A year-round escape for one million annual tourists, Catalina Island is gaining popularity as a world-class eco-destination. Eighty-eight percent of the island is under the watch of the Catalina Island Conservancy, which preserves, manages and restores the island's unique wild lands. Bison, foxes and bald eagles are its best-known inhabitants, but Catalina is home to more than sixty other animal and plant species that exist nowhere else on earth. And they are all within the boundaries of one of the world's most populous regions: Los Angeles County. Biologists Frank Hein and Carlos de la Rosa present a highly enjoyable tour through the fascinating origins, mysterious quirks and ecological victories of one of the West Coast's most remarkable places.

Elephants breaking down walls, a hyena sharing a fire with the night guard to keep warm, hippos fighting, armless monkeys bringing their young to be admired by the author-this book is a kaleidoscope of wild animals, strange and often eccentric tourists, the trails and tribulations of running a poorly equipped lodge in a remote wilderness area, and the laughter and tears of working with and living alongside staff from a different background and culture. Written with great compassion, this is Lesley Cripps Thomson's story of how she forges a bond with staff who do not want to be told what to do or how to do it by a woman and the hardships they have to live with, including illness and poverty. She tells of the good times they have and how, in a crisis, they all pull together. ============================ In The Derelict House, Lesley Cripps Thomson vividly conveys the fun and the frustrations of living and working in the African bush. Enlivened by the many characters who pepper the pages, her book also paints a colourful picture of the wildlife scene. For those who aspire to sample wild Africa for the first time, and for those who have already fallen under its spell, this is an excellent read. For myself, it has been a pleasure to encounter a book so evocative of the Africa I have come to love. Douglas Willis, FRGS, FRSGS (Scotland) Running a lodge in the African bush means not only exotic wildlife but also eccentric human life. A vivid and engaging read. William Saunderson-Meyer - Sunday Times, South Africa "I loved The Derelict House ... it brought back fond memories of my own time in The Luangwa Valley and the characters and wildlife really are true to form" Julie Croucher, 'Travel With Jules' UK

Pollinators, parasites, predators, decomposers – insects arguably play the most important roles in the functioning of the Earth’s ecosystems.

This lavishly illustrated and highly authoritative book is structured around southern Africa’s 13 distinct biomes; it

• reflects the essential role insects play in most ecological processes such as pollination, predation, parasitism, soil modifi cation and nutrient recycling;
• details how they serve as food for multitudes of other organisms, including bacteria and fungi, as well as specially adapted plants, insect-feeding arthropods, reptiles, birds and mammals;
• depicts the insects and phenomena described in some 1,600 photographs that accompany the accessible text;
• highlights the crucial role insects play as ecosystem service providers, giving intimate insight into the beauty and importance of insects in the natural world.
• includes a guide to each of the 25 insect orders found in southern Africa, with images showing their diagnostic characters.

With this handy checklist, you can tick off all the animals you see as you explore the Greater Kruger Park. The park encompasses the Kruger National Park, various private game reserves, as well as the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park.

In this accompanying booklet to Animals of the Greater Kruger, the authors have listed the most common and regularly seen animal species in the park. Each entry is accompanied by a photo of 4.75 x 3 cm, as well as basic information about each animal’s size, habitat and preferred food.

A map of the Greater Kruger can also be found in the middle of the booklet.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the Northern Cape is a unique wildlife destination due to its remoteness and the harshness of the dry savanna region it finds itself in. Despite the severe climate, the park is home to several animal species.

Animals of the Kgalagadi is a handy guide to the 53 mammal, 164 bird, 30 reptile and 9 amphibian species that live in the park. The most common and most often seen animal species are described in plain language and the descriptions are accompanied by clear, fullcolour
photographs of each animal.

The book also includes additional information about and photographs of the 105 uncommon bird species found in the park.

With this essential field guide by your side, you never again have to worry about identifying animals correctly.

The Madikwe Game Reserve, situated against the Botswana border, just three hours' drive from both Johannesburg and Pretoria, is one of South Africa's prime safari destinations and its fifth biggest game reserve. Madikwe is a Big Five game reserve covering some 75,000 hectares. The rich diversity of vegetation ensures a wide range of game, and the topography offers ideal game viewing opportunities for wilderness safaris. Madikwe is also one of the few places where you can see the Brown Hyena and the Aardwolf, making it extra special.

The perfect companion to any foray into the savannah, Madikwe Game Drive includes not only beautiful photographs of a wide array of birds, mammals and reptiles, but informative text which is both extremely compact and highly comprehensive.

All statistics that could conceivably help a viewer to identify, catalogue and learn about each animal are provided in concise and clear format. The Latin and colloquial names for each animal are included, along with the Afrikaans, French, German and Zulu names. The listings are given ratings for rarity of sightings, and each animal a tick box for viewers to mark upon sighting.

AFRICA IN MY BLOOD is an extraordinary self-portrait, in letters and commentary, of Jane Goodall's early years, from childhood to the landmark publication of IN THE SHADOW OF MAN. It reveals this remarkable woman more vividly and clearly than anything that has been published before, by her or about her. We see Goodall grow from a schoolgirl into the promising young candidate whom the legendary Louis Leakey sent to a wildlife preserve on the shores of Lake Tanganyika to undertake a revolutionary study of chimpanzees. At Gombe we see her immerse herself in the lives of wild animals as no one had done before. AFRICA IN MY BLOOD is a dramatic, moving, funny, and important book that tells the story of how an English girl who loved animals became one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century.

Soft cover, full colour throughout, 900 photographs, Callfinder® Ready

Individuals Only / No Retailers

Nature Unpacked is the ultimate travelling companion for those visiting the southern African bush – whether for the first time or for the tenth. Much more than a field guide to the wildlife of the region, it provides insight into the behaviour and adaptation of the more common mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, spiders and scorpions that are found here. Identification of common trees and shrubs is made simple by way of easily accessible descriptions and close-up representative images.

FEATURES THAT MAKE THIS BOOK A MUST-HAVE:
An all-in-one guide that covers the most common mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, spiders, scorpions, trees and flowering plants found in the region.
More than 900 stunning photographs and reader-friendly text reveal what the creatures of the African bush do and why they do it.
Information is interpretative rather than just dry facts typical of other field guides.
The colourful and creative layout allows the reader to engage visually with the content.
Other features include distribution maps, animal spoor, icons and Quick ID tables.

When a blonde who had walked out on her Botswana-based wildlife smuggling kingpin partner arrived at the offices of the Sunday Times in the last 1980’s, the lid would be blown off a criminal network bent on killing off two of the world’s most iconic species – the elephant and the rhino.

Using trucks to transport contraband across borders to curio shops fronting as legitimate operate operations, the syndicate operated with free abandon, until their nefarious activities were revealed through investigations by journalist De Wet Potgieter. It was because of the information supplied by Brenda Voue that De Wet was inundated with so much information about the involvement of local and foreign criminal networks, senior military officials propping up the Jonas Savimbi’s war in Angola, and senior National Party officials that he authored not only several more newspaper articles on the plight of rhino and elephant, but also produced the first edition of Contraband in 1995. Since then, a plethora of information continues to come to light about the involvement of government officials, international spies, British undercover operatives, businesspeople, and criminal elements.

This is an exposure of the depths to which certain people would go to literally enjoy a piece of the pie. The commercial international rhino horn trade has been banned by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for more than 45 years. In South Africa, the domestic trade in rhino horn has been legal since 2017 opening loopholes from criminal syndicates to “legally” purchase rhino horn, but then still smuggle it out of the country for traditional uses in the Far East. The involvement of criminal operations such as the Triads cannot be ignored, nor can the pressure pre- and post-apartheid on the South African police’s highly successful Endangered Species Protection Unit under Colonel Piet Lategan, which resulted it its eventual demise. It’s an inescapable fact that the onslaught on South Africa’s rhino, and on other wildlife within the Southern African region, will continue despite the commitment and tenacity of several individuals and nongovernment organisations.

The onus has now shifted to the custodians of rhino – national parks, game reserves, private game ranchers and private rhino owners – to protect these prehistoric beasts from extinction.

Sakgids tot Soogdiere van Suider-Afrika is 'n handleiding tot meer as honderd soogdierspesies - van die groot katte tot muise en vlermuise. Elke inskrywing bevat 'n gedetailleerde beskrywing met: Duidelike, volkleurfoto's; inligting oor identifisering, subspesies, massa, hoogte, vokalisasie, ouderdom, habitat, gewoontes, kos, voortplanting en verskille tussen die geslagte. Besonderhede van ander spesies

'The most magical book about the African bush since Born Free' - Daily Mail

'A beautiful love story between humans and the majestic elephants' Jo Malone, Daily Express

Françoise Malby-Anthony never expected to find herself responsible for a herd of elephants with a troubled past. A chic Parisienne, her life changed forever when she fell in love with South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony. Together they founded a game reserve but after Lawrence’s death, Françoise faced the daunting responsibility of running Thula Thula without him. Poachers attacked their rhinos, their security team wouldn’t take orders from a woman and the authorities were threatening to cull their beloved elephant family. On top of that, the herd’s feisty new matriarch Frankie didn’t like her.

In this heart-warming and moving book, Françoise describes how she fought to protect the herd and to make her dream of building a wildlife rescue centre a reality. She found herself caring for a lost baby elephant who turned up at her house, and offering refuge to traumatized orphaned rhinos, and a hippo called Charlie who was scared of water. As she learned to trust herself, she discovered she’d had Frankie wrong all along . . .

Filled with extraordinary animals and the humans who dedicate their lives to saving them, An Elephant in My Kitchen by Françoise Malby-Anthony is a captivating and gripping read.

My Family and Other Animals is the bewitching account of a rare and magical childhood on the island of Corfu by treasured British conservationist Gerald Durrell, beautifully repackaged as part of the Penguin Essentials range. 'What we all need,' said Larry, 'is sunshine...a country where we can grow.' 'Yes, dear, that would be nice,' agreed Mother, not really listening. 'I had a letter from George this morning - he says Corfu's wonderful. Why don't we pack up and go to Greece?' 'Very well, dear, if you like,' said Mother unguardedly. Escaping the ills of the British climate, the Durrell family - acne-ridden Margo, gun-toting Leslie, bookworm Lawrence and budding naturalist Gerry, along with their long-suffering mother and Roger the dog - take off for the island of Corfu. But the Durrells find that, reluctantly, they must share their various villas with a menagerie of local fauna - among them scorpions, geckos, toads, bats and butterflies. Recounted with immense humour and charm My Family and Other Animals is a wonderful account of a rare, magical childhood. 'Durrell has an uncanny knack of discovering human as well as animal eccentricities' Sunday Telegraph 'A bewitching book' Sunday Times Gerald Durrell was born in Jamshedpur, India, in 1925. He returned to England in 1928 before settling on the island of Corfu with his family. In 1945 he joined the staff of Whipsnade Park as a student keeper, and in 1947 he led his first animal-collecting expedition to the Cameroons. He later undertook numerous further expeditions, visiting Paraguay, Argentina, Sierra Leone, Mexico, Mauritius, Assam and Madagascar. His first television programme, Two in the Bush which documented his travels to New Zealand, Australia and Malaya was made in 1962; he went on to make seventy programmes about his trips around the world. In 1959 he founded the Jersey Zoological Park, and in 1964 he founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. He was awarded the OBE in 1982. Encouraged to write about his life's work by his brother, Durrell published his first book, The Overloaded Ark, in 1953. It soon became a bestseller and he went on to write thirty-six other titles, including My Family and Other Animals, The Bafut Beagles, Encounters with Animals, The Drunken Forest, A Zoo in My Luggage, The Whispering Land, Menagerie Manor, The Amateur Naturalist and The Aye-Aye and I. Gerald Durrell died in 1995.

Southern Africa has a wealth of mammal fauna, and is home to about 530 species, including tiny shrews, intriguing pangolins and majestic whales. All the species that occur in the region are featured in this updated sixth edition of Stuarts' Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa. This comprehensive guide features:

• Fully updated text based on the most recent research and taxonomy.
• Detailed species accounts describing key identification characteristics, behaviour, habitat, diet, reproduction and longevity.
• Visual identification tools, including full-colour photographs, spoor and size icons, and skull photographs.
• Up-to-date distribution maps showing the geographical range of each species within the region.

A Field Guide to Larking is a practical, interactive and inspiring guide to 'larking' from the bestselling author of Mudlarking. LARK (verb): to get out and about, to explore the world around us and to discover the little treasures hiding in plain sight. We think, of course, of mudlarking but there is also beachlarking, fieldlarking or even simply exploring your own home with fresh eyes. In this beautiful field guide, Lara teaches us how to lark for ourselves. There are maps and charts, tips and lists, and colour illustrations throughout to help identify finds. From tide tables for mudlarkers to a flint guide for fieldlarkers, this book is richly informative and yet small enough to pop in a pocket. Like a journal it invites you to interact - to make notes and record finds along the way. If Lara Maiklem's first book was a glimpse into a hidden world, with this field guide she shows us how we can discover it for ourselves.

The second book by this author. The first was a true life, historical story of a families tragedies and triumphs. This is a romp through Rural England, a land of allotmenteers and would be naughty councillors. Of good triumphing over not so good.

At once a memoir, a celebration of French-inspired cooking, and a tribute to the wild, Dining with Elephants invites you to taste not just the meals but the magic of a life lived close to nature.

When Françoise traded Parisian comforts for Zululand, she had no idea her kitchen would one day be shared with elephants, cheeky monkeys, and the occasional snake. What began as a rundown farmhouse became Thula Thula Private Game Reserve – a place where hospitality and conservation entwine in the most unexpected ways.

This book blends mouth-watering recipes with tales of life alongside a cast of mischievous creatures who regularly gatecrash the dinner table. From baboons in the swimming pool to elephants sampling the vegetable garden, each story captures the chaos, humour, and deep lessons of living with the wild.

Alongside, Françoise shares the inventive, resourceful dishes created with her Zulu kitchen team.

Dining with Elephants is not your ordinary cookbook. It’s a feast of stories and flavours from the heart of the African bush, where French cuisine meets wild adventure.

A handy, all-in-one photographic field guide to the wildlife of South Africa, this guide covers the region's mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and trees that are most likely to be seen. Concise accounts and distribution maps are included for each species.

A brief introduction discusses geology, climate, vegetation zones, wildlife hotspots, and tips on watching wildlife. This convenient presentation of South Africa’s most visible wildlife in a single volume will find favour with tourists and local enthusiasts alike.

• Handy, all-in-one guide to diverse groups of wildlife and trees
• Full-colour photographs of all species
• Distribution maps
• Tips to watching wildlife
• Very attractive price