Creatures of Muyako

Living in what many Namibians refer to as “the bush” I get to see a lot of wildlife, some which I enjoy and others that I’ve learned to ignore as best I can. Most importantly I am learning that these creatures will be around whether I want them or not, so I figured I would share them with you.

*Warning* some of the creepy crawly pictures may freak some out. My apologies in advance.

First of all, cows or likomu in Silozi. For those of us who didn’t grow up on farms, cows are super fascinating. In Zambezi, owning cattle is a sign of power and status, so every family wants to raise cattle i.e. they’re everywhere. Every once in a while I have a few stray calves that try wander up to my door just to say hello.

Next up is goats, or lipuli. Goats are easily the most entertaining and most annoying part of village life. Because we have a tap on the school property, goats come from low and high to drink water then hang out in the shade during the heat of the Zambezi day. They are called kids for a reason cause I will often see them climbing up trees or termite mounds just to mess around with each other. Unfortunately they also love to eat and knock into things such as my bathing area or the reed fences we have around our mango trees. When the rains are heavy, they will often break into the classrooms for shelter, or even try to enter my office.

Wrong kids in my office

Goats taking over the termite mounds

These spiders are a common wall decoration, not just during Halloween, but year round! They are about 2-4 inches in diameter and enjoying peacefully resting on my walls, so much so that I often think they might be dead (until I try to touch it that is). These little friends eat other bugs and I’ve started to enjoy their company.

When I was a kid, I really wanted a leopard gecko as a pet. Lucky for me (mom you’ll be happy I got my wish) I have plenty of these little friends hanging out in my pit latrine. They come in all sizes from translucent babies to the bigger ones like this. Not sure why they like the latrine so much, but we enjoy our daily bathroom stare downs. I've learned that they eat mosquitos, so I am very grateful for their presence in my living spaces.

The village is never in short supply of stray dogs which roam around the village scavenging the trash dumps behind the school and in the fields. Many of the dogs like to hang out around the school property and so my pup has started hanging out with some (don’t worry she’s been vaccinated). A few of the strays in particular have taken a liking to Mbili Mbili and they’ve become best friends, playing at the school every afternoon. When we go on walks through the village, Mbili’s friends follow us around, protecting her from the other dogs. 

Mbili with one of her protectors

Mbili and her best friend Swikili making great faces

Skink in my latrine

Skinks are far too common in the village and constantly keep my heart racing when I mistake them for snakes. They are incredibly fast and manage to appear everywhere. Luckily Mbili Mbili is getting better at chasing them out of my house and my latrine before I panic too much. These are unfortunately a bit too common so I have to check every new place as I enter so I don't find any unpleasant surprises. 

I'm getting used to always being surrounded by bugs, but I can definitely say I am very grateful for the haven of my bed which is protected by a mosquito net. The rainy season brings along flying crickets, milipedes, mosquitos, giant beetles and flies that always manage to find a way into my house. Growing up in Florida has helped me to quickly adjust to living among the creepy crawlies in harmony.