Page 85 - Discover Botswana 2021

animals come to quench their thirst, from tiny mammals to mighty beasts. Needless to say, the photographic opportunities are immense, particularly close-ups which would be impossible to achieve any other way.
The experience in a hide is also very sensory – with no glass separation, one can truly see, smell, feel and hear the wonders of nature. It is not uncommon to feel the splashes of water from elephants bathing, or smell large predators up close, with mixed feelings of excitement, adrenalin and vulnerability! I must admit, the hide opening feels very big when a lion is lapping up water just metres away. I can hear those slurping sounds to this day!
Mashatu falls within the summer rainfall region of Southern Africa – a semi-arid tropical climate with warm days and cool African nights. The hides close in December as the first rains fall, predominantly in the form of late afternoon thundershowers between November and March. With rainwater pans filling up throughout the reserve, animals are no longer
restricted to key water-points for drinking, and the hides become less productive. In March, a high-pressure cell over the central area of Southern Africa slowly begins to create fine dry weather and the hides open once again.
During the Covid-19 state of emergency in Botswana, most of Mashatu’s staff went back to their families and homes in various parts of the country. All of their employees remain employed on a reduced salary, which is subsidised further by the Botswana Government. This is an ideal temporary measure, but is quite unsustainable in the long term. No tourists = no jobs = no food. This is what many people are facing.
The global pandemic has forced Mashatu to direct its attention to another concerning issue; poaching. The threat of poaching from the reserve’s unfenced international boundaries has markedly increased, naturally due to equal problems of job loss and consequent food shortages in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Snaring and night poaching with spears and
Above Top: In the quest for unique scenes, night-time offers opportunities to create images with a difference. Here a giraffe is silhouetted against Africa’s starry night sky.
Above Insert: The water was beautifully still and subtle shades of magenta from first light lit the background as this adolescent male lion approached for
a drink.
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