Monday 21 October 2013

Pristine

Walking home at night, hundreds of critters will run through the beam of my flashlight. Solifugae, beetles, mice, cockroaches, millipedes, and lizards are extremely common. Sometimes they aren’t critters at all but full grown beasts like warthog, kudu, and oryx. Seeing these animals is everyday life here in Africa. The other night I was brushing my teeth and out of the corner of my eye I saw a vibrant green looking insect to my right. Intrigued, I wandered over to it to find it wasn’t an insect at all. It was a wrapper from a candy bar. I looked at this thinking, “Had I been anywhere in the United States, I would never have expected this to be anything other than a piece of trash.” It is astounding how little litter there is here. Of course, there aren’t many people around, but this place is so clean, and untouched by people, that I am more likely to see wildlife than trash. Think about the city that you live in. Next time you are out for a walk count how many pieces of trash you see. Also, count the number of animals you see. I have no idea how it would turn out, but I would be willing to bet the trash would win.




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