Page 114 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #02

l
Ta
Tales

from the
bh
bh
bush A celebration of national
park rangers in Uganda
hots up when fire-eaters
entertain the crowd.
A WILD WORLD OF
RIPPING YARNS

WHO?
LIZ BOURNE is
co-project leader
of Queen Elizabeth
Parks Project, a
community
conservation initiative.
WHAT?
FIRE-EATERS AND
LOG CROCODILES
WHERE?
UGANDA

LIZ JOINS A COLOURFUL CIRCUS AND LEARNS HOW TO
CAPTURE A ‘CROCODILE’ ON WORLD RANGER DAY.

riving along the pot-holed entertainers and armed rangers. There was While fire-wielding daredevils entertained
road, past bush fires and the no one to watch us, other than the occasional the crowds by rolling the flames over their
occasional buffalo, it was boda-boda driver and a fish eagle. bodies and into their trousers, I bumped into
difficult to imagine what was We arrived in Kikorongo, a small town on a ranger friend who told me he’d heard some
D ahead. “It’s going to be a circus!” the way to Kasese. As the local community locals were trying to sell ivory in the village
one of my fellow volunteers joked. looked on, we donned surgical gloves and he was waiting to nab them. Even on
It was late July and I was in western and participated in the ‘corporate social what was supposed to be a day of fun he was
Uganda with volunteers from the Queen responsibility’ part of the day – litter picking. helping to protect Uganda’s wildlife.
Elizabeth Parks Project. We were gathering Rangers are not always considered the The final part of the day was held at the
for World Ranger Day, an international good guys. Conflict between national parks national park headquarters in Katunguru.
event that celebrates the work that rangers and local communities is rife, and rangers Officiators acknowledged that being a park
do and remembers those who have been and their families are often discriminated ranger is a dangerous job, and candles were
injured or lost their lives in the line of against. Positive action can go some way lit for the estimated 1,000 around the world
duty. Such an event hadn’t been held in to changing perceptions. And so, hot and that have been killed in the line of duty
Uganda before, but with some international sweaty, we picked up a mountain of rubbish. over the past 10 years.
encouragement officials had formed a After an hour of litter picking, we drove We were then given a demonstration
committee and drawn up a schedule of south and arrived in Kyambura to repeat of how to capture a crocodile. A large log
events. And we were to be part of it. the activity. The heat was now intense, so it played the supporting role as a ranger
Coming to a halt where a small group only seemed right that the acrobats should showed us how to grab the ‘creature’ and
of rangers were gathered, dressed in full start fire-eating... secure it, using ropes and a roll of tape.
camouflage and carrying their Fire-eaters, jugglers and log
AK-47s, we stumbled out of our “RANGERS ARE NOT ALWAYS crocodiles – sometimes
vehicle to the sound of a brass conservation work really is
band, which was accompanied CONSIDERED THE GOOD GUYS. just like a circus.
Meg Schofield by acrobats and stilt walkers. CONFLICT BETWEEN NATIONAL O Do you have a tale that you would like
We formed a line and
proceeded to march behind the PARKS AND COMMUNITIES IS RIFE.”
to share? If so, please email a synopsis of
your idea to james.fair@immediate.co.uk
114 BBC Wildlife February 2018