Among the most notable features phrazle of Mababe is its vast, hundreds-strong buffalo herds. Their voluminous silhouettes occupied the whole horizon, with dust enveloping them as they moved slowly towards a drinking hole. Bakgadi expressed the belief that herds of this kind are not often seen in any other location inside Botswana.
The lions frequenting the concession are always in close proximity. According to Sox, there was once a single large pride consisting of 52 members, but now it has divided into two separate groups. Prior to my visit, I had heard about the regular (sometimes horrifying) hunting scenes that are attributed to these powerful predators. No activity was seen during my trip, but there was plenty opportunity for it. One morning, we saw a male lion quietly skulking among the thick reeds as buffalo approached a water source. After a period of waiting, during which the herd successfully passed his position of concealment, we proceeded forward. After exercising patience, we subsequently discovered that the male had ultimately preyed upon one of the juvenile buffaloes.
One of my notable experiences was dining in the hide, an underground chamber constructed with ground-level vistas of a waterhole, equipped with swivel bar seats, a well supplied bar, and refreshments. The author had a gin and tonic while seeing a group of elephants gracefully descending towards the shoreline. Sox highlighted a still-underdeveloped infant that had not yet mastered the use of its trunk, choosing instead to immerse its whole face underwater, with its trunk extended like a little periscope. I could have spent a much greater number of tranquil hours there. The experience was also, to be frank, a much-needed respite from navigating the dusty and abrasively uneven roads (let's just say I was thankful I had my athletic bra).
