Mashatu, Botswana
Wednesday–Tuesday September 12–18, 2012
The 10,988 mile/17,683 kilometer trip to Johannesburg was via London. We arrived on Friday morning and then took a propeller airplane over to Polokwane, where we transferred to a car for the two hour drive north to Botswana. We crossed the border on foot and were picked up by the lodge. Needless to say, we were tired when we arrived, and skipped the evening game drive!
This map shows the location of the four lodges we called home during our trip. The first one was Mashatu Game Reserve, with the yellow pin.
One more map to show the route from Polokwane Airport north to the Limpopo River and the crossing into Botswana (about a 2 hour drive). The map can be enlarged by clicking.
The first thing we noticed was that this part of Botswana is dry, really dry. The Limpopo River was dry, and the plants above the river looked like most had died from lack of water. We were told the area is experiencing a severe drought.
Much of the time we were in the Mashatu Reserve, the sun was obscured by clouds. Our guide told us the vegetation would start leafing out soon, and sure enough, it did, despite the lack of rain.
The routine at the lodge was to roll out in the “vehicle” at 6:30, and be back at the lodge by 10:00. Then there was down time until about 3:30, when we would get back in the vehicle for another drive until well after the sun was down.
We got to see some of the same lions, cheetahs and elephants two or three times over the course of our stay. We got to know Henry the Elephant by sight (floppy ear), and on our last night, Henry showed up at the lodge!
The zebras and wildebeests here look like those we saw in Tanzania.
Here’s a Mashatu tree by a dry river bed. This species is by far the largest tree in the area, and often there are animals near it (eg, impalas), or in it (eg, a leopard).
We saw four leopards at Mashatu. This one was just waking up from a nap.
Here’s another photograph of a leopard, this time on the barren plain.
We also saw cheetahs, a mother and five cubs, at several places in the reserve. Here are two of them playing.
The family hunted together. Not long after these pictures were taken, they caught an impala.
Our ranger said that the cheetahs have to eat quickly, because other animals come along and cause them trouble. Such as large hyenas. This one has a pup in the hole. Challenging mom doesn’t look like a good idea.
A hyena is not small and cuddly. I’ve been asked how close we get to the animals, and this picture shows how close the vehicle gets to the animals, how large a hyena really is, and the rifle—just in case. Also, the vegetation.
How about the other big cat?
Here are four lion cubs on a cloudy day. The second picture shows mom and one of the cubs when there was a bit of sun.
Here is an eland. They are really big, and really shy. Everytime I’ve seen one, it turns and runs away by the time I get the camera aimed for a picture. An eland can weigh more than 1,100 pounds/500 kilograms. This photo was taken from a river bank, looking down toward the river.
There is a study going on at Mashatu on just how many elephants are the right number. They eat and drink a lot, and have a big impact on the vegetation. Mashatu has a lot of elephants. We sat and watched a herd of sixty or so walk right in front of us, sort of like a silent ocean convoy. Each one would stop every so often and really take a bite out of a bush. That was the only noise, eating.
The head researcher told us there are now a lot of elephants with no tusks or short tusks, because the elephants with long tusks have been killed for ivory, and that’s effected the gene pool.
Baby elephants were not in short supply at Mashatu.
This baby is going for some milk.
Here is an elephant that is two days old—it was born while we were at Mashatu.
Now for a few bird pictures. Here is the flying chili pepper (a hornbill).
Here is the cousin of the flying chili pepper, the flying banana.
Here is a black back jackal, along with an ostrich. Along with samples of elephant dung.
A very large owl.
Here is a lilac breasted roller, a bird also seen in East Africa.
This is the saddle–billed stork. It can be almost 5 feet/150 centimeters tall.
A baby baboon, and a close up of an adult.
We saw adult and baby giraffes, munching on thorny acacia trees. This giraffe is getting some help from two birds.
This is a greater kudu, with nice looking horns. We saw a lesser kudu in Tanzania.
Impalas are not in short numbers at the reserve.
One last cheetah photo.
After two very long flights, we arrived in Johannesburg in the morning, and transferred to a propeller plane to fly to Polokwane. From there, a car took us north, across the Limpopo River and into Botswana.
Next—Sabi Sand, near Kruger National Park.
