Piglets and puddles

Jan 15, 2026

The year has barely begun and already there are signs that it may be one of the busiest yet. Last weekend at Gobelo, one of those signs came in the form of five piglets born to one very calm sow. They are the first piglets of the year and her very first birthing. Their arrival is a great beginning and a marker of a good season ahead.

At the same time, Hwange has been receiving heavy rains. Much needed rains. There are usually long dry stretches, so it is always a huge relief to see water returning to places that have sat empty for months (outside the farm, Gwango usually has to intervene by pumping water to replenish the dwindling water supply at our waterholes to avert the loss of elephants and other species of wildlife). On the farm, the rain has brought both relief and a few unexpected challenges.

One of those challenges has been in the pigsties. At certain points in the day, when the rain comes down hard and fast, some areas flood briefly. This has meant a bit of shuffling, moving pigs around when things get too wet, then moving them back once the water drains. 

While we may be grumbling a bit about the disruptions this is causing, the pigs likely have their own opinions about this! The truth is, the pigs are thoroughly enjoying themselves…mud, puddles, shallow water…they are really having a good time with it all. Us humans are focused on keeping their bedding dry and maintaining good sanitation - but - the pigs are busy sliding and splashing about to soothe their dry skin. They almost seem to be protesting against us as we try to herd them away to some place more sensible. Catching or guiding a muddy, very happy pig to a drier sty has become a daily comedy. They are fast, determined and clearly unconvinced that drier ground is a good idea.

Thankfully, this part of Hwange sits on Kalahari sands. Water drains quickly here and the “ordeal” rarely lasts very long. A flooded corner in the morning is usually dry again by mid-morning. The pigs just shake themselves off, settle back in and life continues. Meanwhile, we are left catching our breaths.

The new piglets seem entirely unfazed by all of this. They don’t know any other life and so they alternate between naps, feeding and short bursts of energy. Rain or shine, mud or dry ground, they follow their mother closely, learning the space.

Beyond the pigsties, the rains have brought bigger hopes for the year. Every good downpour always brings up the same wish - that it will be enough. Enough to keep our farm running without having to supplement too much, enough to keep the water holes full, enough to support grazing, enough to see the land through the hotter months ahead.

For now, the farm is alive with small signs of promise (even the fungi is popping up spontaneously as it does this time of year). New piglets, a WHOLE BUNCH of ducklings, soaked soil, muddy footprints…exactly what this season is meant to look like.

Until next time,
   the Gobelo team