Ngangingakaze ngiye esifundeni saseSavute eBotswana ngaphambili, kodwa ngangifunde ukuthi kwakuyindawo engangingayibona ngesikhathi sezimvula. Lezi zincwadi zathi iSavute Channel yome ngokuphelele ngo-1982, okwathi ngesizini esomile yayiwuthuli. Lezi zincwadi ziphinde zathi uma kunezimvula uMsele waba uxhaxha lwemigodi yamanzi kanye nezikhotha ezinotshani lapho kutheleka khona izilwane zasemathafeni, zilandelwa yizo zonke izilwane ezidla ezinye.
Ngakho lapho sifika eSavute, ngamangala ukubona umfula. Ngatshelwa ukuthi iSavute Channel yayigcwele ngo-2009 futhi yayihlale igcwele ngesikhathi sesomiso. Manje, ngemva kwemvula yendawo ngo-2010, amanzi eSiteshini ayesephezulu.
Umfula iKwando, ogeleza emngceleni ophakathi kweBotswana neNamibia, uthatha ijika elibukhali ukuze ube ngumfula iLinyanti. Ezikhathini ezidlule, iKwando yayivame ukugelezela eningizimu esifundeni sase-Okavango, igeleze idlulele emapanini aseMakgadikgadi, ngaphambili okwakuyindawo yolwandle olukhulu oluphakathi nezwe. Ukunyakaza koqweqwe loMhlaba kwamisa ukugeleza ukuya eningizimu futhi kwayithumela enyakatho ukuze ihlangane neLinyanti neChobe futhi iqhubekele emfuleni iZambezi.
Kusenokuxhumana phakathi kweKwando/Linyanti kanye ne-Okavango eyaziwa ngokuthi yiSelinda Spillway. I-Spillway nayo isineminyaka eminingi yomile kodwa manje isigcwele amanzi - amanzi ageleza esuka e-Okavango eya eLinyanti. Umehluko ekuphakameni mncane kakhulu (awukho ngaphezu kwamamitha ayishumi ngaphezu kwamakhilomitha angamashumi amahlanu) futhi umzila wokuchitheka, ngatshelwa, kwaziwa ukuthi ugeleza noma yikuphi.
Kuningi okushintshile lesi simo esikhathini esidlule, futhi kunzima ukukuchaza ngemisho embalwa kuphela. Iqiniso lokuthi izinguquko zisenzeka njengoba uMhlaba uqhubeka nokuduma ngaphansi futhi ngaleyo ndlela ushintsha indlela emifula, lenza le ndawo ihehe nakakhulu.
I-Wilderness Safaris ine-Linyanti Concession. Phambilini bebempompa imigodi yamanzi eduze kweSavute Channel ukuze bahehe izilwane, kodwa njengoba umzila usugcwele amanzi, amaphampu abo awasadingeki. Kunalokho kwadingeka bakhe ibhuloho elisha ngaphesheya kwalo.
Sahamba kakhulu endaweni nomqondisi wethu, uMnu. T, futhi sathola inqwaba yemidlalo. Sazithela phezu kwamabhubesi angamaduna ehlezi emthunzini wehlathi elinde unina. Kamuva samthola umama. Wayeqhele ngekhilomitha futhi wayebiza izingane zakhe. Walala walinda ukuthi bafike.
Sabona izilwane nezinyoni eziningi ohambweni lwethu oluqhubekayo endaweni. Izimpungushe zazibonakala zisebenza isikhathi esengeziwe zikha amakhizane ezilwaneni eziningi. Esithombeni, indlulamithi ihlanza izimpondo zayo, kanti ama-kudu ayengenamahloni, ebeka izithombe kahle. I-Burchell's Starling yayihlukunyezwa inzalo yayo ye-cuckoo elambile; unogolantethe onebibi elivulekile wayezishisa ilanga, ebukeka ehlekisa ngokwedlulele. Sibone okuningi, kodwa lokho kuzolinda kuze kube indaba elandelayo.
