Spotlight City: Maun (Botswana)

By: Greta Iori

Photo credit: Botswana Tourism

The tourist capital of Botswana:

A city, which is still considered a village at heart, regardless of its incredible growth – Maun the fifth largest city in Botswana is still a place where the infamous Southern Lechwe antelope can be seen grazing the bordering grass alongside donkeys and cattle. As the gateway to the incredible Okavango Delta, this bustling tourism hub has brought with it a lot of development, which would explain the eclectic mix of modern day buildings with regional styled huts.

Initially known and still to this day referred to as the headquarters of safaris in Botswana, Maun will continuously draw tourists from around the globe to witness the wonders of the Delta it holds the key to. The tourism to this northern area of Botswana has recently increased significantly, as well as the recent buzz around National Geographic’s new documentary ‘The Last Lions’.

An incredible story of a how there is no love greater than a mothers. Ma di tau, the leading lady of the story, is a lioness that becomes widowed as her husband dies and is left with three cubs to protect from the harsh wetlands of The Okavango Delta. Belonging to no pride, she must fight rivals who accept no nomads in these valleys, the cruel lands infested with predators for her cubs, and the harsh reality that if she wants to protect her cubs she must flee to a completely new land. The documentary filmed by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, who have lived in Botswana studying these majestic animals for over four years, is an outstanding insight not only into the lives of these lions but sadly also into the extremely quickly diminishing cat population.

According to the documentary, just 50 years ago, there were nearly half a million of these lions roaming the grandiose lands of the African plains. Today a mere 20,000 are left; this is an alarming rate of decrease. Maun the delta’s gateway to the setting of this incredible film is now the hotspot for the conservation of the cat populace. With opportunities to volunteer, research or just witness the mammals for small donations, to make a substantial impact in preserving these magnificent mammals in action.

Here’s to our spotlight city, the entrance to implausible wildlife and an outstanding natural world!