A visit to the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania

Saturday, 11 June 2011


Before I continue any further, please allow me to introduce you to my research assistant - Elvis Munis. He is a remarkable person: fluent in 5 languages, marathon cyclist (he just finished co-guiding a cycling tour from Cairo to Cape Town... not sure if you can see the sign on his bike?), avid birder and overall extremely passionate naturalist, and a fantastic guide and friend.  Though I feel this list of descriptions doesn't do him justice.  Suffice it to say that I am psyched to have him as my assistant and am really looking forward to working with him in the Serengeti, where his help will be invaluable.  (BTW, you can check out Elvis' own blog here: cyclingaroundafrica.blogspot.com)

This morning Elvis took me to the natural history museum of The Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST).  This organization's mission (copied straight off their website: http://www.wcstarusha.org/) is to work towards the conservation of the flora, fauna,  and environment of Tanzania for the benefit of mankind. The Society was founded in 1988 and is Tanzania's only national conservation organization.


Since its founding over fifteen years ago, WCST has been involved in a wide array of conservation activities at the local and national levels. These include environmental education and recreational activities such as bird walks; forest conservation in places such as the Eastern Arc and coastal forests; conservation policy including a prominent role in advocating for the original international ban on ivory trade in 1989; and conservation of important bird habitats in Tanzania.


Here's our friend the Marabou Stork.  He was guarding the entrance to the museum, so I took this opportunity to snap a few pics.  These storks are so crazy looking!  I can't get over it.

A collection of taxidermic mounts that has yet to be organized, labeled, and displayed properly.  As of now, it's just a bunch of animal skins crammed into one little shed... definitely NOT in museum-presentable format.  This is a good size comparison of little me to the giant business-end of an African buffalo (Syncerus caffer).  Yep, this fella could take me out with one "soft" nudge of those powerful horns.

Elvis conversing with a Leopard... such pals

While this natural history museum is a fabulous first-step in the direction of offering environmental education opportunities to tourists and locals alike, it has a long way to go yet in its infrastructure, design, and quality of displays.  But the most depressing thing for me was seeing this gorgeous Tawny Eagle confined to a tiny outdoor enclosure.  The bird had just one perch and no room at all to fly in.  I spoke to the museum's director about this and emphasized that something really ought to be done to enhance the living conditions of this majestic bird!

What a beauty...

Elvis and I came to this museum by the invitation of Dick Presson, an amazing naturalist and photographer whose professional photographs are displayed on almost every wall of the museum.  We randomly bumped into him on the street.  So many friendships are made here this way.  Elvis seems to greet every fifth person he sees!  Complete strangers greet each other regularly and with enthusiasm.  Connections are where it's at in a place where inter-dependency means survival.  I told Elvis how sad it is that in the States we barely know our neighbors... but I'm guessing that's due to the fact that we're so independent and capable financially.  If we had needs, and everyone around us had similar needs, then we'd be out to make those connections alright.  "I scratch your back, you scratch mine."  Aaaanyway, I got off topic.  Here's a poster I saw of Dick Presson in the mud, trying to get the perfect shot of some cool creature.

I asked to take a picture of Dick with his mounted photographs in the background.  His photography is amazing... some photos were 15 years in the making.  (Meaning, he'd been observing a certain animal for 15 years until that one day when he snapped a shot of a certain behavior he'd always wanted to capture.)

Watch it, bustard!

The Conservation Resource Center (CRC), though which I was able to acquire all of my permits.  The CRC is an aid to researchers coming to do work in the country - folks there manage the crazy logistics required to obtain the necessary research permits.  It's a regular haunting ground of mine while I'm in Arusha.  Oh, and if you're wondering why I'm not in the Serengeti yet, there's just this little matter of buying a car...

A pretty Baglafecht Weaver sitting on a wire outside the CRC: