We have to sogi them (chase them out of the yard) often when they start to get into food or wander into the sleeping huts.
My host brother and father found a poisonous snake in our horse pen and killed it! The Puff Adder is a common, yet poisonous snake on the African continent.
Besides the animals, I’m a big fan of the mix of trees we have out in “the bush.” We have baobab, palm trees and mango trees. I love seeing how the families in my village operate deeply in tandem with nature. Each compound (group of houses where extended family members live together) in my village is centered around one or two large trees that provide shade for the family to do their work and spend time at home. As it's so hot here, this is a very important part of spatial planning when someone is building a new house or creating a new compound. As Senegal is increasingly becoming affected by climate change, the Senegalese government has created a branch of government solely for the protection and preservation of its trees.
