Prior to the start of the program there was a week of class aimed at educating us about the biology and anthropology of what we were about to see, including the East African Rift System, the various animals of Africa, the native tribes of the area, and tracking human evolution back to Africa. Throughout the program we had the opportunity to visit 12 different locations across the country and go on safaris, participate in traditional activities from the Datoga and Hadzabe tribes, examine dig sites, and explore the island of Zanzibar. While we were not able to spend long periods of time in any one of the locations we visited, the early mornings and abundance of traveling allowed us to experience each aspect of Tanzania.
Our cohort hit the ground running when we landed at Kilimanjaro, as we were all anxious to see the spoils of Africa. Our first day consisted of driving and hiking to Lake Natron, which is a shallow soda lake in Arusha that serves as a breeding ground for lesser flamingos. We were fortunate enough to be shown around by some Masai men who knew the area like the back of their hands.
While we saw some recognizable wildlife in the following days of safaris (giraffes, zebras, etc.), things really started to heat up once we arrived in the Ngorongoro crater. We were immediately welcomed by herds of gazelles and wildebeest, and even spotted Pumbaa and Simba as soon as we descended into the crater! The best part of this stop, however, was when my safari truck pulled over to stop and look at a rhino that even stood up and posed for us to take photos. And while I thought the crater was impressive, it was nothing in comparison to the Serengeti! From the moment we drove into Serengeti National Park, I was mesmerized. Upon our arrival, we were fortunate enough to see three cheetahs lounging under a young acacia tree, but the two cubs weren’t feeling too photogenic.
This was only the beginning. Throughout our time in the park our class was able to see hyenas, lions, the wildebeest migrations, leopards, and even a giant herd of elephants.
If seeing all of these incredible animals and how they coexist with each other wasn’t enough, we had the opportunity to visit the Datoga and Hadzabe tribes in the area and ask questions about their culture. The Datoga were split into a pastoral group and a blacksmithing group, meaning that one earned their livelihood from running cattle all day and the other from creating beautiful arrowheads and bracelets. The Hadzabe tribe is a group of hunter-gatherers and use many different types of arrowheads depending on the type of game being hunted. Members of our class were able to take part in various activities at each of the tribe visits and ask questions regarding daily life and culture.
Another highlight from the trip was our visit to Gombe National Park where Jane Goodall did her research with the chimpanzees. Normally, tracking wild chimpanzees would be exciting enough, however, while crouching down to take the perfect photo of a chimpanzee sitting ten feet in front of me, I was surprised by a gentle touch on the back of my arm. One of the chimps had walked up right behind me practically begging for me to take our photo, and when one of Jane’s chimps wants a selfie
with you, you take a selfie!
This was only the beginning. Throughout our time in the park our class was able to see hyenas, lions, the wildebeest migrations, leopards, and even a giant herd of elephants.
If seeing all of these incredible animals and how they coexist with each other wasn’t enough, we had the opportunity to visit the Datoga and Hadzabe tribes in the area and ask questions about their culture. The Datoga were split into a pastoral group and a blacksmithing group, meaning that one earned their livelihood from running cattle all day and the other from creating beautiful arrowheads and bracelets. The Hadzabe tribe is a group of hunter-gatherers and use many different types of arrowheads depending on the type of game being hunted. Members of our class were able to take part in various activities at each of the tribe visits and ask questions regarding daily life and culture.
Another highlight from the trip was our visit to Gombe National Park where Jane Goodall did her research with the chimpanzees. Normally, tracking wild chimpanzees would be exciting enough, however, while crouching down to take the perfect photo of a chimpanzee sitting ten feet in front of me, I was surprised by a gentle touch on the back of my arm. One of the chimps had walked up right behind me practically begging for me to take our photo, and when one of Jane’s chimps wants a selfie
with you, you take a selfie!
We were also able to see red monkeys and baboons on the beach, which wasn’t a bad way to wrap up our time on the mainland. After our trip to Gombe, all that was left was a quick trip to the island of Zanzibar, which was a great way to relax and reminisce on the past two weeks spent on the mainland. The amount of biology and anthropology that we were able to witness while in Africa was incredible, and we were able to see stuff that you won’t be able to experience anywhere else in the entire world.
I highly recommend studying abroad (in Africa especially) to anyone considering it. Not only will you gain vast amounts of knowledge, but you will experience things that you never thought you would be able to and create friendships that will last you a lifetime, as cliché as it all sounds. I now have an infinite supply of anecdotes to apply to the rest of my undergraduate education, and experiences that I’m sure have shaped who I am as an individual for the rest of my life.
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Emma spent the summer 2019 term in Tanzania with our faculty-led program, Tanzania - Ecology, Evolution, and Peoples of East Africa with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
I highly recommend studying abroad (in Africa especially) to anyone considering it. Not only will you gain vast amounts of knowledge, but you will experience things that you never thought you would be able to and create friendships that will last you a lifetime, as cliché as it all sounds. I now have an infinite supply of anecdotes to apply to the rest of my undergraduate education, and experiences that I’m sure have shaped who I am as an individual for the rest of my life.
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Emma spent the summer 2019 term in Tanzania with our faculty-led program, Tanzania - Ecology, Evolution, and Peoples of East Africa with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
