Mamiwata is an African name for a spirit believed to be embodied by the manatee. This blog chronicles my search for the elusive West African manatee, and my exploration to understand its biology, habitat and preservation needs, economic and cultural significance. So little is known about this animal, yet it is intensely hunted everywhere it exists and may already be gone from much of its previous range. In early 2006 I was inspired to go try to find and learn more about them, starting in Gabon.
Bay and Paul Foundation
Yesterday I was awarded a small grant from the Bay and Paul Foundation, a new funder for Wildlife Trust. This money will go to supporting my work in Africa and to buy much needed field equipment for African colleagues starting...
Senegal: Casamance Was Worth the Wait!!
I've been wanting to get to the Casamance River, the southern boundary of Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, for about a year. It's been difficult because there have been a few rebel uprisings from separatists who want...
African Manatee Work Goes Regional!!
As many of you know, it has been my hope for the past several years to create a regional network of African manatee researchers to increase communication, data collection efforts and collaboration between people...
10 days in eastern Senegal
On February 9th we headed east from Dakar towards Matam, a town on the Senegal River. This is where we rescued manatees trapped behind a dam in January 2009, and it's the place where manatees migrate in the rainy season onto...
Onward to Senegal...
I haven't been blogging this past month because I've been working on lots of annual reports, grant applications and export permits, which are all necessary and important, but definitely not thrilling enough for commentary! I'm...
