegally hunted in this ranch, and therefore better enforcement is necessary in order to keep Manyara Ranch in top form. This may in turn create more jobs to stimulate the local economy, while still maintaining the current practices such as pastoralism. If the area becomes a hotspot for wildlife, tourism will then factor in as a driver in the upkeep of the ranch and eventually the local economy. If areas like these become successful for both conservation and the local people, then it is likely that more will be set up, preserving the dispersal area around Lake Manyara National Park, and overall benefiting the Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem as a whole. BOO YA!
Is that not crazy? I had no idea the implications that one little study could have on the benefits of East African wildlife. However, I doubt that people can make the assumption that it'l work, so I wanna do some more research on it. It's become really interesting to me and I want to know the end result of the 5 year research plan from SFS. Hopefully the local people act on these results and are able to make it better for themselves. As a foreigner, I can't just come in and tell them that they are required to protect the wildlife, it's their wildlife, but I don't want Africa to end up like America, with a tiny fraction of the biodiversity that once existed there. Therefore, I hope that they act accordingly and help themselves and their wildlife.
The presentation was an interesting day. Definitely a long day. I loved hearing all the results of my friends' work. There were some cool projects. I didn't really have anything fancy to wear, so I wore the blazer that I had made at the tailor. It's a pretty snazzy jacket if I do say so myself. I plan on wearing it a ton at home, probably not to formal events, but definitely around. We'll see how it goes over with the mother unit. My time in Africa is winding down, and as I sit here typing this entry, I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that I'll miss it here....
But the sappy stuff is for tomorrow's entry.
SWOD today is kidogo which means "little" or "small"
Tutaonana everybody. I'll see you soon.
-Ian
