インドでのニュース, 蝶の写真家が誘拐されました. 北東部州アルナーチャル·プラデーシュ州を訪れていた地元の公園の関係者は、武装した若者反政府勢力のギャングによって夜間に撮影された. 彼を見つけるための努力は、天候やリモート地形によって妨げられてきた. インドは最近、研究を行うのが最も難しい国の1つになりました, そして今、私たちは皆、暴力の継続的な歴史を思い出します. 多くの場合、驚くべき生物多様性と過激な反体制派の両方を抱えるのは、発展途上国の人里離れた野生の部分です。. エクアドルにいる間、私のグループは国境を越えて迷ったかもしれないコロンビアのFARC反政府勢力に目を光らせていました。; ありがたいことに、そもそも彼らがそこにいる可能性はほんのわずかでした。, 何も見られなかった. 私の最も悲惨なフィールドワークのいくつかは、米国とメキシコの国境地帯に沿って、そしてメキシコ自体で行われたと思います. ドラッグランナーは、邪魔にならないように頼む前に、むしろあなたを撃ちます, とローミングバンディトは、数年前にオアハカで同僚の友人の殺害の原因でした. 驚くことではないが, 未開発の生物多様性の魅力が私たちを引き込み続けています. フィールドで安全を保つ!
2 comments to The Dangerous Life of a Lepidopterist |
懐疑 |
私は, あまりに, have had my most frightening experiences in southern Mexico, where Chuck Bellamy and I have gone several times in the past few years. We are routinely questioned by military police, which I guess doesn’t bother me too much (as long as I am able to successfully convince them that all we are doing is collecting bugs and that we don’t have any guns). しかしながら, one time I was confronted by a woman wearing a bandanna over her face – I was about a half mile from the car and Chuck, and she was clearly agitated about something, but I couldn’t understand what she was saying because she was talking too fast. I started getting that sinking feeling that I’d stumbled onto something I shouldn’t see, so I played the dumb American and acted like I didn’t know what was going on, then quickly hoofed it back to the car. I really don’t know what would’ve happened, but my gut still tells me I was on the edge of something bad. We want to go back this fall, but the drug violence really has us thinking twice about it.
US border also has been tough – my truck was broken into along the Rio Grande – twice (5 miles from and 10 years after the first time). それ以外は, just a few instances where border agents thought I looked suspicious and questioned me pretty hard.
Ecuador, South Africa, Argentina? Ningunos problemas.
Mexico keeps calling. I recently was added onto a Mexican collecting permit and it’s such a double edged sword. Hopefully I’ll get down there soon…and make it back! I’ve had some great experiences down in Baja, but the mainland Sonora/Chihuahua/Sinaloa area is spectacularly diverse and spectacularly dangerous.