Karibu Jozani National Park!

Our drive out of Stonetown brought us to Jozani Forest, a protected area of Zanzibar with Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkeys. The forest also contains some of the endangered Zanzibar leopards, of which it is estimated only 10 to 15 remain on the entire island. Our expert guide Chobani told us stories of many years ago when witch doctors would keep leopards as pets and send them to do evil deeds. The witch doctor could inflict suffering through setting loose the leopard and ordering it to destroy the animals and crops of a certain farmer. Zanzibaris thus developed a fear of leopards that was later translated into a government initiative to eradicate the leopards from the island altogether. Despite recent conservation, attitudes remain fearful and disagreeable towards the leopards. The case would make an especially interesting parallel to the reintroduction of wolves at Yellowstone National Park in the United States, one of the key differences being that in the case of Yellowstone, the wolves were actually eradicated by the American movement westward. The animals pose both a real and perceived threat to ranchers and farmers, especially small scale operators with limited production capabilities. Whereas in Montana, ranchers most often produce for a national market, around Jozani, production remains in the local sphere. The cases of wolves killing livestock are much more numerous. On the other hand, the last time Chobani saw a leopard was 7 years ago. The similarities lie in the perceptions of the animals. However, the animosity towards wolves seems to stem from a wide range of Western literature. If Zanzibar is able to increase its population of leopards, it will be interesting to see what effect that has on the villages and also on the attitudes of Zanzibaris towards leopards. Perhaps it will demonstrate similar results to Yellowstone, and perhaps it will be a lesson for Yellowstone to learn from.

Chobani told us many other traditional beliefs and practices, especially those related to medicinal plants and trees. Chobani is the local, if not national and perhaps even internal expert on trees and traditional uses. Hearing him speak on almost every plant we passed by, I felt that the education and practices we have in the United States are nearly comprehensive. Not only could he tell us traditional uses, beliefs, benefits, and knowledge on how to use the plant, he also studied the scientific names and the botany we might study for a college degree. One species he pointed out to us was used to make a love potion. In combination with a talisman, it could be used to make one person think often about another. Chobani said it could be used for married couples who were coming apart and also for courting, when one person was difficult to gain the attention of. He proceeded to tell a story of an American woman he worked with a few years ago and an argument they had on some of these practices. They argued over whether the practice would work only if you believe in it, or always. Chobani did a little experiment where he gave her a love potion. Late that night, she arrived at his door, knocking urgently, wanting to talk to him. When he opened the door, she immediately hugged him, and that was when Chobani knew, he said, that the practice works for everyone.

Belief is such a fascinating phenomenon. Interestingly, Tanzania has three primary religious groups, all of which are roughly similar in proportion: Christian, Islam, and traditional African religions. Despite these divides, the politics have been historically united. On Zanzibar, the presidency follows an unspoken rule that the religion of the elected president should alternate between Christianity and Islam at each switch. Religious tensions have increased slightly in recent years, but hopefully Tanzania and Zanzibar will remain peaceful places.

There are so many more stories, so hopefully our group will find time for storytime when we return. In the meantime, pole pole.