Holiday Reading Pleasure with Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
Books galore to choose from for those who love wildlife
The holidays are here and some who are lucky enough to have some money left in the bank after the past financially difficult three years due to the devastation of Covid-19 that decimated various global industries, will be able to travel with family and friends do various destinations. And of course there will be those who will give travelling this year a miss due to their own financial position.
However whether you are travelling or not, you might still want to enjoy some bit of fun, and what better way to do that than reading a book that will take you to places and experiences without you actually physically going there. CITYLIFE//ARTS this week has compiled a list of great books whose theme is the wilderness and the life that is there.
Captured in detail by text and photography, as well as in memoir by those who have enjoyed documenting life in the wilderness, these books will be great company for book lovers. Please check our curation of great literature below that is likely to enthral you, excite you and make you feel one with nature during the holidays. And the good thing is these books are all available for purchase at all good bookstores in the country. Enjoy the literary delight below.
Wilderness Dreaming chronicles the exceptional life of one of Africa’s most acclaimed wildlife photographers.
Author: Greg du Toit
Publisher: HPH Publishing ISBN: 978-1-77632-325-8
Genre: Memoir Format: Soft cover with flaps RRP: R395
It is from a young age that Greg du Toit loses his heart to the South African bush, and the diversity of life forms that live there. At 18 and fresh out of school, Greg’s obsessions catapult him away from the rat race of his childhood suburbs, and into the Africa of his deepest imaginings. It takes qualifying as a safari guide and surviving a buffalo charge while seeking out a reclusive forest bird, to find his life’s calling: photographing the alluring creatures of a hauntingly beautiful continent. His journey takes him to Kenya where, living alongside the Maasai, he discovers a secret waterhole. Next, Greg sets out on a photographer’s definitive quest: capturing a corner of his lost Africa, where humans and free-ranging wildlife still co-exist.
An exhilarating story, Greg’s memoir brings to life an Africa with much wildness left to celebrate — and one photographer’s place in it.
Title: Kruger Self-Drive – Routes, Roads and Ratings Second Edition
Publisher: HPH Publishing ISBN: 978-1-77632-322-7
Author: Van den Bergs
Genre: Wildlife/Travel
RRP: R750 Book
For those that will choose spending their holidays in the Kruger National Park, and they intent to drive themselves they have a good companion in this book., I mean self-driving is great, but at the same time it can be daunting, especially If you want to avoid the stress getting lost and not knowing where you are going.
This revised and updated second edition features brand new maps, all new photographs and updated text. Kruger Self-Drive, Routes, Roads and Ratings is not only the first comprehensive guide to all roads in Kruger National Park, but also suggests routes to drive from every camp. The book rates every single road in Kruger according to the probability of predator and antelope sightings, scenic beauty and birding opportunities. The road descriptions feature a write-up of the vegetation, game viewing opportunities and history where applicable, as well as images taken on that specific road. The final section features the most common mammals, reptiles, birds and trees found in the Park. In addition, the book boasts detailed maps featuring the roads and routes of the Kruger National Park.
Key Features
• Comprehensive guide to all roads and routes of the Park
• Maps of each route and road for easy navigation
• Quick-find guide to most common mammals, birds, reptiles and trees in the Park
• Concise geographical information
• Practical format and size with a soft cover for easy use in a vehicle during game drives
• Illustrated by photographs taken from a vehicle on regular tourist roads
• Distance table between camps and entrance gates
• Map of the entire Park
The book can be purchased from www.hphpublishing.co.za.
THE SOUL OF A LION: Reflections on a Life Lived with Animals
Author: Willie Labuschagne
Former President of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Publisher: Tracey McDonald Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-998958-53-5
Format: Trade Paperback
Genre: Natural History/Memoir
RRP: R 330
Also available as an eBook: eISBN: 978-1-998958-54-2
The Soul of a Lion: Reflections of a Life Lived with Animals is a must-read for wildlife and nature enthusiasts.
Willie’s father, known to everyone as Oom Lapies, was appointed as the information officer at The Kruger National Park in 1952, when Willie was just eight years old, and Willie’s love for animals and the bush was ignited. Willie Labuschagne relates many of his adventures and experiences throughout the book, from spending time on a diamond mining barge in Namibia to helping carve out the Otter Trail in the Tsitsikamma Forest to traveling to all the major national parks in Africa. He recounts his ground-breaking research on the desert cheetah’s behaviour and ecology to becoming an internationally respected consultant on environmental and wildlife-related issues, he holds the reader’s attention with all the skill of the master storyteller.
The numerous occasions when Willie faced potentially life-threatening situations with wild animals are vividly recounted, many of them wryly humorous while others evoke deep emotion. But not all animal encounters took place in the wild. A significant and poignant encounter that further inspired Willie’s approach to conservation occurred when, during his time as director of the Johannesburg Zoo, he and his family hand-raised a number of new-born wild animals, including lions and a bear cub. All the animals were then re-homed in the Zoo once big enough to fend for themselves.
Willies story is of a road less travelled, and an incredible insight into conservation in South Africa and the role we all have to play in protecting our planet for the future generations.
About the Author
WILLIE LABUSCHAGNE, a man with the soul of a lion, is a devoted and internationally celebrated wildlife conservationist who holds a master’s degree in wildlife management. For more than five decades he has beenactively involved in the conservation of threatened species for which he has received national and international recognition, culminating in numerous awards.
Willie started his career as a zoologist at the Johannesburg Zoological Gardens where he was later promoted to director. In 1985 hewas appointed the executive director of the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa.
In 2006 Willie took early retirement when he was headhunted by the late His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, to manage his private department of nature conservation.
Willie Labuschagne currently runs his own Wildlife consultancy which specialises in zoo development. He spends a lot of his time writing and is also much in demand as a speaker.
Title: Safari Secrets – The Big Five
Author: Gerald Hinde and William Taylor
Publisher: HPH Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-77632-321-0
Genre: Travel/Photography
RRP: R650
With decades of photographic and game-ranging experience between them, Gerald Hinde and Will Taylor take the reader on a visual journey on how to successfully find and photograph the iconic Big Five.
Filled with secrets that will help intrepid photographers both locate the animals and capture them on camera, Safari Secrets – The Big Five, is a must-have for photographic adventurers. Learn the secrets from the pros on how to find and photograph the Big Five.
Key Features
• Secrets on how to find and photograph animals while on safari
• Advice from William Taylor, an experienced game ranger and author
• Advice on photography by one of South Africa’s most celebrated wildlife photographers, Gerald Hinde
Book can be purchased from www.hphpublishing.co.za.
Title: AFRICAN PREDATORS
Authors: Andrew Rae & Peter Neville
Publisher: Rae Safaris
Distributor: Willow Trading
ISBN: 978-17396289-0-1
Format: Paperback
Genre: Natural History
RRP: R285.00
Like most other businesses around the world, the safari industry in Africa was brutally reined in by the effects of Covid-19. After many years of delivering privately guided adventure travel across Africa and beyond for delighted clients from all over the world, RAE Safaris was also abruptly forced to postpone two years of planned excursions, take a breather and hope to survive the pandemic.
A ‘must-have’ for all wildlife enthusiasts, this beautiful book originates from Andrew Rae and Peter Neville, who, bored out of their minds during lockdown, wrote for two UK-based magazines on the major animals often encountered on Sub-Saharan African Safaris.
The articles are based on their anecdotal observations and conservation projects in the field accompanied by detailed descriptions of the biology and behaviour of each species in turn. The animal’s featured include; African Wild Dog, Golden Wolf, Bat-Eared Fox, Aardwolf, Ethiopian Wolf, Black-Backed Jackal, Cape Fox, Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena, Side-Striped Jackal, African
Village Dog as well as the African Civet, African Wildcat, Black-Footed Cat, Caracal, Cheetah, Common Genet, Leopard, Lion and Serval.