Besides being a world-famous game-viewing destination, the Kruger National Park also boasts a remarkable diversity of reptiles. This beginner-friendly guide features over 60 species of snake, lizard, terrapin, tortoise and crocodile, with basic identification pointers, interesting facts and notes on best viewing.
 
Learn more about the black mamba, puff adder, boomslang and other dangerously venomous snakes, as well as harmless creatures such as egg-eaters and blind snakes. Find out how to the identify the geckos, agamas and skinks that dart around camp, and discover the habits of the Nile crocodiles and water monitors, which bask along the waterways.
 
A richly illustrated, beginner-friendly guide – ideal for visitors keen to identify and learn more about the park’s reptiles.

A charming, moving account of one man's race to save a herd of elephants.

When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival - dangerous and unpredictable, they would be killed if Anthony wouldn't take them in.

As Anthony risked his life to create a bond with the troubled elephants and persuade them to stay on his reserve, he came to realize what a special family they were, from the wise matriarch Nana, who guided the herd, to her warrior sister Frankie, always ready to see off any threat, and their children who fought so hard to survive.

With unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, this is an enthralling book that will appeal to animal lovers and adventurous souls everywhere.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

This book is the story of six years that the authors devoted to the study of an iconic large cat, the cheetah. Their study area was the large, remote, and pristine Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on the border of Botswana and South Africa.

Their aim here is to relate what they consider to be a fascinating story about the lives of these cats in a different habitat from the one most people associate the cheetah with – a sandy desert rather than a grassy plain. They hope to entertain and inform the reader with what they learnt about the daunting challenges cheetahs face, and the wonderful adaptations cheetahs have evolved to survive in the competitive world of natural selection.

The book is divided into five parts: Part One gives the background to this adventure; the why, when, where, who and how aspects. Part Two discusses the fundamental question of what cheetahs eat and how they go about obtaining their food; the fascinating evolutionary arms race between predator and prey, some of the behavioural, physiological, and ecological ramifications, as well as the relationships of cheetahs with the other carnivores. Part Three turns to social affairs; the way cheetahs distribute themselves in the landscape, the way they find and choose mates, and the trials and tribulations of raising a family. In Part Four, the authors switch to more personal and human matters; the challenges of living and working in an isolated and infrastructurally limited environment, and two chapters written by Margie: one on their experiences with the Bushmen, the other relating a selection of memorable incidents, not specifically related to the cheetah study. The final part addresses two practical topics; the first comparing how cheetahs have adapted to two different environments: the lush Serengeti plains and the arid Kalahari, the other giving the authors' perspective on cheetah conservation.

Of the more than 5,500 mammals species worldwide, at least 1,200 occur in Africa. Stuarts’ Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa concentrates on the more visible and easily distinguished larger species, as well as some of the more frequently seen smaller mammals.

This new edition has been extensively revised, expanded and redesigned and includes:

• the most recent research and taxonomy
• revised distribution maps and many new images
• colour-coded grouping of orders
• size icons
• detailed descriptions of each species, offering insight into key identification characters, typical behaviour, preferred habitat, food choice, reproduction and longevity
• whales and dolphins now featured too

An imaginative and fairytale-inspired colouring book from the author of Garden of Fairytale Animals and Kingdom of Curious Creatures. This beautiful collection of 80 line art designs captures a magical and charming setting. Fully-coloured examples are included as inspiration and full-spread designs are mixed with stand-alone designs to offer a variety of colouring options, all printed back-to-back on high-quality paper

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.

In 1879, King Leopold II of Belgium launched an ambitious plan to plunder Africa’s resources. The key to cracking open the continent, or so he thought, was its elephants — if only he could train them. And so he commissioned the charismatic Irish adventurer Frederick Carter to ship four tamed Asian elephants from India to the East African coast, where they were marched inland towards Congo. The ultimate aim was to establish a training school for African elephants.
 
Following in the footsteps of the four elephants, Roberts pieces together the story of this long-forgotten expedition, in travels that take her to Belgium, Iraq, India, Tanzania and Congo. The storytelling brings to life a compelling cast of historic characters and modern voices, from ivory dealers to Catholic nuns, set against rich descriptions of the landscapes travelled. She digs deep into historic records to reckon with our broken relationship with animals, revealing an extraordinary — and enduring — story of colonial greed, ineptitude, hypocrisy and folly.

This vibrant, informative guide showcases the diverse wildlife of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

It profiles over 60 mammal species – from the wildebeest that migrate in vast herds across the Serengeti plains to the big cats that lie in wait, as well as smaller species such as caracals, genets and bats. It also features 50 of the more common and charismatic bird species, 30 reptile and amphibian species, 10 iconic trees and a range of interesting insects.

Stunning full-colour photographs capture the essence of this popular game-viewing and birdwatching destination: action-packed river crossings, beautiful landscapes and African creatures great and small.

This book is both a useful guide in the field and a valuable memento.

The International Bestseller ‘Somehow, the elephants got into my soul, and it became my life’s work to see them safe and happy. There was no giving up on that vision, no matter how hard the road was at times.’ Françoise Malby-Anthony is the owner of a game reserve in South Africa with a remarkable family of elephants whose adventures have touched hearts around the world. The herd’s feisty matriarch Frankie knows who’s in charge at Thula Thula, and it’s not Françoise. But when Frankie becomes ill, and the authorities threaten to remove or cull some of the herd if the reserve doesn’t expand, Françoise is in a race against time to save her beloved elephants . . . The joys and challenges of a life dedicated to conservation are vividly described in this charming and moving book. The search is on to get a girlfriend for orphaned rhino Thabo – and then, as his behaviour becomes increasingly boisterous, a big brother to teach him manners. Françoise realizes a dream with the arrival of Savannah the cheetah – an endangered species not seen in the area since the 1940s – and finds herself rescuing meerkats kept as pets. But will Thula Thula survive the pandemic, an invasion from poachers and the threat from a mining company wanting access to its land? As Françoise faces her toughest years yet, she realizes once again that with their wisdom, resilience and communal bonds, the elephants have much to teach us. 'Enthralling' – Daily Mail