12-2-08

Wildlife in the Congo

Well lets start off with the surprise. About two nights ago, one of our employee's girlfriend was about to go home for the evening and was about to leave our residence on a motorcycle with her driver. As she lets she let out a terrible scream. I ran out side to see what was the commotion. When I got there, I saw the headlights of the motorcycle fixed on a snake on the ground, and our cook beating it with a huge stick. They weren't sure if it was dead so they started to poke it. I, being safely far away from this, suggested they get a machete and cut off its head. After they cut off its head, they held up the body and I took photos. The scary thing was the snake was a gaboon viper, one of the deadliest snakes in the world. If it bites you, you would be dead in 20 minutes without medical attention. Well, after the workers killed the snake, they took it home and ate it. Nothing goes to waste here in the DRC.

The other thing that is going on is our chimp, Aketi, a.k.a. Det. Munch. Nothing says good morning than having a baby chimp smear banana across your bare chest at 6:30 in the morning. Also, when he wants to climb up r down on me, he will grab onto anything. Body hair flesh and “other” parts. IT can be painful being a surrogate parent to a chimp, but his cute face make it worth it.