I extend a warm welcome to the two most recent additions to our Olbalbal community. If we had a welcome wagon, I’d send it to their “wallow.”

This morning, early risers at Olbalbal village were surprised to see two huge lumbering hippos passing by. They were witnessing, what I am told, is the annual migration of a hippo family from a dam deep in the hills above Olobalbal to the now substantial lake here at Olbalbal. In drought years our lake does not fill, but this year, because of good rains, the lake is full.

I am always amazed and how these huge animals know at great distances that dams are filling up. Near Endulen at Osinoni, there is a football field size dam in a very remote dry area that only fills every few years. Shortly after filling with water, this dam becomes the home of a hippo family. I could never figure out how they knew that the dam had filled. Where did they come from? There is no other body of water for many miles around Endulen.

If I can get a picture of our new residents here at Olbalbal, I’ll post it.