Otter Trust's Gambia trip "humbling" as members take part in conservation work

Members of the Otter Trust have praised their wonderful hosts after returning from a conservation trip to Gambia.

Aidan Jolly, from Diss, and Michael Rosier, from Dickleburgh, travelled to the village of Barajali Tenda in West Africa to work on projects relating to numerous species, but also to speak with locals about otters, which are hunted for food in the area.

During the trip, the pair, who carry out most of their work at Dickleburgh Moor Nature Reserve, looked for new areas of riverside wetlands that could be used for future projects, while gathering data on numerous riverside species.

Mr Jolly said: “This trip enabled me to see how the funding and support from the Otter Trust and our supporters in south Norfolk has supported conservation in Africa.

“It’s been humbling to visit people who earn £1 a day but are still trying to share the little that they have with you. We surveyed riverside marshes and lakes along the river for five days, recorded all the birds, mammals and insects that we have seen and immersed ourselves in the lives of the wonderful people who have assisted us.”

Mr Rosier added: “We hadn’t appreciated how isolated some of the communities were and how self-sufficient families had to be.

“Eco-tourism is a vitally important additional income stream to these people, providing an incentive to protect the habitat and its wildlife.”

Each day, the team visited riverside communities to talk about people’s perception of wildlife, taking otter masks to entertain the children and distributing medicines, clothing and educational equipment to village leaders.

During the trip, the team joined volunteers from the Kartong Bird Observatory to help with vulture research, a project which has been co-ordinated by trust member Roger Walsh from his home in Harleston.

The Otter Trust has been supporting conservation initiatives in Gambia since 2018, donating approximately £40,000 to small community projects.