Burning the Underbrush to Ward Off Animals

This photo shows that over break much of the campus underbrush was burned. This is an effort to keep the wild animals off the campus – particularly the leopards which would come seeking the smaller animals which live there.

Last Sunday afternoon the head of the science department and his wife (Jon and Phyllis Masso) drove us around the surrounding area. They are Americans who have been here ten years and, unlike most of the faculty, have their own house and car. We were amazed to see small herds of giraffe, hartebeest, wildebeest, gazelle, impala, eland, and guinea fowl. It’s like living in a game reserve. A couple of weeks ago, our neighbors found a “baby” python in the breezeway of our flat. They said it was only 5 feet long. Yesterday, Phil saw his first snake (about 3 to 4 feet long) as he walked home from his office. They tell us there is an abundance of snakes – so Judy has her eyes wide open!