Fish

The longest standing member to the Mashatu Family is field guide, Fish. Fish has worked at Mashatu for 34 years, starting his career in the bush in the anti-poaching patrol unit.  His love for the bush and the conserving wildlife of Botswana is what drove Fish to dedicate his career and life to the cause. In 1985 Fish became a tracker at Mashatu, and soon after gained his guiding qualifications to start his guiding career.

Fish

Spending such a long period of time in a wilderness area you witness firsthand the changes that the land and its creatures experience.  Fish recalls the terrible drought that Mashatu experienced in 1985 which saw the buffalo population of Mashatu to its extinction.  He also witnessed the reintroduction of giraffe to the area 1987, and how they have since thrived.

On game drive, viewing a spotted hyena. Photo by Villiers Steyn

Fish has encountered many a memorable sighting during his time at Mashatu but one very brave wildebeest stands out in his memory. On this particular game drive he witnessed a wildebeest fight off a fully grown lioness after the wildebeest had already been pinned to the ground.  The wildebeest won its life back from the fierce lion through an act of pure bravery – an unforgettable moment in nature. To Fish the most beautiful animal in the bush is neither the leopard nor the cheetah, it is simply the impala that roam the grasslands by the hundreds Fish says “nobody likes impala, so that is why I do”.

Fish viewing a male lion with his guests

34 years down the line, Fish assures me that he still loves his job very much. With such dedication and passion for the natural world Fish is a true ambassador for Mashatu, and Botswana’s wilderness.

By Ruth Nussbaum