National Geographic: African Odyssey Page #6

---

Okay. Well, we've got a problem.

We received a telex message by radio

yesterday that Immigration

in the capital has rejected our

request for a residence permit,

which, of course, we need to carry

on our research here.

So we're going to fly off to Gaborone

and try to see what the problem

is and try to sort it out.

It's obviously most disturbing.

Before returning to the Kalahari,

Delia and Mark had talked to

government officials and had been

assured all was in order.

Delia and Mark would not

return to the Kalahari.

The Botswana government would

expel them from the country.

The trees at their camp had sheltered

them from desert winds

and shaded them from

the lethal sun of summer.

While they lived here,

they made important scientific discoveries

and developed plans that they hoped

could save wildlife

in the Kalahari for future generations

As soon as we entered

the office, he said,

You have until 5 o'clock to get out

of the country.

And I said, Well, what about our camp?

And he said,

If you're here after 5 o'clock,

the law will take its course.

We just feel like we've been

thrown out of our home.

And it was like somebody had died.

It was really, honestly,

like someone very close to us had

died and we were mourning that death.

A few days later, friends of

Delia and Mark fly into the camp

to pick up their research data

and vehicles.

I believe this is

a tragedy for Botswana.

I can't imagine that any good could

come out of people like

Mark and Delia being restrained.

They're so dedicated and they have

the interest of the country

and the people so much at heart.

The Botswana government

refused to give the

Owenses any reason for their expulsion,

but almost certainly it concerned

their protests over a massive

die-off of wildebeest in the Kalahari.

In 1979 at the beginning of a long

drought in Botswana,

Mark had discovered thousands of

wildebeest migrating northward.

In long drought periods these antelope

must have access to water to survive.

Instinct, perhaps,

tells them there are perennial sources

of water to the north.

But now herds of cattle are

grazed in the same area.

Disregarding the impact on wildlife,

the Botswana government

has built fences because some

veterinarians believe

that wildebeest can infect cattle

with foot-and-mouth disease.

The wildebeest were cut off.

As they traveled north,

their natural route was blocked.

Thousands died on the fences.

Following the scent of water,

those with enough strength

pushed on around the end of the fences

into an area made desolate

from overgrazing by villagers cattle.

By the time the wildebeest

did reach water,

many were too exhausted to continue.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes