Right after I got out of the service

 I briefly  looked into being a game warden of some sort or another.

It seemed interesting but I found out it was boring from a couple of them that I talked to. One of the younger guys actually suggested that if I was looking for adventure, which I was at the time, than I should look to Africa.

Back before the internet people wrote letters and mailed them. I sent a letter to what was then Rhodesia asking about the possibility of becoming a game warden there.

I got a letter back saying in effect that they were looking for mercenary soldiers to fight guerrillas. If I wanted to and made muster I could try out for the Selous Scouts. However, travel was on me.

When I asked a couple people I knew about the goings-on in Rhodesia someone handed me a couple copies of Soldier of Fortune magazine. After reading a couple of articles I decided I wanted no part of that.

The other day someone was mentioning that they'd like to help the animals in Africa by trying to get hunting banned.

I suggested that he donate instead to and anti-poaching orgnization instead and go to the real crux of the problem. After all, poachers are the real threat to African game animals.

(I actually told him that if he wanted to put his ass where his mouth was than try and get on with the anti-poaching people. He gve me a dirty look.)

People are really unaware of the efforts of the anti-poaching patrols that go on these days. It's a dangerous, dirty business.

In some places poachers are simply shot on sight. In other places there is a serious effort made to apprehend them. I guess it depends on the country etc.

Still, when you consider that almost all of these poachers are armed and many feel they have nothing to lose you can see that it is a dangerous line of work to get into.

Still, they do try and save the animals and if you want to try and do something don't bother with the trophy hunters. They generally do more good than harm. They're often why the governments can afford to send out the patrols.

Go to the crux of the problem and donate to tha anti poaching people.


To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY