For all of my friends and family who wonder whether I've ridden an elephant, or seen a giraffe, I am including the snapshots I've been able to grab of the elusive animals in Dakar and vicinity. Get ready for some fascinating surprises!
Doing my best "teacher look" here, I thought perhaps this photo would go on my school website to introduce myself to my new students this coming year. What do you think?
Just as confirmation that the "teacher look" animal does exist, I caught another photo of the elusive creature. 
I was in constant danger as I crept close to the native animals of the region.
This dangerous and wild critter wasn't quite fast enough to escape my camera, nor was his brother fast enough to escape my foot. The sound of a crunch in the dark was evidence of the creature's inferiority.
The most colorful exotic creature I have seen yet.
Herds of innocent looking, but dangerous quadrupeds are hard to miss.
A resting quadruped
Not so rare flightless poulet
Again, common and relatively harmless wildlife in the region
These fowl were on the run, but my speed and cunning allowed me to grab a photo before they disappeared.
The captive variety
Seriously! That's all I've seen.