The Mababe Depression – Botswana
Botswana’s Mababe Depression
Botswana holds an allure as a safari destination that is fascinating to observe. From the multi-repeat safari goer who has explored countless countries and safari offerings, to the first-time safari novice just dipping their toe into the confusing torrent of options that exist – a question about a safari to Botswana will almost always emerge, somewhere along a spectrum that runs from casual curiosity to a determined ultimatum.
The reasons for Botswana’s attractiveness as a safari destination are plentiful, and include factors like its longstanding strong and stable democracy, a history of pioneering conservation initiatives that have walked alongside sensible (for the most part) natural resource use and a damn fine national PR campaign that has seen national government and private enterprise mostly singing from the same song sheet – “visit Botswana, you are in for a treat”.
Botswana is famed for its “confused” delta that spills waters from the Angolan highlands not into an open ocean or vast lake but into the northern reaches of this land-locked country, with the watery fingers creating a tapestry of navigable waterways that open up and equally hide away pockets of African safari wilderness. The inundation of water is an annual event that remains unpredictable and ever-changing and the degree of uncertainty as to how the “flood” will eventualize keeps the safari industry on tenterhooks in the lead up to the arrival of the waters. When the water does arrive, barren and desolate landscapes are dramatically altered in no time at all, green life springs from a dust bowl, rivers replace sandy gullies and life returns in abundance.
The areas that are blessed by the influx of water are not always the same and gradual or sometimes sudden shifts can see parts of the Okavango Delta that have been devoid of the life-giving waters for years, even decades, change overnight as water arrives. One such area that has seen a shift in the arrival of water is the Mababe Depression in the northeast of the country. This vast wetland ecosystem that typically vacillates from very dry to somewhat wet in a season as with the rest of the delta-fed system, has seen more waters reach this far lying area in recent years. The wildlife numbers increase when the going is good and the water abundant, and huge “mega herds” of grazers can be accommodated here.
The area never gets a full reprieve however from the intense heat and resultant dryness of the late summer, and with this comes a time of reduced food and less and less water and therein lies the recipe for some of the most dramatic game viewing one can ever experience. Add enormous herds of buffalo (we estimated the number at 2500 head in a single herd), reduce their food’s nutrient value and its availability, concentrate the available water into a single and limited area and then add lion prides, expertly skilled at picking off the weak, the young or the unlucky – the result is quite simply carnage of epic proportions. The Mababe Depression and the marshlands quickly turn into the killing fields. One afternoon alone saw three buffalo taken down by the pride and a return to the area the next morning revealed that overnight the same pride of lion had also killed a young elephant.
The levels of drama are certainly not for everyone, and whilst this area offers much more than just the drama, a safari here in the dry months must come with the trigger warning – here you will experience raw and unbridled Africa in epic proportions. Expect to see the full circle of life in the dry months and expect drama and enormity. Mega herds of buffalo, large herds of Sable, Eland, Impala and huge numbers of elephant too. Predators abound, and you can expect to see more than just the large lion prides as Spotted Hyena, Leopard, Cheetah and African Wild Dogs can also be found in the area.
Wilderness operate Mokete Lodge in the Mababe Depression, offering a wonderfully comfortable base from which to explore this region. Access to the lodge is via a 45-minute helicopter flight from Maun and it is most definitely worth tagging on a scenic “doors off” flight over the marshlands as an introduction to the area. Spend time in the sunken hide too for a comfortable and close up view of some of the very relaxed elephant and enjoy the abundant bird life congregating at the waterhole.
Whilst the Mokete Lodge is open year round, there is no doubt that the best time to visit this camp is in the dry season. The rainy / green season disperses the game here very quickly and changes the experience significantly. As with all safaris – visiting the Mababe Depression is best done at the optimal time and ideally with one of our partner specialist guides.
