Two pictures I wish I had

My last full day at Harnas for this trip. I leave tomorrow morning for a day in Windhoek--then the next day on to home--via Addis Ababba (in Ethiopia_, a short stop in Dublin (for fuel), and a layover in Washington DC.

Today I was just going about my business, feeding my babies, and I had an amusing experience. I was taking the baby baboons their bottles and got to the enclosure and noticed they were a bit wired up--running around, screaming--you know, baboon stuff. I also noticed that it was a mud fest. I got in the enclosure and found out why. The sprinkler nearby (the industrial type, not the gentle backyard type) was turned wrong, and it occasionally sent a stream of water into the enclosure, soaking everyone and everything.

Suddenly, it shot through the enclosure and the baboons (five of them) went NUTS, screaming and running for their lives. I didn't want to get hit by the water, so I stood in the one dry corner and was joined immediately by five soaked, muddy, screaming baboons. They all jumped on me and I had three in my arms and two standing on my shoulders, holding my head (hair). It was hilarious, and I smiled and thought, first--I wish I had a picture of this, and second--this is a pure Harnas moment. I'm wet, muddy, covered in lunatic baboons, and no one would believe me. I slid to the ground and we sat there. Eventually the sprinkler turned its spray and the baboons, one by one, got off me. I tried to get them to drink their milk. The sprinkler happened again. Ditto response. And it happened a third time. I was pretty trapped. But a bushman came along, readjusted the spray, and everything calmed down.

I don't have a picture, but this is one of me holding two baboons about the same size a few years ago. Add three baboons, mix with water and mud, and make everyone scream, and you'll have the picture.

The second picture I wish I had happened not long afterwards--and is also a pure Harnas moment, but much different. Every day I walk out to see my favorite cheetah Atheno. When I got there, I called for him, but lately he's been waiting for me to find him under a shady tree. I did very shortly--I know his favorite spots. I sat down and stretched my legs out in front of me, and he moved over to me, lay down, and put his head in my lap and began to purr. I stroked his cheeks, chin, and head and he kept purring. We sat like that for about 10-15 minutes, and I told him I had to go home tomorrow but that I loved him. He kept his head in my lap, stretched one paw over my legs, and we just sat there for awhile. I so wish I had a picture of that idyllic moment. Just me and my guy in perfect natural harmony. But I couldn't have reached for my camera in my pocket without disturbing him, so I just let him be and I made special note of every sensation, every sound, and every emotion I had. It was perfect.

I do have a short video from the other day, though. This is will give you an idea of our moment together.

So time to go home again. I miss my dogs, American toilet paper, and good water pressure. But I love it here and am so happy that I was once again able to spend time with all my Harnas friends. See you on the other side of the world. BB

Some short tales

COCK FIGHT AT DAWN
See this rooster?

He's my nemesis. Every morning as I walk to the food prep area, I stop at the enclosure that holds many birds, including 2 big beautiful macaws that I feed peanuts to. But while I'm focused on them, this rooster sneaks up behind me and attacks me. I scream at it, charge it, and wave my arms wildly--but it continues to attack. I have a fairly good sized wound on my leg where it caught me from behind one day.

One day I saw Marieta at the same time and yelled to her, "This rooster is trying to kill me!" She said, "RUN!" So I did--and bloody thing chased me halfway home. I could hear Marieta's laugh all the way. With all the dangerous animals here, it would be a shame if I was most wounded by a rooster. Pathetic

INTERSPECIES FRIENDSHIP

In the morning, I open the little kitchen where I prepare my bottles for various babies, and greet Willem, a baby duiker that was orphaned. He's sleeping under a table on a blanket--so cute. Soon after, a 6-8 month old puppy, Alaska, enters and goes immediately to Willem, curls up next to him and starts to lick him. She's a natural mother (she also grooms the puppy I showed in an earlier post). The two of them often go nose to nose, and sometimes wander the garden area together while I work. I keep an eye on them through the window, and  Alaska is like a nanny--following Willem everywhere and making sure he doesn't get hurt. It's adorable.

MY NEIGHBORS

Outside my front door you can find a variety of animals. Five cheetahs live across the road, but you might see baboons, goats, mongooses, cats, dogs wandering around. One pair that is almost always about are ostriches--a male and a female. I give them wide berth because I remember that they can only kick in one direction--a powerful kick--but I can't remember if it's forward or backward. They get fairly close, though, and sometimes I have to wave my arms and shoo them away.

Did you know that the females are brown because they sit on the nest during the day, so they blend in with the dirt. And the males are black because they sit on the nest at night. Fascinating. This one today, a male, looks like he was smiling at me, but I doubt his intentions were friendly.

FINALLY, AN UPDATE

Here is the picture I didn't have before of the baboon Ollie grooming me on our baboon walk.

Unfortunately, I have bad news about Ollie. First let me tell you about her. She loves grabbing the sides of your face and staring into your eyes. We think she's looking at her reflection in them because she does the same thing with sunglasses. Then she makes funny faces, especially wagging her tongue back and forth as if to amuse herself. She's special.

She's been sick a lot. They figured out she had liver disease and was occasionally taken to Windhoek to be treated. This past week the vet said that he thinks she has cancer. She's having surgery later this week to verify, and then Marieta will have to make a hard decision about her.

Beginnings and endings--they are ever present here at Harnas.