Z aire ), ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁( N am ib ia , ▁B ots w ana , ▁Republic ▁of ▁South ▁Africa , ▁Sw az il and , ▁Z imb ab we , ▁Moz amb ique , ▁Z amb ia , ▁Ang ola ), ▁the ▁African ▁Great ▁L akes ▁( K en ya , ▁U g anda , ▁T anz ania ), ▁and ▁the ▁Horn ▁of ▁Africa ▁( E th iop ia , ▁Som alia ). ▁ ▁Hab itat ▁V . ▁al big ular is ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁dry ▁habit ats , ▁including ▁ste pp es , ▁pra i ries , ▁and ▁sav ann ah s , ▁but ▁is ▁absent ▁from ▁desert ▁inter iors , ▁rain for ests , ▁and ▁thick ▁scr ub ▁for ests . ▁ ▁Fol kl ore ▁People ▁living ▁with ▁the ▁virus ▁of ▁H IV / A ID S ▁in ▁Y um be - d istrict ▁of ▁U g anda ▁have ▁been ▁reported ▁inject ing ▁themselves ▁with ▁the ▁blood ▁of ▁rock - mon itors , ▁which ▁they ▁believe ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁c ure ▁for ▁the ▁virus . ▁Many ▁are ▁reported ly ▁dis continu ing ▁anti - ret ro vir al ▁ther apy ▁to ▁purs ue ▁this ▁an ec dot al ▁treatment . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁V . ▁al big ular is ▁is ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁become ▁an ▁expensive ▁item ▁in ▁the ▁U g and an ▁black ▁market , ▁s elling ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 7 5 ▁US $ ▁each . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Ph