Stephen Quinn's blog

I just received word from Molly Feltner from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinarian Project in Rwanda that, as of today, the baby gorilla that had the snare entangled around it's neck, is now free. Dr. Mike Cranfield had to return once again to Uganda to intervene and, this time, he was able to dart the female, keep the silverback at bay, and remove the snare from around the baby's neck. If you recall, we reported on that little guy when we first arrived in Africa. It has taken the dedicated staff of MGVP just over 3 weeks to help that one animal.

Well, today is my first day back to work since returning home from Africa. My commute from New Jersey to New York was horrific! It took me two hours to get in to the museum. Not quite as bad as the traffic going in and out of Nairobi. At least in New York the roads have well marked lanes (not that anyone stays in them) and at least we drive on the right side of the road!

Arriving at the museum, I've decided I will take a slight detour, away from my usual route directly to the exhibit studio, and walk through the Akeley Hall of African Mammals on my way to my desk.

Dec 10th  - Homeward Bound - Jeff and I are sitting here in the airport in Amsterdam waiting for our flight. We are spent and can’t wait to get home to see our families and sleep for the weekend.

The whole expedition feels like it was a dream. I feel so humbled to have had the opportunity to go where I have, seen what I’ve seen, and experienced all that we have over the last three weeks.

Dec 9th - Well, one would think we would be slowing our pace in preparation for our return trip but no so.
Jeff Whiting has a really exciting meeting this morning with the United Nations Environment Program here in Nairobi. We are hoping that, before long, Artists for Conservation Foundation might develop a working relationship with the UN.

Dec 8 - For some reason I couldn't sleep (maybe it was the scotch) and woke early this morning while it was still dark. The Tree Hyrax and Spotted Hyenas where still sounding off nearby. The night was still and the stars were bright, different from most all our previous nights in the Aberdares that were cloudy and overcast. All others were asleep so, without a sound to disturb them, I stepped out on the veranda in the cool night air. It was a beautiful night and I was sad to remember that today we would start our return to Nairobi and the long trip home. Our expedition was nearly over.

Dec 6th - After an early breakfast we headed out for a game drive in the park. The birds here are unbelievable!! Rosse's and Hartlaub's Touraco sailed across our path with bright red wing patches glowing in the morning sun. Overhead both Marshall Eagle and African Crested Eagle circled. These are big birds of prey! Marshall Eagle is big enough to take small antelope and the Crested Eagle will take monkeys. They are both magnificent birds. New mammals for me were Suni, a tiny little forest antelope (Marshall Eagle food) and Giant Forest Hog. The forest hog is really big.

Dec 6th - Today we began yet another grand adventure! Guy had arranged for us to stay in a small cabin way up in the mountains of the Aberdares National Park called "Rhino Retreat". It is a small outpost built by the Kenyan army in the 1990s. The cabin was created for the use of a gallant group called "Rhino Ark" that formed to make a last ditch effort to save the remaining Black Rhinos in this giant national park. Murray's Dad was a founder of the group and Guy's Dads soon joined in the effort.

Dec 5th - Today is December 5th, my wife, Linda's, birthday! It was bad enough missing Thanksgiving with my family, but missing my wife's birthday was too much. I wish this trip did not fall on her day. I had to come up with a way to send a birthday greeting that would clearly show I was thinking of her and how much I cared. So before I left, I arranged for her to receive a gorilla-gram birthday greeting at her workplace.

Dec 4th - Today was our planned visit to Nakuru National Park. Akeley was one of the first to document with photography, the spectacle of thousands of flamingos at Lake Nakuru , so I , once again, was anxious to follow in his foot steps. After purchasing more food and supplies in nearby Nakuru town, the fastest growing city in all of Kenya, we entered the park. The park is noted for it's efforts in desperately trying to protect the last remaining rhinoceroses in East Africa. One Black Rhino's horns are worth $350 thousand US dollars on the black market.