My journey to Tombouctou gave me a chance to reflect and refocus. My last day there, I spent a couple of hours floating down the Niger in a pinasse, thinking about the challenges that lie ahead. Since returning to Banzena I have had to shift my expectations even further. The elephants, which remain in large groups, are still not coming to the water in the daytime. In fact, they are spending all of the daylight hours in dense acacia forest, which I cannot safely enter. I have had to accept that I might not even see the elephants by the water in the daylight, and if I do it will be a one-time opportunity. I keep faith that this will happen, but in the meantime I cannot wait for the elephants. I must go after them.
I know that they will come to the water each night, but where they come from and where they go changes each day. Success depends on following their tracks and anticipating their movements. This year the lake and marsh extend for several kilometers and the elephants use all of it at different times. For the past couple of days they have been browsing in the Tabarac Barac forest by day, and then crossing a gap of relatively open sand for the lake at dusk. Last night they waited to cross until it was too dark to make pictures. This morning they returned to the forest under the cover of darkness. Being so close yet so far is frustrating, but at least I know where they are and will continue to pursue them there.
Eager to photograph the crossing, last night I waited behind a tree until all the light was gone. As a result we had to sleep at a nearby Tuareg camp without any of our food or supplies. Elmedhi (who was understandably frustrated by my resistance to leaving earlier) insisted that it was far too dangerous to walk the 1.5 km back to our camp in the darkness. There were far too many elephants converging on the marsh. I probably would have pushed on in the dark, trusting my ability to avoid elephants. But that was before I learned that an elephant killed one of the villagers last year. So I slept in my clothes on a reed bed in a Tuareg camp under the stars.
I expected that I would go without food until the morning, but Muhammed slaughtered a small goat (something he only does when he has a guest because they are too valuable to eat otherwise). Then he brought me a bowl of the prize cuts – boiled liver, pancreas and heart. I ate with my pocketknife and hands under the moonlight, surrounded by curious onlookers. Getting stuck at the Tuareg camp provided a window into a world that I had only seen from a distance, leaving me thankful for the turn of events. I felt welcome as part of the group as I drifted into sleep amongst the family circled on sand. The night passed ephemeral as a dream, punctuated by the scuffling of goats, the rumbling of elephants in all directions, and the occasional scream of the camels when the elephants came to close to camp.
Today it is very hot and that makes me happy because it brings hope the elephants will become thirsty before nightfall. Yesterday I discovered that my light meter has a built in thermometer. Right now it reads 103 degrees. And I am sitting in the cool room where we work and rest during the midday. At least I don't have to worry about my lunch getting cold on the table beside me. Last night, when I laid down to sleep, the temperature under my mosquito net was 95 degrees (and actually feeling comfortable). It is 112 degrees in the room where I store my gear and work. When I put the thermometer in direct sunlight on the sand, it climbed quickly to 141 degrees.
Note that my camera trap is doing some good work for me in the nighttime world of elephants that I myself cannot enter. It has produced 4 rolls of film with some promise of successful pictures. I placed a digital camera on the trail for two nights. See the image gallery for a result.
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Sahara Sands
I am fascinated by the frontier nature of Tombouctou. I made a brief tour of some of the historical and cultural sites, but my main interest has been the interface with the Sahara desert. White dunes flank the city and daytime winds try to fill the streets with sand. To the north, the Sahara stretches all the way to the Mediterranean, and Tombouctou is the last outpost. It is a timeless landscape, where camel caravans disappear into the desert as they have for centuries.
Today, these caravans still connect to Sahara salt mines more than 800 km to the north. The peak of activity is in the winter months when droves of camels line the desert. But even now, in the hottest month of the year, I was able to find 32 camels marching north with one Tuareg in the lead and one at the rear. They were loaded with supplies for the long journey. I walked for a few kilometers along side of them and rode on the lead camel for a brief spell. When I turned around, Tombouctou was obscured by distant dunes. I was surrounded by the Sahara and imagined what it would be like to be walking south as I was after more than a month in the desert. My thirst was already intense after a couple of hours. The first rows of Tuareg houses were a welcome sight when they appeared beyond the sand.
Today, these caravans still connect to Sahara salt mines more than 800 km to the north. The peak of activity is in the winter months when droves of camels line the desert. But even now, in the hottest month of the year, I was able to find 32 camels marching north with one Tuareg in the lead and one at the rear. They were loaded with supplies for the long journey. I walked for a few kilometers along side of them and rode on the lead camel for a brief spell. When I turned around, Tombouctou was obscured by distant dunes. I was surrounded by the Sahara and imagined what it would be like to be walking south as I was after more than a month in the desert. My thirst was already intense after a couple of hours. The first rows of Tuareg houses were a welcome sight when they appeared beyond the sand.
Monday, May 17, 2004
To Tombouctou
Monday I set off for Tombouctou, deciding it was best for me to make this trip now rather than at the end of my stay when the elephants are more likely to congregate by water in the daylight. The other researchers have gone to Inadjatafane for a few days, giving the elephants at Banzena a short break from our presence. I am hopeful that when I return to the Sahel, the elephants will be more cooperative. I have extended my time in Mali by a couple of weeks to improve my chances.
To those of us in the western world, ‘Timbuktu' usually conjures up notions of distance and isolation. So it was quite strange to know it would be just a 4-hour drive from my Sahel camp and much more connected to the modern world. In the 1300s, Tombouctou was a great center of commerce and culture, and it is now the regional capital. I will stay 3 nights in a hotel, make some pictures, get some rest, and gather my thoughts for my final weeks of work.
To those of us in the western world, ‘Timbuktu' usually conjures up notions of distance and isolation. So it was quite strange to know it would be just a 4-hour drive from my Sahel camp and much more connected to the modern world. In the 1300s, Tombouctou was a great center of commerce and culture, and it is now the regional capital. I will stay 3 nights in a hotel, make some pictures, get some rest, and gather my thoughts for my final weeks of work.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Mopti - A Brief Change in Place
By last Thursday, the restless routine of 2 ½ weeks working in the desert was starting to take its toll on me. Here there are not rainy days to give a photographer a chance to sleep on it, I had been getting up everyday at 4:30a.m. to chase the light. When the opportunity came on Friday to go with one of our trucks to Mopti for service, I decided to step away for a night and gain some perspective. I realized I have been working with a rather limited concept of Mali as a country. I had gone directly from the USA to Inadjatafane, from civilization to Sahel.
Mopti is considered Mali's most colorful port town. It sits on the Bani River at its confluence with the Niger, between Bamako and Timbouctu. The drive from Banzena took 5 hours. In tourist season, Mopti is well visited by westerners and has a couple of nice hotels. I treated myself to air-conditioning, a swim in a pool, and a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Now I am back in the bush, and contrary to my initial suspicions, partaking in the accoutrements of civilization has not ruined my conditioning to the desert environment. In fact I should have had more ice
cream (or anything else cold) while I had the chance.
Friday evening I hired a pinasse to explore the rivers and photograph life along the banks. It was quite nice and I would like to spend more time working there someday. Saturday I went walking along the river pre-dawn and made more pictures of the cool blue vein bringing life to the desert.
While I was away, my camera trap had some promising hits, which will hopefully turn out to be elephants and not goats or donkeys.
Mopti is considered Mali's most colorful port town. It sits on the Bani River at its confluence with the Niger, between Bamako and Timbouctu. The drive from Banzena took 5 hours. In tourist season, Mopti is well visited by westerners and has a couple of nice hotels. I treated myself to air-conditioning, a swim in a pool, and a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Now I am back in the bush, and contrary to my initial suspicions, partaking in the accoutrements of civilization has not ruined my conditioning to the desert environment. In fact I should have had more ice
cream (or anything else cold) while I had the chance.
Friday evening I hired a pinasse to explore the rivers and photograph life along the banks. It was quite nice and I would like to spend more time working there someday. Saturday I went walking along the river pre-dawn and made more pictures of the cool blue vein bringing life to the desert.
While I was away, my camera trap had some promising hits, which will hopefully turn out to be elephants and not goats or donkeys.
Monday, May 10, 2004
These Elephants
These Elephants are different other elephants. There are obvious differences, such as being the last population in the Sahel, making the longest known migrations of all land animals, and having relatively small tusks. And there are also many nuances, making them especially difficult to photograph.
For example, these elephants come together in large groups during the dry season (now), in the same conditions where other African elephants would be dispersing in small groups. And mentioned in a previous entry, the large groups here are difficult and dangerous to approach. These elephants are also very afraid of vehicles. They do not see vehicles often, and when they do, it is occasional tourists harassing them. When you come too close in a vehicle, not only are they scared away; their behavior patterns are known to change for a number of days. As a result, you can only approach the elephants on foot. This is opposite to the situation in East Africa or South Africa, where elephants are often well habituated to vehicles. These elephants are also wary of outsiders such as myself (a turban can help my look but doesn't change my smell).
Another challenge is that these elephants only come to the water to drink at night, when I cannot make useful pictures (and the moon will not be full for another 3 weeks). The competition with livestock and herders is too intense during the day and the elephants will only face this situation when they become desperate. This may happen as the heat of May presses on, but will not likely take place for another 2 weeks.
For example, these elephants come together in large groups during the dry season (now), in the same conditions where other African elephants would be dispersing in small groups. And mentioned in a previous entry, the large groups here are difficult and dangerous to approach. These elephants are also very afraid of vehicles. They do not see vehicles often, and when they do, it is occasional tourists harassing them. When you come too close in a vehicle, not only are they scared away; their behavior patterns are known to change for a number of days. As a result, you can only approach the elephants on foot. This is opposite to the situation in East Africa or South Africa, where elephants are often well habituated to vehicles. These elephants are also wary of outsiders such as myself (a turban can help my look but doesn't change my smell).
Another challenge is that these elephants only come to the water to drink at night, when I cannot make useful pictures (and the moon will not be full for another 3 weeks). The competition with livestock and herders is too intense during the day and the elephants will only face this situation when they become desperate. This may happen as the heat of May presses on, but will not likely take place for another 2 weeks.
Sunday, May 9, 2004
Settling In
It's Sunday night. Tomorrow will make one week in the field for me and I am starting to figure a few things out. I search for elephants each morning and evening and return to camp to organize and rest during the grueling midday.
We have had nice weather the past 3 days, giving a small break in the temperature (last night I was comfortable while fully covered by my sheet), and providing exceptionally clear skies. The first day of the clear weather I discovered for the first time that there is an impressive rock escarpment on the horizon some 60 km to the south. I hope the good weather continues, but I get the feeling it is just a small teaser of tolerable conditions before the Harmattan starts to blow again, sand fills the air, and May earns its reputation as the hottest month of the year.
There is still some residual water in some of the outlying low areas and the Banzena swamp itself is quite full. It could be up to two weeks before the elephants really need to concentrate by the water in the daytime. Lately they have been able to hold out in the surrounding scrub and come to the lake under the cover of darkness. Last night there was an army of elephants quite close to the camp, rustling trees, growling, splashing and trumpeting. Unable to make photos, I recorded their sounds with a video camera.
This afternoon I set up a camera trap on a trail well worn by elephants. The on site preparations took about 2 hours and just as I had loaded the film and started the final test, an elephant started coming down the trail. We gathered our things in a hurry and backed away to watch. It was quite suspenseful to see the animal approach the section of trail where the camera was waiting. I was hoping to see my flashes go off in the twilight, but the elephant stopped and deviated right just before the camera. Our scent was too fresh in the area. The scent will fade and others elephants will come soon enough.
Richard and Emmanuel, the researchers for the elephant ID project, went to town today to get supplies and new tires for the Toyota. The trucks are equipped with light-duty tires and as a result we are suffering an average of one flat tire per day per vehicle. Each vehicle carries 2 complete spares and there are some days we have gone through both. The drivers, Ibraham and Papa, have against their will become experts in tire service. Some punctures are inevitable in acacia country, but daily punctures can be demoralizing. Aiming to keep spirits high in camp, this evening I bought a goat from a local herder and brought it home for dinner.
We have had nice weather the past 3 days, giving a small break in the temperature (last night I was comfortable while fully covered by my sheet), and providing exceptionally clear skies. The first day of the clear weather I discovered for the first time that there is an impressive rock escarpment on the horizon some 60 km to the south. I hope the good weather continues, but I get the feeling it is just a small teaser of tolerable conditions before the Harmattan starts to blow again, sand fills the air, and May earns its reputation as the hottest month of the year.
There is still some residual water in some of the outlying low areas and the Banzena swamp itself is quite full. It could be up to two weeks before the elephants really need to concentrate by the water in the daytime. Lately they have been able to hold out in the surrounding scrub and come to the lake under the cover of darkness. Last night there was an army of elephants quite close to the camp, rustling trees, growling, splashing and trumpeting. Unable to make photos, I recorded their sounds with a video camera.
This afternoon I set up a camera trap on a trail well worn by elephants. The on site preparations took about 2 hours and just as I had loaded the film and started the final test, an elephant started coming down the trail. We gathered our things in a hurry and backed away to watch. It was quite suspenseful to see the animal approach the section of trail where the camera was waiting. I was hoping to see my flashes go off in the twilight, but the elephant stopped and deviated right just before the camera. Our scent was too fresh in the area. The scent will fade and others elephants will come soon enough.
Richard and Emmanuel, the researchers for the elephant ID project, went to town today to get supplies and new tires for the Toyota. The trucks are equipped with light-duty tires and as a result we are suffering an average of one flat tire per day per vehicle. Each vehicle carries 2 complete spares and there are some days we have gone through both. The drivers, Ibraham and Papa, have against their will become experts in tire service. Some punctures are inevitable in acacia country, but daily punctures can be demoralizing. Aiming to keep spirits high in camp, this evening I bought a goat from a local herder and brought it home for dinner.
Wednesday, May 5, 2004
Banzena
We have been camped at Banzena for 3 nights now. It is an amazing place – a lake and vast marsh surrounded by harsh desert. To walk over a parched yellow sand dune and see for the first time the greens and blues of an improbable wetland is striking. Banzena is the quintessential desert oasis.
Last years rains were very strong, so the lake contains more water than normal.
Toureg nomads and their numerous livestock depend on this place; so do the elephants. The water sustains all life here and we are expecting the elephants to congregate as we enter the driest month of the year. But one night last week there was uncharacteristic and unexpected rainfall, which filled low-lying areas with water. As a result, the elephants have been able to browse at a greater distance from the lake. This morning I observed approximately 100 elephants moving along the scrub to the east of the lake. We have been observing elephants there since Monday and their numbers seem to be increasing. The outlying puddles are drying fast and we predict that the elephants will converge on the main Banzena marsh with in the week.
Photographing the elephants here has been difficult thus far. Large groups with young calves are dangerous to approach and it is often not possible to approach the main group because doing so would require close proximity to individual males acting as scouts. I will work during the next few days to make overall pictures of the groups east of the marsh, but will wait until the elephants come to the water to make closer pictures.
I am continuing to acclimate to this environment and am finally reaching a point where I can focus more clearly. I suffered mild heat exhaustion Monday and Tuesday after working through the mid-day hours, but have now adjusted my schedule to ease the burden of this place (which can still be quite heavy). Yesterday morning I had an acacia spine pierce the sole of my shoe and go one full inch into the ball of my right foot. It effectively pinned my shoe in place. Removing the shoe and the spine from my foot took considerable force, but the wound has healed rather nicely. I have been sleeping well lately, but last night the winds were blowing, turning the slow cooking of the night into convection baking.
I have not taken any digital photos lately, but I will try to send a few to represent the area in the next week.
Evening Update: This evening, I witnessed a phenomenal natural history event, unique to the world and perhaps the most spectacular I have ever seen, as more than 100 (and possibly 200) elephants crossed a grass clearing en route to the Banzena marsh. These numbers represent approximately half the known population for all of Mali (a country as big as Colorado and Texas combined), coming together here at a swamp in the desert. I could not approach as closely as I wouldI have liked for risk of endangering myself, and more importantly the other researchers. But I did make some strong images. I will try to put a digital sample on the site.
Last years rains were very strong, so the lake contains more water than normal.
Toureg nomads and their numerous livestock depend on this place; so do the elephants. The water sustains all life here and we are expecting the elephants to congregate as we enter the driest month of the year. But one night last week there was uncharacteristic and unexpected rainfall, which filled low-lying areas with water. As a result, the elephants have been able to browse at a greater distance from the lake. This morning I observed approximately 100 elephants moving along the scrub to the east of the lake. We have been observing elephants there since Monday and their numbers seem to be increasing. The outlying puddles are drying fast and we predict that the elephants will converge on the main Banzena marsh with in the week.
Photographing the elephants here has been difficult thus far. Large groups with young calves are dangerous to approach and it is often not possible to approach the main group because doing so would require close proximity to individual males acting as scouts. I will work during the next few days to make overall pictures of the groups east of the marsh, but will wait until the elephants come to the water to make closer pictures.
I am continuing to acclimate to this environment and am finally reaching a point where I can focus more clearly. I suffered mild heat exhaustion Monday and Tuesday after working through the mid-day hours, but have now adjusted my schedule to ease the burden of this place (which can still be quite heavy). Yesterday morning I had an acacia spine pierce the sole of my shoe and go one full inch into the ball of my right foot. It effectively pinned my shoe in place. Removing the shoe and the spine from my foot took considerable force, but the wound has healed rather nicely. I have been sleeping well lately, but last night the winds were blowing, turning the slow cooking of the night into convection baking.
I have not taken any digital photos lately, but I will try to send a few to represent the area in the next week.
Evening Update: This evening, I witnessed a phenomenal natural history event, unique to the world and perhaps the most spectacular I have ever seen, as more than 100 (and possibly 200) elephants crossed a grass clearing en route to the Banzena marsh. These numbers represent approximately half the known population for all of Mali (a country as big as Colorado and Texas combined), coming together here at a swamp in the desert. I could not approach as closely as I wouldI have liked for risk of endangering myself, and more importantly the other researchers. But I did make some strong images. I will try to put a digital sample on the site.
Saturday, May 1, 2004
Moving On
We think the elephants here have moved west to Banzena, where there is a lake that holds water year-round. Elephants are known to congregate there in May, the driest month of the year, and I have high hopes of photographing them there. Banzena is two hours west of Inadjatafane. We will start our move in the morning.
To be more specific on our location, Banzena (there is no town) is about 12 hours northeast of Bamako and a couple of hours north of Douentza. The Gourma region, range of the desert elephants and the general location of all of my work in Mali, is defined as the area south of the bend in the Niger River between Mopti and Gao.
If the elephants are indeed moving to Banzena, they should continue to arrive during our time there and we could end up setting camp for a couple of weeks. That will be ideal, allowing me to work one area in more depth, setting up a remote camera and having more opportunity to document unique moments of elephant behavior. We find out soon enough.
Today I bought a turban from a small Toureg market where the nomads gather on Saturday. In addition to protecting me from blowing sands, Elmehdi said I will be camouflaged like the locals and the elephants should be more accepting of me. There is also the chance he just wanted to see me in a purple head wrap.
I will write again from Banzena, hopefully with good news, though it may be several days.
To be more specific on our location, Banzena (there is no town) is about 12 hours northeast of Bamako and a couple of hours north of Douentza. The Gourma region, range of the desert elephants and the general location of all of my work in Mali, is defined as the area south of the bend in the Niger River between Mopti and Gao.
If the elephants are indeed moving to Banzena, they should continue to arrive during our time there and we could end up setting camp for a couple of weeks. That will be ideal, allowing me to work one area in more depth, setting up a remote camera and having more opportunity to document unique moments of elephant behavior. We find out soon enough.
Today I bought a turban from a small Toureg market where the nomads gather on Saturday. In addition to protecting me from blowing sands, Elmehdi said I will be camouflaged like the locals and the elephants should be more accepting of me. There is also the chance he just wanted to see me in a purple head wrap.
I will write again from Banzena, hopefully with good news, though it may be several days.
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