From VETCAP in Gulu, Uganda (9/21/08)

TO: Family and Friends

Have not had internet access for over a week until today when I figure out how to use an air card and use the cell phone network. I may be able to send brief messages from time to time using this method but since I'm technologically challenged, it may not happen often!

We will be here doing many missions in Gulu District for next three weeks as we did last week. We are on track for treating over 40,000 animals in this area which was severely affected by an insurgency at the hands of the Lords Resistance Army until a short time ago. Things are much more stable now and we are working in Internally Displaced Persons camps that have people leaving and returning to their villages. This is the third VETCAP in this area and our heart-girth measurements of weight gains have shown a truly remarkable response to treatment of cattle for trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness spread by Tsetse Flies, AKA "Nagana") and other conditions. Previous work by others like COL Vic Adamson who did the groundwork for this mission is really paying off now.

We took a trip to Murchison Falls National Park yesterday and this morning on our weekend off and managed to see giraffes, elephants, hippos, cape buffalo, babbons, crocadiles, Jackson Hartebeestes, Ugandan Kobs, Oribis, Abyssinian Hornbills, Black Bellied Bastards (my favorites!), Pata monkeys, egrets, cranes, Grey Billed Kingfishers, and Black Headed Weavers. Apologies for misspellings as I have no reference and hope my phonetic spelling is close. We topped off this morning by seeing four female lions next to the Albert Nile, also in the park.

Work resumes tomorrow on VETCAPS. Will try to send a picture or two but may not be able to until we get back to Kampala in mid-October.

All the best!

Jim