On fences and animals

So the workshop continues well - we've had several long days thinking hard about savannah conservation and ecology - it's been great to learn from all the South Africans here about their perspective, and to open their eyes to some major differences between Southern and Eastern savannah ecosystems. We've had days packed with activity, thinking, talking, eating and birding. Most days I've met the guides at 6.15 for a birding trip, getting back at 7.30 for breakfast of whatever you happen to think might be possible (so far the only chilli sauce has been off the menu - one of the few items that WAS available at the village in Seronera!), then 8.30 start for thinking and arguing. We've settled on something describing the 10 greatest mistakes South Africa has made in managing their savannah landscapes that east Africa can still avoid (which is where fences come in - in the main East African parks are unfenced blocks contiguous with the surrounding land - all South African parks are fenced to keep animals (and animal disease) in, and people out. But that means South Africa has just about lost migratory systems, with all sorts of (largely unknown) impacts on what remains. Did you realise there was a 1,000,000 springbok migration in South Africa once upon a time? So showing those guys even the fragment of the Serengeti migration that's over this side of the park at the moment has been wonderful! And there are lots of other mistakes to mention too. Then we've had three-course lunches, followed by more or less coherent discussion (depending on the volume of wine consumed) and mostly ended up with a game drive in the evening stopping somewhere nice to enjoy very decadent sundowners, before coming back to a few more drinks before a slap-up meal lasting late into the night (and since I've volunteered to drive the paper writing process, I've then sometimes been up even later making sure we have things formulated for the next morning...). Very nice. I've had so much fun seing everyone's interests in the field - I think they've learnt some things about birds, I've learnt loads about grass and trees, and there's some very hot mammal folk around too. (Most of whom, even the Tanzanians, have been stunned by the sheer numbers of (resident) game on the plains here - the guys who've been around awhile have seen the topi herds (complete with loads of sandy coloured babies) and haven't seen herds like this for 30 years in the National Park. Amazing what happens when you really control poaching... Not bad to keep stumbling into lions and cheetahs too - though yesterday was entertaining as we'd earlier watched a male lion walk off from us into some thicker grass, lie down and disappear and then a few kilometers further on we all hopped out to look at some seedling acacias and I pointed out that the grassy patch we were walking towards was just as thick as the one we'd seen a lion vanish into when there was a loud growling and up jumped a huge male with a massive mane! Happily he ran off into the distance, but it made us all jump! Botanists seem even less observant and aware of dangers than birders!

Still, a few pictures to make you all suitably jealous...

 Savannah ecologists in natural habitat (but perhaps slightly more decadent than usual!)

 View from my computer...

It's tough in the bar...