Donald update

I was going to post some new shots of the caves from our second big walkabaut in the Imboin area, but National Geographic magazine wants me to hold onto them in case they need them for an article. Having given us some project money, they now have first media rights. Sounds promising. But I will post an update on little Donald, for those who saw his picture from 5 months ago, when we brought him under our wing and couldn't believe he was, as people claimed, 18 years old. Simon Williamson from BBC and I thought it was just another shaggy dog story, this scrawny kid wearing nothing but a ripped t shirt and standing only as high as my shoulders. But it took barely a day of food for him to begin the metamorphosis back to healthy teenager, first by chatting away (what sugar does for the brain), and eventually by clearing sores and giving his limbs some shape. By Christmas, when I came back, he was alert and hearty and happy--ironically looking his age, i.e. older than ever before. This is not to say he doesn't have lingering problems, like with clarity of thought (but then don't we all?)  Here he is now :

   And here he was 5 months before:   

Food: still the wonder drug.