Die bekende dierkundige Fritz Eloff se bemoeienis met die Kalaharileeu het reeds in 1958 begin toe hy een aand teen sononder die koninklike brul van ’n leeu tussen die rooi duine hoor opklink het. In toeganklike taal word die Kalaharileeu se fisieke eienskappe, sy habitat, sy plek in die ekosisteem en sy interaksie met die mens dan bespreek. Ten slotte kom ook ’n paar legendariese leeumannetjies en –wyfies aan die bod en besin die skrywer oor die oorlewingskanse van die Kalaharileeu in ’n veranderende wereld.

The Kaokoveld, one of the world’s most forbidding wastes, is host to an assortment of animals that have found ways of surviving in this hostile environment. Here giraffes go entirely without water and rhinos climb towering mountains in search of that scarce resource.

But most unforgettable of all must be the elephants of the Namib. Witnessing these giants cross bare sand dunes is a once-in-a-lifetime sight, and Prof. Fritz Eloff writes evocatively of their habits and environment.

Giants Of The Desert is a fascinating introduction to this harsh world and its denizens, vividly brought to life in both images and words.

The renowned zoologist Fritz Eloff became interested in the Kalahari lion in 1958 when he first heard a lion roaring from the red dunes surrounding the camp. So impressive was the earth-trembling sound that he decided to devote his studies to these predators. This meant that he also had to become familiar with the Kalahari, its dust, its intense heat during the day and freezing cold nights, its vegetation, all the mammals and birds that form part of the lion’s food chain as well as the other predators the lion has to compete with. This book is the result of 40 years of extensive research and numerous exciting adventures. Written in an accessible style, it imparts information about the physical characteristics of the Kalahari lion, its habitat, role in the ecosystem and interaction with humans. The book concludes with the stories of a number of legendary male and female lions, and the author’s view on the survival of these magnificent animals in an ever changing environment.