This woman smokes a pipe while taking a break from working on her farm outside Eshobi village, Cameroon. 1966.
Young boy with talking drum, near Oke-Iho, Nigeria. 1968.
Boys outside Susanne Wenger’s house in Osogbo, Nigeria. Susanne Wenger was a German woman who documented and practised the Sango cult and lived in Nigeria for many years. 1977.
Royal musicians of the Emir of Katsina performing at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. 1963.
The Orangun of Ila, a traditional Yoruba king, at his palace in Ila, southwestern Nigeria. 1972. (For more information click on above button "Kings, Pythons and Other Tales", then item 1).
Here I have travelled to Ila to greet my friend the Orangun and to discuss a visit he was planning to make to Ibadan. 1972. (For more information click on above button "Kings, Pythons and Other Tales", then item 1).
This man passed by one day when I was in the bush near Ogbomoso, southwestern Nigeria. 1966.
I took this rare photo in November 1963 on the University of Ibadan campus. Left is Prof Kenneth Dike, the first Nigerian Vice-Chancellor of the University. With him is Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Nigerian Prime Minister, who was on campus for his installation as Chancellor of the University. Balewa was killed during the first military coup in February 1966; Dike returned to eastern Nigeria at the start of the Biafran war.
Masquerade in street. The masquerade can entertain, commend achievers, chastise evil-doers, bring messages of hope or peace, or mourn the dead. Ila, southwestern Nigeria. 1972.
This man brought the mona monkey for sale to the Zoological Garden, University of Ibadan. The monkey had been raised by its owner from a youngster and was completely tame. 1965.
Market scene, Ibadan, Nigeria. 1965.
Market scene, Ibadan, Nigeria. 1965.
Market scene, Ibadan, Nigeria. 1965.
Market scene, Ibadan, Nigeria. 1965.
Pounding yam, Ilesha, southwestern Nigeria. 1965
Decorative carving of calabash in Oyo, southwestern Nigeria. 1977. (See page 2 for further reference to calabashes).
This young woman was washing clothes in the Cross River, Mamfe, Cameroon. April 1966.
An Aku woman, pictured in Wum market, Cameroon. April 1966.
The Fon of Bafut standing in front of what he called his Father's House. The Fon was a powerful regional chief. Bafut, Cameroon, February 1965.
A view from the top of the Bamenda escarpment, Cameroon, at 6.30am. February 1965.
At Mamfe, Cameroon, the Cross River widens out to include a substantial shingle beach. These waters and the surrounding forest were home to several hippos. February 1965.
During a trip to Mamfe the following year I found that a hippo had been shot and killed in the Cross River and its meat was being cut up and distributed to a large crowd of people. April 1966.
This large metal ball was cut out of the dead hippo's flesh and had presumably been fired by what was called a Dane gun. Maybe several of these missiles had been fired to kill the animal. April 1966.
Large piles of hippo meat were stacked up as the animal was butchered. The meat was eventually cut up further and carried away by the local people, usually in containers supported on the head. I had no idea of the legitimacy or legality of what was going on, but there seemed to be no officials there or anyone else who tried to interfere in what was happening. April 1966.
Fisherman mending his nets. Cross River, Mamfe, Cameroon. February 1965.
Man and canoe. River Niger, near Foge Island, Nigeria, May 1968. Foge Island was soon to be submerged by the construction of the Kainji Dam and the creation of Kainji Lake.
Woman and baby. Foge Island, Nigeria, May 1968. Foge Island was soon to be submerged by the construction of the Kainji Dam and the creation of Kainji Lake.
Constructing new huts or houses in the village of Kouande-Guessou, Republic of Benin, 30 March 1964. Benin, or Dahomey as it was then called, lies to the west of Nigeria.
This photo was taken in the villlage at one of the police border posts between Nigeria and Benin, or Dahomey as it was then called. 27 March 1964.
These fruits are commonly known as calabashes. Several species of 'calabash plant' are grown in Nigeria and probably much of Africa, and they all belong to the Family Cucurbitaceae. When dry, and with the seeds and internal tissues removed, they are used for carrying a range of items, including liquids such as water or milk. They are also used for decorative carving. The calabashes above were growing in Oyo, south western Nigeria, 1965.
In April 1966 as I was driving to Cameroon from Ibadan, I passed through the village of Abakaliki in southeastern Nigeria. A major ceremony of some sort was in progress, with some incredible dancing taking place. We stopped and were allowed to take photographs but the exact nature of the ceremony was not explained to us.
This is the same ceremony as in the previous photo. Note the man seated on the left - he is playing a whistle or wind instrument of some sort. April 1966.
I encountered this man during a 2-hour trek from Mamfe to Eshobi in Cameroon, an area of quite remote rain forest. The instrument he was playing produced some beautiful sounds. April 1966.
The zoology students at the University of Ibadan spent a few days observing animals in the Nigerian 'bush' each year. Occasionally the Zoological Garden became involved in these trips. Above I have joined a group of students on a visit to the Borgu Game Reserve - and in that sun I soon put my shirt back on! Early 1974.
While walking on farmland north of Ibadan I nearly stepped on this trap. Fortunately for me the pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) had got there first or my foot might have been badly injured by the metal spikes that must have killed the rat instantly. The meat of this rat is eaten. May 1970.
Having spent a year or more developing in its human host's body, this parasitic guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis) emerges from its host's foot. This worm can grow up to 3 feet long. Attempts to eradicate this parasite seem to be proceeding well. Ibadan area, 1967.
This woman was cultivating onions near the side of the Ibadan-Ilorin road. The pot contained cow faeces and water, used as a fertiliser. 6 February 1966.
This fist-sized structure is probably the white basket fungus (Ileodictyon cibarium). It was growing on a low, moist bank at the side of the road. Ibadan area, Nigeria, May 1965. This fungus is found in Australia and New Zealand but is thought likely to occur in other countries. Is this the first record from West Africa? Any further information would be valued. My thanks to Eileen Abiose for her assistance with identification.
A professional Yoruba woman dressed in a typical Yoruba outfit. The predominant ethnic group of the Ibadan area is Yoruba. University of Ibadan, 1970.
On a trip to the Upper Ogun Game Reserve in Nigeria we came across the partly dug out nest of a Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) near the banks of the River Ogun. 1973.
As the exposed eggs were (surprisingly) unbroken, I placed them back with the other eggs in the underground nest and packed sand around them. We left soon after and there was no way of knowing if the eggs eventually hatched successfully. 1973.
During a trip to northern Nigeria, I tried my hand at camel riding. This was at the Bagauda Lake Hotel, near Kano, October 1974. In retrospect I was thoroughly foolish to expose myself to so much hot sunshine and now check myself regularly for possible skin cancers...
This three-legged bull is missing its left front leg, presumably from birth, but seemed to be the object of some affection from the local people. Kano area, June 1968.
Taken at Lokoja, Nigeria, at the confluence of the Rivers Niger and Benue, where there was a commercial ferry across the river. This scene is on the east bank of the river. January 1973.
Also taken at Lokoja, this small girl was carrying a large bowl of water but seemed to have lost her companions in the busy crowds milling around the approach to the river ferry - east bank. January 1973.
Nembe dancers, from the River Niger Delta area, performing at the University of Ibadan campus, 1968.
A view of the River Niger from Jebba Bridge, December 1963.
A village near Jebba, on the River Niger, December 1963.
Mosque at Kano, December 1963.
Dying cloth at Kano, December 1963.
While driving between Bauchi and Jos in northern Nigeria, my two companions and I needed a break and parked our vehicle at the side of the road. After a few minutes these women appeared out of the scrub and grassland behind us. We had no common language and could only attempt to communicate by gesture. The women may have been tending farms nearby. December 1963.
The market in what was then called Fort-Lamy, the capital of the Republic of Chad, a landlocked country that extends into the Sahara to the north. The city was renamed N'Djamena in 1973. Christmas Day, 1963.
Boy with small ray at Bar Beach, Lagos, 23 May 1964.
Dugbe market, Ibadan, July 1964.
Dancers performing at the University of Ibadan campus on the occasion of the visit from President Senghor of Senegal. April 1964.
Buying yams in a village near Benin in the south central area of Nigeria. Yams are a staple food in Nigeria, as in much of the tropical world. June 1979.
These people are collecting the fallen fruits of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). This plant is indigenous to West Africa but is now grown in other areas of the world for its oils that are used for cooking and other purposes. This photo was taken on the Bamenda to Mamfe road, Cameroon, in a forested area just outside Mamfe. April 1966.
Smoked and dried fruit bats, although which species was not clear. They were on sale in a Bafut market, Cameroon, along with many other local foods. April 1966.
Street corn seller, Osogbo, southwestern Nigeria. 1977.
PICATHARTES 1. This and the next 11 images tell of my search in April 1966 for the little-known grey-necked rockfowl (Picathartes oreas), see above. The Director of Antwerp Zoo asked if I would go to Cameroon and try to assess the status of this bird and, if appropriate, capture a few specimens for Antwerp Zoo.
PICATHARTES 2. I contacted the Cameroon Government forestry officials who were very helpful and granted me a permit to capture a small number of Picathartes. I set off overland from Ibadan with a driver and a colleague from the University of Ibadan, Martin Henley. We made our base in Mamfe, Cameroon. The photo shows the Cross River at Mamfe where we hired a canoe to take us across.
PICATHARTES 3. Our destination was a small village called Eshobi, which was an arduous 5 mile trek through closed-canopy primary rainforest. I had been to Eshobi before, with Gerald Durrell in 1957, and knew that Picathartes was to be found in the area. In the photo above we had just arrived in Eshobi.
PICATHARTES 4. I was surprised by how many people in Eshobi remembered me from my previous visit. I was particularly pleased to see Elias, a senior member of the community and a highly experienced hunter. However, I had to be introduced to the younger citizens of the village....
PICATHARTES 5. We had only a few days available to spend in the area so we soon got together to plan our search for Picathartes, or 'Senen-Ntie' (bird of the stone), in the local language.
PICATHARTES 6. We set off from Eshobi to where Elias (centre standing) knew were areas of elevated and exposed rock-face deep in the forest. It is on these dry rock-faces that Picathartes builds its mud and fibre nest.
PICATHARTES 7. One of Elias' helpers was carrying a ladder that we could place aginst a rock-face, enabling us (hopefully) to climb up to inspect any Picathartes nests we might find.
PICATHARTES 8. It was extremely hot and humid in the forest. Insects bit and bothered us almost continuously - the tropical rain forest is NOT a comfortable place to spend time in.
PICATHARTES 9. Eventually we came to large areas of exposed rock-face along a ridge within the forest. To give some idea of scale, this photo includes my colleague Martin and Elias.
PICATHARTES 10. I am pointing to a Picathartes nest built on the rock-face. I believe these photographs of nests of Picathartes oreas are probably the first ever taken.
PICATHARTES 11. Another nest - taken from a ladder. Elias told us that the breeding season for Picathartes is around August, hence the absence of eggs or chicks in April.
PICATHARTES 12. Our time in Eshobi was soon up. For a fuller account of this Picathartes search, click on 'Zoo Publications...' then 'To the Forests of Cameroon'. END OF SEQUENCE
We left Mamfe, our next destination being the Bamenda Highlands, still in Cameroon. Here I am on the Mamfe to Bamenda road, still in the lowland forest zone. April 1966.
From Bamenda we drove to Bafut where I met again my friend the Fon of Bafut, made famous by Gerald Durrell's books. Here we are in the Fon's compound at Bafut. April 1966.
A closer shot of the Fon. This Fon is now dead, and I understand one of his sons has taken over from him. I remember 'my' Fon as a kind and gentle man who was always helpful. April 1966.
Scene near the Bamenda to Wum road. The Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon consist largely of grass and montane forest. April 1966.
An Aku boy tending his cattle. Wum area, Cameroon, April 1966.
Aku boy. Wum area, Cameroon, April 1966.
Aku woman. Wum market, Cameroon, April 1966.
Here, I am several miles north of Wum, trying to trace a python that local hunters assured me was to be found nearby. But....it was nowhere to be seen. April 1966.
1. Osun-Osogbo is one of the sacred forests of the Yoruba people and is located near Osogbo in southwestern Nigeria. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The forest is full of shrines and sanctuaries, with special emphasis on Osun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility. The artefacts/structures in these photos are not always easy for an outsider to interpret. The one above is a shrine to Osun. All 5 photos here were taken in 1978.
2. Osun-Osogbo is one of the last remaining Yoruba sacred forests. The photo above is the Ogboni house, the Ogboni being a fraternal secret society of the Yoruba-speaking peoples.
3. Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder and lightning. Some of the early work of rebuilding the shrines was done by an Austrian artist, Susanne Wenger, who was made a Yoruba high priestess. She died in 2009.
4. Ontoto figure. Many Yorubas visit Osun-Osogbo and its sacred groves, particularly during the festivals, viewing it as a symbol of cultural identity.
5. Ontoto shrine. My thanks to James Gibbs, ex English Department, University of Ibadan, for his helpful comments on these images from Osun-Osogbo. END OF SEQUENCE
In early 1977 Nigeria hosted the 2nd world Festival of Black and African Arts (FESTAC). Artists and performers arrived in Nigeria from all over the world. As part of FESTAC, a Durbar festival was held in Kaduna, northern Nigeria - see above. February 1977.
The Durbar goes back hundreds of year, to the days when the Emirate used horses in warfare. Today the Durbar honours, for example, important guests and is also held at great Muslim festivals. The festival begins with groups of horsemen racing towards the Emir at full gallop. They approach very close to the Emir, then stop abruptly to salute him with raised swords. FESTAC, Kaduna, February 1977.
Camels were used by some participants in the festival. FESTAC, Kaduna, February 1977.
Now for a few 'creepy crawlies' often encountered in West Africa. This impressive-looking invertebrate is a millipede, possibly Pachybolus ligulatus or a Spirostreptus species. It spends much of its time hidden in leaf mould or other decomposing vegetation. Ibadan, 1965.
The praying mantis (Sphodromantis lineola) is well camouflaged when among plant foliage. It grabs its prey with its specially adapted front legs. However, note that this individual has only one normal front leg, the other being malformed, possibly the result of an injury or hormonal imbalances during development; Ibadan, 1963.
This scorpion may be the emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator). This female has given birth to living young which cling to her back, probably until after their first moult. Ibadan, March 1966.
At this early stage, the young scorpions cannot survive on their own; they depend on the mother for protection and also to ensure they do not become dehydrated. Ibadan, March 1966. My thanks to Dr Brian Critchley, ex I.I.T.A., Ibadan, Nigeria, for his comments on the identification of these invertebrates.
1. Kainji hydroelectric dam, in westen Nigeria, was built across the River Niger between 1964 and 1968 to create Kainji Lake which measures around 85 by 20 miles. Many people were displaced by this development and were resettled by the Nigerian government. In October 1968, two friends and I made a part-official trip to Kainji Lake. A boat was made available to us. On the lake we encountered many birds perching in what little remained above water of their tree top nesting or roosting sites.
2. Here we see long-tailed shags (Phalacrocorax africanus), an African darter (Anhinga anhinga) and a great white heron (Casmerodius albus).
3. These nests had been constructed at the top of a tree, most of which was by then submerged in the water. At that point the lake was approaching its maximum level.
4. We managed to get close enough to this nest to feel the eggs but they were cold and our impression was that many nests, involving several species, had already been abandoned by the adult birds in response to the rising waters. October 1968. END OF SEQUENCE
This photo was taken when approaching Lagos on the road from Ibadan, where in places the road ran close to coastal waterways. Sand was dug, often by hand, from the bed of the waterway and then transported by boat to points where it could be collected for use in the building industry. 1977.
Adire cloth for sale in Dugbe market, Ibadan. Adire, which translates as tie and dye, is the name given to indigo dyed cloth produced by Yoruba women of south western Nigeria. 1977.
We lived on the University of Ibadan campus at 1 Crowther Lane. The house had quite a large garden where we cultivated bananas, avocados and mangos and where I established my first hibiscus garden. As can perhaps be guessed from the luxuriance of the vegetation, this photo of the garden was taken during the rainy season. The fan-shaped plant in the centre is a traveller's palm (Ravenala madagascariensis). 1978.
Teachers from Loyola College, Ibadan, attending the wedding of a male colleague. The College was founded in 1954 and is a secondary school for boys only. 1977.
During a brief return visit to Nigeria in January 1982, I encountered this palm wine tapper in the 'bush' north of Ibadan. The woven hoop is used to climb the palm trunk.
2. Palm wine is made worldwide from the sap of several species of palm. In southern Nigeria the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is used - see above. The palm wine tapper climbs up to the base of the palm fronds and cuts some off to expose the soft tissues. A hole is pierced in these and the sap then flows down a short pipe or hollow bamboo into a collecting vessel attached to the tree. The sap can be drunk immediately or it can be left to ferment and become alcoholic.
3. The palm wine tapper has fastened the hoop around the palm trunk and is about to climb up to the base of the fronds to collect the fresh sap/palm wine from the vessel he positioned there earlier.
4. He climbs surprisingly quickly - and with bare feet.
5. While I was watching the palm wine tapper, these two girls were working on some land nearby and eventually came over to greet me. Moniya, south western Nigeria, January 1982. END OF SEQUENCE
The picture shows the Catholic Church on the University of Ibadan campus. 1979.
A door of the Catholic Church. The aluminium panels are made by highly skilled local craftsmen and depict a range of themes that reflect the obvious religious nature of the building. 1979.
A closer look at some of the aluminium panels from the door in the previous picture. 1979.
Another set of doors of the Catholic Church, this time with carved wooden panels. 1979.
A single wooden panel from the doors in the previous picture. 1979.
The University of Ibadan was established in 1948. This picture shows the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the campus. This was the women's main hall of residence. !977.
Carved figures outside the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan campus. 1977.
The Senior Staff Club at the University of Ibadan was the main social centre for senior University staff, made up in those early days of Nigerians and expatriate staff from countries around the world. During major social functions people danced around the pool. And I mean DANCED! As the Social Secretary there for several years, I brought in live bands from Lagos and elsewhere to which we twisted, highlifed or Afrobeat the night away on more occasions than I care to remember. 1977.
The University College Hospital, Ibadan, was established on a separate site from the University, but naturally there were very strong links between the two institutions. 1977.
Olokomeji is located north of Ibadan. With its forest and stream and small rest house where one could picnic, it attracted day trippers from Ibadan, Ilorin and other nearby towns. 1966.
1. The palm kernels are left to dry in the sun before they are cracked open to remove the seeds. The seeds can be sold or fried to extract oil that is used as a body lotion. The oil-based body lotion is called Adi-agbon.
2. Some of the oil will be mixed with leaves to make soap. The chaff /husk and other waste materials are used for stoking the fire for cooking or for keeping warm during cold nights.
3. This palm fruit pounder and her baby are taking a well earned rest. Ilora, 1979. END OF SEQUENCE
