An Experience of a Lifetime Is a Life Changing Experience (Part 1)

 

"Billie" and me (L) compared to Jane Goodall and one of her chimps (R).

Always eager for my next adventure, it came in the form of a beckoning from the chimpanzees and mountain gorillas of Uganda.

"A regular Jane Goodall!", quipped my older son, when he saw a photo of "Billie" in my arms, then promptly texted back this side by side comparison of the renowned primatologist/anthropologist and me.

"I was thinking the same thing lol.", replied his brother.

 It has been over a year, now, since I spent the morning at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) where we interacted with juvenile chimpanzees, who ranged in age from 3 to 7 years old.  Originally founded in the 1950's, the UWEC's aim has been to rescue injured or orphaned animals whose parents were captured by poachers or smugglers - both of whom are still a threat today.

Introducing himself as "Dan the Man", our guide enlightened us to the nefarious activities of disingenuous individuals who are willing to harm these nearly human-like beings for what  might be considered very little monetary gain.  He explained that the authorities and conservationists have been unsuccessful in managing the act of poaching in an effective manner.  Substantial fines are imposed upon people who purchase animals (or their various body parts) for exorbitant prices, but they are sanctioning (likely meaningless) consequences on the wrong group of people.   In order to abolish this illegal practice, the lowest paid person on the rung of this unsustainable ladder must be educated on the far reaching, negative impacts, that fall like dominoes, onto the animals (both those who are captured and those who are not), the environment, the ecosystem, and the economy.

Here is how Dan explained it:

"Poaching is a multi-billion dollar industry.  The first man, who has 3 wives and 11 children, is paid $200 to capture an animal. That amount of income is everything to him because he must take care of his family. The second guy gets $1000 for delivering the animal to a "middle man", who then sells it to another guy for $3000, who finally sells the ill-gotten animal/tusk/teeth/tail to the billionaire - to whom money is, apparently, no object, and is willing to pay any price for it."

Dan reasoned that, punishing the final purchaser (the "billionaire") is the least efficacious way to put an end to poaching, and insisted that one must reach back to the first person in the chain - the guy with the 3 wives and more children than he can comfortably feed, and educate him (and his wives) about family planning and conservation.  Teaching children, when they are young, and allowing them to grow up with a healthy respect for their land and all of its inhabitants, gets to the core of how to eliminate this abhorrent trade.  In a nutshell, as with most other things, it all comes down to education which is, indeed, one of the goals of the UWEC.  

We can not protect what we do not fully understand.  

Cultivating a youth who grasps the importance of Africa's wildlife population, or biodiversity, will ultimately facilitate a populace who comprehends and values its connection to the overall stability of its ecosystem.  The more diverse and complex that network is, the greater the variety of plant and animal life that sustain food webs and biotic interactions.  

What I learned from Dan is that poaching not only destroys the majestic animals, which are integral to Africa's tourism industry - thus, to its economy, but it also removes the delicate balance that enables these creatures, magnificent plant life, and the human population to thrive.  

In the primate world, Dan relayed, if a mother is captured, dies, or becomes otherwise incapacitated, one of the other females - perhaps an "aunt" adopts the baby.  Should that female meet a similar fate, the next mother-figure "in line" takes over, and so-on through the chain of command. The maternal role in the lives of the juvenile chimps at the UWEC has likely been filled by 4 or 5 different females, until these little guys are ultimately left alone without the influence and protection of their mothers.

So....with the knowledge imparted by "Dan the Man", and with a new conceptualization of the magnitude of Uganda's wildlife to nourishing her land, her people, and her long-term existence, I stepped into a world - unknown to me before now, and one that was life changing, heart lifting, and awe inspiring.  

I am different, today, than I was prior to February of 2022 - before I understood the expansive threat of poaching, before I held the hands that were so much like my own, and before I witnessed mutual trust being built between young primates - whose lives and habitats are endangered by humans - and the humans who fear the unknown when in the midst of untamed animals.  

Just another leap of faith in this big, wide universe that, I hope, we each strive to preserve, protect, and leave in better condition than we found it.

© Cre8ive Writes, LLC  2023