The time of year has arrived when those of us who live in Maun, the safari town that serves as gateway to the Okavango Delta, sit with our eyes eagerly trained on the dry riverbed before us waiting for the first trickle of water to herald the arrival of the Okavango’s flood waters from Angola. It starts with a slow moistening of the dust and then before you know it the flood’s in full flow, bringing new life to our dry little town.
What we really need at a time like this is a distraction, and fortunately our resident herd of habituated giraffe at Thamo Telele have obliged with the blossoming of a certain belly.
Mmabatho, whose name translates to ‘mother of the people’ is always a calm and steady presence here, making her a favourite with guests and our team alike, has been blooming throughout her pregnancy. In turn, we’ve all been watching and waiting to see when her little one might arrive.
Our brilliant giraffe researchers Katie Ahl and Emma Wells knew that Mmabatho was close to giving birth so were watching particularly closely.
“Mmabatho is a regular at the giraffe sundowner and we noticed she was missing one night and though she must be getting ready,” recalls Katie. “The next day we went for a drive to look for her and sure enough we found her and her calf looking strong.”
Giraffe give birth while standing up rather than shifting into something we humans might consider a more comfortable position. This is so that the drop to the ground will kick-start the baby’s breathing as well as snapping the umbilical cord.
The baby stands up after around an hour and, while gangly and a little unsteady initially, is soon ready to frolic and run, making it easier for the mother to protect her calf from predators.
It quickly became apparent that this was a little girl with a kink in the middle of her tail “This happened at a very young age, possibly at birth,” notes Katie. “It doesn’t stop her from living her best life though!” She joins brothers Pula and Kgomotso in the family, and even shares the same birthday as Pula (although the two are three years apart.)
She was given the name Leleme which means ‘tongue’ in Setswana. Leleme is also the term given to the earliest advancing flood water.
Just as baby Leleme breathes new life into our lovely reserve, the flood waters also hold great significance for the local community as it represents new beginnings and the hope and anticipation for a good rainy season.
“Here at Thamo Telele we hope our little Leleme brings the same good luck and rains to Maun in the coming years, smiles Katie.”
