Hunting with the Hadzabe

This was one of my favorite days n Mainland Tanzania. I went hunting with the Hadzabe people. They are hunter gatherers and move around to wherever the animals are. They eat any animal, so I was told. They hunt with bow and arrow and insisted I get a lesson. I did much better with the bow and arrow than the spear. We didn't catch anything (I was really happy about this because there was a chance I may have cried which probably would have been impolite). We did eat some roots and some honey, live bees and all in the honey, which was quite tasty. The roots had a lot of moisture in them. The Hadzabe don't drink water, they get their liquids from roots and the blood of the animals they eat, which they eat super rare. I got a lesson in making fire from 2 pieces of wood, not a myth. Their way of life was just amazing to me. They make survival in the bush seem so easy, which I know it is not. One young man was all scarred up from a leopard attack. He shot the leopard but it didn't die. It came back and attacked, He survived, as all the Hadzabe know what to do with the native plants and how to use their medicinal qualities. They also smoke a lot! I refrained from that, as the situation seemed a bit unreal as it was. Lastly, there are very few old people in this tribe which live in small groups or clans. When a person gets old and is no longer useful to the tribe, an animal is hunted and killed. That old person gets a big meal and then is taken out to die. The animal carcass is left next to the person and the hyenas come and eat them both. Typically, hyenas only eat already dead things unless they perceive their meal will be taken from them. So, the person gets eaten alive. I had a hard time believing this, but Donatus did his thesis on the Hadzabe people and spent time living with them so I believe it's true. It may seem cruel to us but it is part of the end of life for them.