I spent six days in Mashatu in the middle of February which although just past mid-summer, can be the hottest month in summer. Southern Africa is enduring a major drought, the likes of which has not been experienced for at least 22 years. Thankfully, Mashatu has had some decent rain and the rivers have plenty of water in them. Mashatu can look like a moonscape in the depths of winter when there has been no rain for months. It can also look like the Garden of Eden after the rains where the trees are bursting with verdant green leaves, the grass lush and thick and the yellow devil-thorn flowers carpet the ground.

“There is a magic, a poignancy, a sense of excitement about the bush that is not only gripping, it is addictive. Once bitten by the ‘bush bug’ a person is infected for life. Bush fever is a kind of madness that compels you to return and return – a longing which will seize you by the throat until, you would gladly sell soul for the sight of a dry thorn tree against an empty sky, a herd of wildebeest wheeling under their cloud of dust, or the deep rasping “augh!” of a lion prowling in the night. The veld has a scent all of its own too, a combination of dust and dung and sunshine, a heady fragrance that fills the lungs and intoxicates the blood like strong wine.”

~C. Emily Dibb

Each morning we would rise at 5h15 to be ready for a cup of coffee and a rusk at 6h00 before setting out on our game drive. I took this first image standing in my outside shower at 5h30 in the morning looking east at the dawning of a new day when everything looks, smells and sounds right with the world. It was cool, fresh and the birds were singing – Spurfowl, Hornbills, Turtle Doves and a Woodland Kingfisher.

I saw more Wildebeest this trip than I have ever seen before. For a change they were more relaxed and allowed me to take a few shots.

This time of the year the animals are plagued with flies, some of which bite.

There were plenty of new Wildebeest calves and they were full of the joys of summer, dashing in and out of the herd, having a great time. This was a newly born youngster with part of its umbilical cord still attached.

The Eland are always skittish, especially the females. This Eland bull knew we were close but he was relaxed. You could see he was an old bull by the large dewlap (Eland’s radiator) and he had substantial hair loss on his body. He also had a healthy crown of auburn coloured hair on his forehead.

We found this old bull browsing down alongside the Majale river. I took this image to show you the flies which plague these herbivores at this time of the year.We were pestered by these flies but nothing like this Eland bull.

The end of a wonderful day in the bush. The sky was laden with heavy rain clouds as a storm was building but the sinking sun managed to find a break to show off its African evening colours.

“The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth … the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need — if only we had the eyes to see.”

~ Edward Abbey

Blue Wildebeest are thriving in Mashatu and there were plenty of calves.

Late one afternoon, the brewing storm created an unusual light on these Elephants who were quietly feeding. You can see the ground cover had already started to dry out in the intense heat, which was around 40 degrees centigrade most days.

Another afternoon as storm clouds were brewing, we were driving alongside the Majale river and looked up to the ridge to see a few Giraffe feeding in the falling light. One Giraffe was browsing right on top of the ridge, which made a perfect silhouette against the darkening blue evening sky.

“Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children? “

~ Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota)

The next day after the previous evening’s storm,  the air was crystal clear and Mashatu’s wildlife was out in force.

Having seen how dry Mashatu can get in winter and spring, it is wonderful to see so much water in the rivers. The rivers were not flowing but had big pools of water.

Some afternoons, Mashatu offers unusual lighting with long shadows. This next image was taken on the bank above the Majale river looking down at the river bend which winds passed the White-fronted Bee-eaters’ nesting bank.

In the next image, the rays of light were shaped by clouds behind the horizon. I never cease to be bewitched by the spectacular light show in the evenings just around sundowner time. Usually the light show goes on for at least half an hour after the sun has set. The colours become more saturated  15 to 20 minutes after the sun has set below the horizon.

“Africa is waiting – come!
Since you’ve touched the open sky
And learned to love the rustling grass,
The wild fish-eagles cry.
You’ll always hunger for the bush,
For the lion’s rasping roar,
To camp at last beneath the stars
And to be at peace once more.”

~Extract from C.Emily Dibb’s poem The Call of Africa

A bevy of beauties – of the Kudu kind. Unusually exposed, this small group of female Kudu were standing on an island in the Majale river. They were relaxed and milled around on the island for a few minutes before one by one walking off back into the bush.

Always wary of the ever-present threat from Crocodiles.

A summer afternoon view looking east along the Majale river. It is wonderful to see so much water in Mashatu’s rivers. With plenty of water around it does mean that the game is more spread out so you have to work harder to see it but the vistas are superb.

Stoney ridges and giant Mashatu trees line sections of the Majale river.

On Sunset hill with friends, toasting the setting sun and a wonderful day.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.”

~Saint Augustine

I am not sure why but I get such a “spark” when I see game down at the river with a backdrop of long deep shadows. The variation in light seems to add perspective, drama and a sense of anticipation.

A peaceful late afternoon drink was disturbed by an unusual sound from the adjacent bank. All but one of the Impala rams looked around and a few seconds later they all dashed for cover. We never got to see what caused the dash.

One afternoon, our game guide, Maifala, took us down to the Matabole river just up from the weir. He simply said look there!! We all looked and just couldn’t see what he was looking at.

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There in a small alcove in the river bank, lying in the water with her head in the shade was a female Hyaena fast asleep.

Although there are plenty of snakes in Mashatu,we seldom see them. Mashatu is known for its pythons, which are usually seen in the Mashatu trees. Our guide, Maifala, spotted a Black Mamba, one of southern Africa’s deadliest snakes, gliding over the stoney ground. The venom of the Black Mamba is extremely potent. Mambas usually deliver about 100-120mg of venom in a single bite – enough to kill 8-14 people, according to EarthTouch.

Although the Black Mamba is a light beige-brown, it gets its name from the colour of the inside of its mouth which is black. That is the part you do not want to see!! Mambas can move fast and this one was motoring. Black Mambas are reputed to be able to move at speeds up to 11 miles per hour over short distances.

We saw a few Vervet Monkeys at the same spot on the Majale river each day. This happened to be in the late morning when the light was the right direction.  

Hanging around with the male Vervet was this youngster who was very inquisitive.

Even this small beautiful Steenbok was plagued by the small flies.

“When you’ve acquired a taste for dust,
The scent of our first rain,
You’re hooked for life on Africa
And you’ll not be right again
Till you can watch the setting moon
And hear the jackals bark
And know that they’re around you,
Waiting in the dark.”

~Extract from C. Emily-Dibb’s poem The Call of Africa taken from the book, The Conundrum Trees

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

I was privileged enough to go to Mashatu in mid-February for a few days. At this time of the year in Southern Africa the weather can be quite variable. Usually very hot daytime temperature and big blue skies mixed with thunderstorms. The thunderstorms are great because anyone who has been out on a game vehicle when a major cumulus nimbus storm is brewing is in for a show. The power of the light and sound show is humbling. You get a first hand sense of the enormity and power of nature.

“We have a calling: a need to be close to Nature, where she may cleanse our souls and wash away the stresses of yesterday. It is emotional recompense for the cost of living.”
~ Fennel Hudson

On our first morning game drive, we found this magnificent male Lion who is the dominant male in this part of Mashatu.  I loved the colours of his male’s mane and he looked more like a lover than a fighter as he had few scars on his face.

He was with his Lioness who was on heat. Our guide Maifala told us they had been mating for the previous few days.

The wind was blowing quite hard as it was the early build up to a major storm later than day. This male walked out from behind a Boscia foetida “stink Shepherds tree” to find a cooler resting place. I liked the way his mane was blown flat by the strong wind. He went deep into a croton thicket about 50 metres away to get some shade and peace.

His Lioness continued to lie in the limited shade under the “stink Shepherd’s tree”.

It is interesting to watch these Lions when they are resting. They appear to be fast asleep until a sound or smell catches their attention.

Later that afternoon we found the male and his Lioness in a similar place to where we left them in the morning. The male was lying some distance from the Lioness. He was being plagued by small flies and as Lions do tried to bite them.

This male had a cut right next to the tear duct area of his eye which seemed to be worrying him. He would lick his paw and them rub that part of his paw across his eye.

This was one large confident male Lion.

“Strength is seen on the outside but built on the inside.”

~Chalene Johnson

A yawn after a “snoozy” day. The size and intact structure of his canines suggest he is in his youthful prime.

I liked the way his massive male Lion placed his left paw on top of his right one. This pose disguised the contained aggression latent in this dominant male.

He looked straight at us as he was getting up. My large lens must have looked like an eye to this Lion and this caught his attention, but  amazingly he does not associate the people and the “big eye” on the vehicle with potential food – thankfully.

“Knowledge is like a lion; it cannot be gently embraced.”

~South African proverb

The male began to walk towards the Majale river in the late afternoon. The side-on image showed the  size and muscular profile of this magnificent male.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

~Mahatma Gandhi

From a distance, his Lioness was watching his every move from her cool, lush resting place. The light was starting to dim as the storm clouds were building.

Eventually this Lioness followed the male down towards the river to drink at the end of what had been a hot day with temperatures around 40 degrees centigrade.

She kept her eye on the male at all times.

Even after many days of frequent mating, this male was still attracted by his Lioness. A noise caught his attention while he stood at the top of the Majale river bank looking down at her as she was drinking from the river.

“All nature’s creatures join to express nature’s purpose. Somewhere in their mounting and mating, rutting and butting is the very secret of nature itself.”

~Graham Swift

We did not follow the pair down into the river but rather stayed on top of the bank looking down. The reflection of the sky gave the water in the stoney river bed a vibrant blue colour.

The male eventually joined his lioness at the water. Every time the male walked behind the Lioness she would whirl around and give him a “paw slap” as she obviously wanted to drink in peace.

“You can flirt with mother nature but don’t ever think she is you chick”

~Anonymous

On another occasion, we found a few of the youngsters which the dominant male had kicked out. This young male knew his place and valued his life so moved out of the dominant male’s territory. This young male has the makings of being a large, well built adult in a few years.

One of the young Lionesses who had moved away with the young male had been bitten by something and was licking the bite area. I took this image to show the spinal flexibility of this young Lioness.

The next image shows four of the five youngsters who had moved away after the dominant male take-over. They were lying in the shade to get some respite for the already intense morning heat. These youngsters were quite capable of hunting and feeding themselves.

“A young outcast will often feel that there is something wrong with himself, but as he gets older, grows more confident in who he is, he will adapt, he will begin to feel that there is something wrong with everyone else.”
― Criss Jami

Another of Mashatu’s cats, the Cheetah. This was one of the coalition of three males in the area. They have been the dominant Cheetah coalition for an extended period.

You can see that these males were quite old and had lived a rugged life.

The three males were doing very little on the two occasions we saw them other than trying to keep cool and sleeping.

The other more secretive cat which you are likely to see in Mashatu is the Leopard. Mashatu is well-known for its Leopard sightings. This young female must have woken up in the late afternoon after lying up in the cool of a large tree the whole day. She was walking upstream along the Majale river below the Euphorbia covered cliffs.

The light was low in the shady cliffs in the late afternoon while this young Leopardess was scent marking her territory.

“You are what you love, not what loves you. ”
― Charlie Kaufman

She also had a good rub against the rough bark.

After scenting marking she proceeded up the river stopping every few steps to take in all the scent messages.

On our last afternoon, we were lucky enough to see this young female Leopard lying astride a large tree branch above the Majale river close to the area we had found the male Lion and his Lioness a few days earlier.

“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed … We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in.”
~Wallace Stegner

When we first found her she was breathing very heavily and seemed to take quite a while to recover. It was hot but something else must have happened which we did not see.

As the light faded and it began to cool down she seemed to perk up. This was an iconic sighting of a Leopard resting on the bough of a large hanging branch.

In mid-summer it is a “hit and miss” when its comes to Leopard sightings because there is lots of vegetation and the game is more dispersed as there is more water around.

“There’s an exact moment for leaping into the lives of wild animals. You have to feel their lives first, how they fit the world around them. It’s like the beat of music. Their eyes, the sounds they make, their head, movements, their feet and their whole body, the closeness of things around them – all this and more make up the way they perceive and adjust to their world.”
― Richard O’Barry

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike