Morning at Mokolodi

This morning I went to the Mokolodi Nature Reserve- which is just south of Gaborone. I caught a ride to the Reserve with a friend who was attending a meeting there. While he and many of our colleagues were attending a strategic planning meeting at the Mokolodi Conference Center, I went on a game drive and enjoyed the education center, gift shop and grounds. When I arrived for my 0730 drive, the woman at the registration desk informed me that I was the only person who had signed up for the drive and they needed a minimum of 2 people. So, I was going to have to pay for 2 people if I wanted to go… unless, I wanted to go on the ‘game drive + cheetah visit.’ There wasn’t anyone signed up for the ‘game drive + cheetah visit’ either, but at 295 Pula, they didn’t make ‘solos’ pay double. So, I fell for the up-sell and went on the ‘game drive + cheetah visit.’

The Mokoldi Nature Reserve is essentially just some protected property that has rudimentary dirt roads through it (think a lot of bouncing in the back of a truck) and it is home to several types of truly wild animals… that is, except for a pair of tame cheetahs who were abandoned early in life and now live in a large fenced area within the Reserve. There are also some young spotted hyenas who are in a large enclosure who were abandoned, but they are not tame.

My 2+ hour, solo drive through the Reserve, accompanied by two guides, was very successful. I saw impalas, white rhinos, giraffes (my favorite), roans (the largest antelope in Africa), ostriches, monkeys, and lots of beautiful birds. I also learned about ecology and conservation in Botswana and Africa.

But, the best part of all, was visiting the cheetahs! We found Duma (the darker one)
and Letotse (the lighter one) around 0945 lounging in the shade purring audibly. As the only guest on the visit, I got to pet them and ask questions while my photographer-guides snapped pictures of us.

So, the moral of the story is that when things don’t work out as planned, they sometimes work out even better. And, while I was trying to experience Africa’s wilderness in the ‘born-free, live free’ spirit, I really enjoyed meeting these ‘captive’ cheetahs. I think their life at Mokolodi is pretty sweet.
After my adventure, I went to another co-worker's house briefly (and met his dogs, which was interesting given that I had just petted cheetahs). And then we went to work. Such is the life of a working woman in Botswana.