Portal to Nigeria - Pets

By Renee Petzer

Hi All

This week we have been babysitting a friend’s x-Labrador (yes in our flat!).  Bella is well trained and very gentle, but she is one of only 2 dogs that I have come across in Lagos.  Imagine a city of 20Million + people with no stray dogs or cats. Zuma recently pronounced that it is a Western cultural habit to have pets, well it certainly applies here.  Taking Bella for a walk is interesting – people literally cross, read run, the street when they notice the 2 of us.  We are to be avoided at all costs.  Locals are petrified of dogs and big strapping 6 Ft well built men freeze at the sight of her. Rogastein, our steward, luckily loves taking her for a walk and scaring off all his mates!  I think it gives him a macho status of sorts The 3 stray cats at the boat club and one advert for a cat from departing expats are also unusual. Interesting enough, the expats kids are also all frightened, simply because they don’t grow up with pets and animals around them.

So what’s the catch – Rats!  Large, ugly, 30cm brutes.  Over December, David had received food hampers as gifts from various people.  These were left in his office until we returned in January.  Opening the baskets revealed everything that could be chewed and eaten by the rats, was – even the paper off the tins – and the alcoholic liqueur chocolates.  Yuck!  Despite having the office bins cleaned after lunch and encouraging staff to eat in the canteen, he says rats are rampant as soon as the office quietens down in the evening. 

Sitting outdoors at a local pub, I noticed some movement in the Palm tree next to me.  A rat nesting in the tree trunk, it had eaten holes into the trunk and was running up and down popping “stuff” into the nest. Yuck yuck – needless to say we didn’t stay for dinner.  Thank heavens I’ve not noticed any rats in and around the compound.  I think the monthly, very toxic, fumigation takes care of them. 

Large lizards survive the monthly fumigation though.  20-30cm in length, with very colourful males dressed in orange, purple and black.  These don’t scurry away when you approach them, just hiss and do lizard push-ups.  Apparently they bite if caught!  Not so small transparent geckos, Dragon flies and Kites (a large eagle like bird) abound.  We also have a “Hoopoe” looking like bird and a “Kwe” bird (you know the ones that make the kwe kwe sound – say it out aloud phonetically and you’ll get me). No mosquitoes though. We have no standing water in the compound, the rainy season hasn’t started and we are on the 4^th floor – apparently a contributing factor.  So up until now, we go out in the evening and can sit outdoors without worrying about being bitten.  Which is one of life’s little luxuries here as most of one’s time is spent indoors in air conditioned rooms – another yuck.

For the next 4 weeks, I’m home in beautiful Cape Town – so no Living in Lagos Editions due until Friday 12^th.

Have a great weekend and an awesome week
Renee