Research Permits

Praise the Lord! We have the research permit for Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve! Yesterday I met with Dr. Cyril Taolo, Assistant Director of Research and Statistics for the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP). While in Botswana we work under DWNP and need their permission to do research. We have our main permit, but needed a supplementary permit to enter the parks, drive off-road, and camp without paying. Last year getting this supplemental permit was a huge ordeal that used up about a week that was supposed to be research time so I was a bit concerned that we didn't have one yet this year and yet were hoping to start next week.

I've met with Dr. Taolo several times on previous trips and always found him helpful. Yesterday was no exception. I gave him a brief report on last year's work and what we planned for this year, he asked some questions and that was that. He said to come back today to pick up the permit. I'll admit that after last year I wasn't really expecting it to be ready so soon. I was pleasantly surprised. I walked in and told the lady in the research office that I was here to pick up a supplementary permit. She asked if I was Tim and said it was in Dr. Taolo's office and to wait a minute. She left and came back about 2 minutes later with our permit! Everything was right with it, all our names and vehicles were included. And it was for both Chobe and Moremi, instead of just Chobe (originally we'd been told there would be problems getting a permit for Moremi but it looks like it worked out).

I know it may seem a little thing to get a goverment document back with the names and information correct but here it's a big deal because it's critical to our work and we've had problems with it in the past. Now we just need to pray that the permits for Namibia come in. We need a similar permit there and so far I've heard nothing, though I've sent out several emails. We'd like to start work there next week so hopefully we hear back on that soon.


Let's see...Chels covered most everything about what's been going on. Yesterday I took Chels for a little cultural experience. We walked around the Main Mall, an outdoor area with loads of vendors selling everything from shoes, to CDs, to carved animals, to dried beans and mopane worms (I was actually really excited, I'd heard about people eating mopane worms- large worms about the diameter of a dime and at least 2 inches long, see the picture below- but had never actually seen them here. I wanted to get some but for some reason Chels vetoed that idea). We went to the local museum and national gallery. They had some nice exhibits explaining the cultural history and development of Botswana going all the way back to the formation of the universe. They also had a number of neat displays of taxidermied wildlife, which I liked. Then I took her to the government buildings to see where the seats of power in the country are. All in all, a nice few hours.

~ Tim