February 1, 2012
Our Crocodiles
This week seems to a never ending string of surprises and intrigue. I went up to the keepers area to meet them at 8 AM meeting to find no one but our head keeper Raphael waiting for me. As it turns out all the keepers were at a meeting for becoming a union. I am personally very happy for the keepers that they are taking control of what they deserve. I am in support of the workers in most cases because they do more than anyone in management comprehends, also I have been in their shoes the majority of my life and I know how badly management can take advantage of their staff if given the opportunity. The management here claims that a union is going to be the fall of Munda Wanga, but to me a staff that is well represented and taken care of is much more hard working and cares much more about their jobs. When management can only find fault with them and their work it makes for a very unmotivated or caring staff, it won’t matter what they do right they will only be criticized for what isn’t perfect.
The Store Room Mess
Attempting to Sort the Mess
Due to the meeting I wasn’t able to get started on collection lists right away as planed so I jumped into cleaning out the dry storage area with Lauren one of our vet volunteers and with Debra a young local volunteer wanting more animal care experience. As you can see from the before and after pictures we were able to accomplish a lot in a very short amount of time. We sorted, cleaned up a massive rat nest that was living within their food horde and managed to kill 6 of the unwanted house guests, and made what was a mess into a clean and organized storage closet. The dry storage area is also going to be home to our enrichment supply area. I am currently beginning to receive donations from the surrounding community and will hopefully have an enrichment club up and running within the next couple of months.
What it looked like after cleaning, organizing, presure washing, and rat killing.
This afternoon I meet up with the vets from Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZWA) and was able to come and observe Shumba’s treatment again. Her paw in just the last few days has made a remarkable recovery from just last week! Thank you all very much for thinking positive thoughts. The infection is gone and the one big thing holding her back is that when she is licking her wound she is also licking off the new skin that is beginning to form. So the vets decided on a new strategy, today we bandaged the wound to see if it would help the healing process. We covered the bandage with a wool stock that we then medically taped on and covered with a bitter liquid that would hopefully deter her form biting or licking it. We are going to monitor it for the next 48 hours and then check to see how it goes. So again I am going to ask for all the good thoughts possible to be sent Shumbas way!
Top View of Paw
All Bandaged Up
I was, after all that happened today, able to complete all my plans for the day, I even found Emanuel, one of the Hoof stock and Bird keepers, a book on the Birds of Zambia. I was able to play the training game with the keepers again for a few minutes and the more we play the better they get and understand the reasons why we are playing. I was also able to accomplish the collection lists for primates and Hoof Stock, quite an accomplishment. I also had a very heart to heart talk with our head keeper Raphael. He told me that the keepers love me, but they are so afraid that I am going to change like other volunteers in the past and become unapproachable and underhanded. I assured him that this was not the case that the person he sees now is what he will get always. It was very nice to hear that what I am doing here is really making a difference not only in the lives of the animals, but in the lives of the keepers as well, and that I am wanted here was great to hear. I really think that I was destined to come to Munda Wanga, long before I even applied to Peace Corps. I do believe in higher powers knowing the best course of action for a person and how to make that happen. I am living proof at the moment.
Jeff and Pheri After the doing the Primate Collection List
Also an update on the kitten that is so nicely sleeping on my lap at the current moment, Galahad is doing great! He is now hitting his litter box 99% of the time, got his nails trimmed (although it is now
harder for him to climb into bed), received a bath this week (trust me when I say he needed it), and is eating well and growing like a weed. He is becoming a true comfort to me and I am so glad that I have him, as unexpected as it might have been.
Anyway enough of my chit-chat for the time being, goodnight to all, and may you all be as blessed as I have been lately. Love and miss you all, Tammy
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