Journos and the 'dodgy' lions of CKGR

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Monday March 28, 2011 00:00

 

Through the courtesy of Big Foot Tours, a local tourism company, journalists sampled the serene and tranquil atmosphere in Khutse Game Reserve, which is just a portion of CKGR. Here, nightfall presented a bit of trouble to the tourguides as most members of the groups could not adapt to the empty and apparent lifelessness inside their tents here in the desert. Just after Letlhakeng Village, cellphone networks are elusive.

We arrived at the CKGR entrance in the evening after driving for over 100 kilometres through the desert terrain. At this point, fatigue had not yet set in because we were all agog to experience what lay in store for us. A common anticipation among us was an encounter with lions, the kings of the jungle.

However, the journey through the sandy terrain to our destination, Molose Camp, became extremely long because not a single lion came into sight; only fresh spoors indicating that one of the big cats had passed by not so long ago.

Upon arrival at the camp, we unpacked, sat around a bonfire and introduced each to the others before preparing a meal and eating. Night came as slowly as the build-up of fear. The bushes are thick from the recent rains, but we had pitched our tents on cleared areas. The toilet and bathroom are designed for the utmost privacy, but safety is compromised. Hence none of the journos would dare to visit the loo unescorted despite it being only a stone's throw away and is in full view of the group sitting around the fire.

The fear emanated from a picture at the main park entrance in which a massive male lion was shot as it left the toilet. Other than the light produced by the fire, the area is pitch black with darkness, making the prospect of sleeping a bit unbearable for most of us. Hence some of us preferred to sleep in the car but were not allowed for fear of missing out on the full camping experience. In accordance with the instructions of wildlife officers for sleeping, 500 metres separated each group from the next, though we complied with considerable reluctance.

There was no fire in those camps, meaning that we were expected to enter the already pitched tents in the dark.

No lights, no clock, no sound, no running water; meaning that though this was calculated for the least disturbance of the animals, we also went without a bath for the entire trip! Inside the tent is the occupant darkness. It is the eeriness of a necropolis. Perhaps this is how the dead feel in their graves?

Not even a crowing cock to signal dawn! Only the shafts of light through tiny slits in the tarpaulin of the tent indicate the breaking of a new day in the desert. After breakfast, we set off on a game drive with high hopes of coming across lions. Though we spotted giraffes, kudus and antelopes near a water hole, there was no sign of a lion. After the water hole, we headed to Moreswe Camp where again there was no lion in sight.

However, we were rewarded with a mole rat, or serunya in the vernacular; the entire lot of us had never set eyes on the rodent and it was only the second time for the proprietor of the company, Kgoberego Nkawana, to have seen one, having first laid eyes on one in 1984! Because the creature hardly ever comes to the surface of the earth, it has inspired several fables in Setswana folklore. We drove past English tourists who enquired about lions.

As is a norm with journos, camera clicks invaded the poor little animal, disrupting its plans. The Serunya belongs to the rat family, though it is longer and a little bigger than rats. We then headed back to the main camp for a brunch before visiting Mahurushele Camp, reportedly President Ian Khama's favourite. Then back to the main camp, fatigued and disappointed that we still had not seen a lion. Only the empty darkness of our tents awaited us.

On the second day, minimal complaints and fears were registered because we were growing acquainted to our new circumstances. In the morning, we travelled back to the main entrance on the way back to Gaborone still nurturing hopes of sighting a lion.

However, all we saw were spoors of a pride that were even fresher than the first ones the other day. Because they were headed in the opposite direction, we surmised that they had probably changed course when they heard our approach. It appears that the recent outbreaks of veldt fires, that ravaged the entire game reserve, had a major impact on wild animals that are only just beginning to return. The main purpose of the tour was to demonstrate to Batswana journalists that camping is affordable and is not just 'a white thing.' Batswana currently constitute only one percent of the clientele of Big Foot Tours. The company charges only P50 for a night at their campsites.

Clients from overseas pay in instalments before they can come on holiday.  Big Foot Tours was established in 2004 and they currently own 28 campsites in Khutse and 12 in the CKGR. Other services the company offers include accommodation bookings in and outside Botswana and tours across the country. It also offers day tours to show tourists around the city of Gaborone. Big Foot Tours can be reached at www.bigfoottours.co.bw.