Notes from the Field

Notes from the Field: Scott Scherbinski
October 19, 2008, Meeting with Ranchers

We have spent the last week traveling to a few small villages around Paileman, talking with local ranchers about the condor project and some of the issue facing wildlife. As we approach each ranch house we are always greeted by the families with a smile, a handshake and “Pase. Pase.”, inviting us into their homes, then, “Tome mate?”, to invite us to share in mate. On our first stop we talk with Senor Curiqueo, who showed us petroglyphs on the cliffs above his house and invited us to return for dinner and a place to sleep. We continued on and met with other families with equal generosity. The majority of people we talked with had never met any of us before although many knew of the condor project. All were interested in the condors and wished the project well. They were concerned about the potentially poisoning of condors and were very interested in alternative methods to reduce the risks of condors feeding on laced carcasses.

As we pulled up to another ranch several girls played out front. They greeted us with the customary kiss on the cheek and directed us behind the house where family and neighbors were separating a cow from the herd for slaughter. With the cow lassoed, it was dragging one of the men toward a hillside as two other men chased behind trying to get another lasso on the cow. Walter, Marcelo and myself immediately jumped in to help stop the animal before the rancher was drug through the brush. After a few minutes, we were all breathing heavy and exchanged smiles as the cow was finally on the ground and ready for slaughter. We were invited to stay for a meal and spent the afternoon discussing the project and their concerns as ranchers.

Our next stop was at the home of Pepo. We met him earlier on the road where he told us the story of seeing condors in the mountains when he was younger and of recently having one of the released condors fly low enough over him to hear the wind in its feathers. Again we were generously invited into his home for mate and given fresh meat for our dinner.