SFS Tanzania: Wildlife Management Studies

I chose this program because I am a Biology Major--a chance to do field studies abroad. My memorable experience was searching for the endangered cassowary bird.

Mt. Kilimanjaro served as the backdrop for many of our field drives in Amboseli National Park. The timing of our trips, an early beginning to the wet season as it were, obscured many carnivores from being found. For those who are unaware, an unfenced park such as Amboseli may serve as a dry-season refuge for the wildlife. When the rains return, the animals migrate out and into the community areas. We were lucky to be in the park on the day of one of the most famous of these migrations: the elephant migration. Cars idling, the air hot and humid, and our breaths shallow we watched hundreds of elephants cross just meters ahead of us. Behind us, Kilimanjaro stood proudly, not a cloud for kilometers to block its view. We were literally living the moment shown in postcards (be wary though, if you see a postcard in Tanzania with Kilimanjaro and elephants, it was actually taken in Amboseli National Park, Kenya), and if for one day the beauty of the largest of land herbivores reigned dominant over all others. I chose it for the location, the immerse home-stay aspect, the language (Swahili) classes, and the research opportunity.

My most memorable experience was when I was camping in the Serengeti for a week. We all hadn't showered in days (there was no shower at our campsite), we were exhausted from the long days and the nights filled with lions roaring in the distance. Although tired, I was always energized when I woke up each morning thinking, "Wow, I'm camping in the Serengeti!" It's amazing to think that a place you had only seen on Animal Planet would suddenly be your home for a week, and that the animals that you thought you would never see outside a zoo would suddenly be all around you. Zebras were as common as deer are in New England, USA. We would have to carefully watch our food or baboons and vervet monkeys would sneak over and steal it, even out of your hands! My whole semester was full of memorable experiences, but camping in the Serengeti was by far the most "wow" moment that I have had on any of my travels. I chose my program because it was in a non-traditional location and because it had a wildlife focus (I majored in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology). I also was interested in the field studies aspect of the program, as I have experienced how important it is, particularly in wildlife biology, to get hands-on experience out in the world, in the wild, in the field. Although I sometimes wish I could have studied abroad again and focused more on my French language skills, this experience was a milestone for me in discovering who I am in the world and who I'd like to be.