Mabuasehube NP - Day 5

A soggy Mabua gate

The rain started about 2am and was still going steadily when the alarm went off at 5am. Wi the this much rain around our expectations to see cats was extremely low so our plan was just to head to the gate and get home as early as possible.

We were expecting rain all the way home to Gabs so it wasn’t going to be an easy drive especially since this was the end of a 5 day New Years weekend - everyone was going to be on the road. We took a chance when the rain eased to a drizzle to get out e tent and pack up up our stuff. It was a good move as it started raining more heavily again just as we’d finished packing and got into the car.

Back on the cutline to get home

We checked the waterhole and did some on driving but as expected it was pretty devoid of anything but a few birds. We headed straight for Monamodi Pan , about 10 km away and the last pan before the gate. We wanted to have our morning coffee there hoping to catch the meerkats once last time but they had decided it was not worth getting up in the rain and were nowhere to be seen.

Horses on the cutline

We did however get a nice treat - near to the meerkat den is a bat-eared fox den which we realized when 7 little foxes emerged. They were too far away to get shots, besides which our cameras were already packed away, but it was a nice final Mabua sighting and good info to have for next time.

An overcast drive home

On to the gate where we secured the tent and sorted out the tyres. The parks guide rocked up at the same time and we were able to pay the park fees on the way out, which would save us from having to pay in Gabs. Still raining, we headed out of Mabuasehube with a 130km cutline to do and a few more hours after that of driving to get home.

A great trip to Mabuasehube with lions and meerkats and storms in abundance. A great way to start 2025 - May there be more in store for the year.