A changed landscape in Botswana’s Mababe Depression is now a hot spot for wildlife year-round.

We must not startle them.

Its raw and unpredictable out here.

Three boats on a river in Botswana.

Guests of Wilderness Tubu Tree, in northwestern Botswana, canoeing on the Okavango River.Credit:Courtesy of Wilderness

People come to feel their heart beating in their chest.

We want to protect these mega herds from hunting and human-wildlife conflict, Vasco told me.

To my relief, the lion decided not to charge that day.

A safari drive with giraffes and zebras in the distance.

Admiring giraffes and zebras on a Tubu Tree game drive.Courtesy of Wilderness

With the new design, weve gone from a wheelbarrow to a motorbike.

Still, Mukuwa assured me that the camps original charm remained.

We know every animal, plant, and insect out here.

An aerial view of an African landscape seen from a helicopter.

The author takes a helicopter ride over the Mababe Depression.Courtesy of Wilderness

Had they not, I might have stayed forever.

A group of hipps in a river in Botswana.

Hippos in the Mababe River near Wilderness Mokete.Courtesy of Wilderness

A safari camp interior.

Inside Tubu Tree’s refurbished lounge.Courtesy of Wilderness

An exterior view of a safari tent.

A guest tent at Wilderness Mokete.Courtesy of Wilderness