watching wildlife - lonely...

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watchingwildlife

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Luke HunterSusan Rhind

David Andrew

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contentsThe Authors ......................................................................................8This Book..........................................................................................9Preface ............................................................................................10Introduction ....................................................................................11How to Use this Book ....................................................................12

Environment................................16Wildlife ........................................18Humans & Wildlife ......................20

Conservation ..............................22Parks & Reserves ........................25

When to Go................................28How to Look ..............................29Getting Around ..........................33Living with Wildlife ......................35Other Safaris................................38

Birdwatching................................40Dolphin & Whale-watching ........42Diving & Snorkelling....................44Photography................................46

Habitats ..............................................................................48The Arid Lands ............................50Grasslands ..................................54Savannas......................................58Forests ........................................62

Fynbos ........................................66The High Points ..........................70Aquatica ......................................74The Human Landscape................78

Parks and Places..................................................................82Introduction ....................................................................................84South Africa ............................86Kruger NP....................................88Hluhluwe-Umfolozi GR................94Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park........98Pilanesberg NP ..........................102Addo Elephant NP......................106Augrabies Falls NP ....................108Greater St Lucia Wetland Park ..110Itala GR ....................................112

Karoo NP ..................................114Mkuzi GR..................................116De Hoop NR ..............................118The Drakensberg ......................119Mountain Zebra NP ..................120Ndumo GR................................121Phinda Resource Reserve ..........122Tembe Elephant Reserve............123Other Sites ................................124

Namibia ................................126Etosha NP ................................128Namib-Naukluft Park ................134Skeleton Coast NP & Kaokoland ................................138

Cape Cross Seal Reserve............140Kaudom GR ..............................141Mamili NP ................................142Waterberg Plateau Park ............143Other Sites ................................144

Wildlife-Watching ..............................................................26

Nature in Southern Africa....................................................14

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Botswana ..............................146Chobe NP ..................................148Central Kalahari GR ..................154Makgadikgadi Pans & Nxai Pan NPs ............................158

Moremi GR ..............................162Mabuasehube GR ......................166Other Sites ................................167

Zimbabwe ..............................168Hwange NP................................170Gonarezhou NP..........................176

Mana Pools NP..........................180Matusadona NP ........................184Victoria Falls & Zambezi NPs......186

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Malawi ..................................192Lake Malawi..............................194Liwonde NP ..............................196

Nyika NP ..................................198Lengwe NP ................................200Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve ..201

Zambia ..................................202South Luangwa NP....................204Kafue NP ..................................208

Lower Zambezi NP ....................210Bangweulu Swamps ..................212Kasanka NP ..............................213

Mammals ..............................216Chacma Baboon........................218Vervet Monkey .........................219Samango Monkey .....................220Greater Bushbaby......................221Lesser Bushbaby........................221Cape Pangolin...........................222Aardvark ...................................222Hares & Rabbits ........................223Squirrels ....................................224Springhare.................................225Cape Porcupine .........................225Aardwolf ...................................226Brown Hyena ............................226Spotted Hyena ..........................227Lion...........................................228Leopard.....................................229Cheetah ....................................230Caracal ......................................231Serval ........................................231African Wild Cat........................232Black-footed Cat .......................232Civets & Genets ........................233Mongooses ...............................234African Wild Dog ......................236Black-backed Jackal ...................237Side-striped Jackal .....................237Bat-eared Fox............................238Cape Fox...................................238Honey Badger ...........................239Weasels & Zorilla.......................240

Otters .......................................240Cape Fur-seal ............................241African Elephant........................242Dassies ......................................243White Rhinoceros ......................244Black Rhinoceros .......................245Mountain Zebra ........................246Burchell�s Zebra .........................247Bushpig .....................................248Warthog....................................248Hippopotamus...........................249Giraffe.......................................250Blue & Black Wildebeests ..........251Red Hartebeest .........................252Bonteboks, Blesboks & Tsessebes...................................253Small Antelopes.........................254Springbok..................................256Impala.......................................257Roan Antelope ..........................258Sable Antelope ..........................258Gemsbok...................................259Spiral-horned Antelopes ............260African Buffalo ..........................262Southern & Mountain Reedbucks.................................263Waterbuck ................................264Lechwe .....................................264Puku .........................................265Grey Rhebuck ...........................265

Wildlife Gallery.................................................................214

Birds......................................266Ostrich ......................................268Jackass Penguin.........................269Pelicans, Cormorants & Darter ...270Cape Gannet.............................271Hamerkop .................................272Shoebill .....................................272Herons, Egrets & Bitterns...........273

Storks........................................274Ibises & Spoonbills.....................275Greater & Lesser Flamingos .......276Ducks & Geese..........................277Birds of Prey..............................278Secretary Bird ............................280African Fish Eagle ......................281Vultures.....................................282

Chimanimani NP & Vumba Mountains ....................188

Matobo NP................................190Nyanga NP................................191


Contents 7

Francolins..................................284Guineafowl ...............................285Black Crake ...............................285Cranes.......................................286Bustards & Korhaans .................287African Jacana ...........................288Spotted Dikkop .........................288Shorebirds .................................289African Skimmer........................290Sandgrouse ...............................290Pigeons & Doves .......................291Parrots & Lovebirds ...................292Cuckoos & Coucals ...................292Louries ......................................293Owls .........................................294Nightjars ...................................295Little Swift.................................295Mousebirds ...............................296Kingfishers ................................297Bee-eaters & Rollers ..................298Hornbills....................................300Ground Hornbill ........................301Narina Trogon ...........................302Hoopoe.....................................302Red-billed Woodhoopoe............303

Barbets & Tinker Barbets ...........303Woodpeckers ............................304Greater Honeyguide ..................304Larks .........................................305Swallows & Martins...................305Fork-tailed Drongo....................306Black-headed Oriole ..................306Babblers & Illadopses.................307Bulbuls ......................................307Thrushes, Chats & Relatives ......308Wagtails, Pipits & Longclaws .....309Flycatchers ................................310Shrikes, Bush Shrikes & Helmet Shrikes ..........................311Starlings ....................................312Oxpeckers .................................313Pied Crow .................................313Cape Sugarbird .........................314Sunbirds ....................................315Sparrows, Weavers, Bishops &Widows.....................................316Waxbills ....................................318Pin-tailed Whydah ....................319Canaries & Seedeaters ...............319

More Creatures Greatand Small ..............................320Nile Crocodile............................322Nile Monitor..............................322Snakes.......................................323

Lizards.......................................324Tortoises & Terrapins .................324Invertebrates .............................325Great White Shark.....................326Cichlids .....................................327

Resource Guide ............................................................................328Glossary ........................................................................................334Photo Credits ................................................................................338Index ............................................................................................340Mammal Checklist ........................................................................348


Luke HunterMelbourne-born Luke decided at the age of three to work with bigcats in Africa. Twenty years later he embarked on his PhD at the Uni-versity of Pretoria, working out methods to reintroduce cheetahs andlions into areas where they had been wiped out. A hiatus from aca-demia led him to write and photograph a book on cheetahs, followedby a film-making sojourn at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation�sNatural History Unit. He is now continuing his work on wild cats inSouth Africa, based from Monash University. He is convinced that acombination of paying tourists and conservation-oriented researchrepresents the greatest hope for protecting Africa�s wildlife.

Susan RhindSusan was raised on a farm in Western Australia and has alwaysbeen besotted by animals. After working as a nurse and scienceteacher, she followed her real passion and became a wildlife biolo-gist. She ventured to Africa for a break following the completion ofher PhD, and spent nearly two years working and travelling aroundseven of Africa�s countries. Susan has scientifically studied dolphins,monkeys and Australian marsupials, and is coauthor of WatchingWildlife East Africa. She currently lectures in ecology at the Aus-tralian National University.

David AndrewAfter his father was mauled by a gorilla at Howletts Zoo, David�sfamily fled the wilds of England to live somewhere safer � Australia!There David created Wingspan and Australian Birding magazines;edited Wildlife Australia magazine; and among other jobs has beena research assistant in Kakadu NP, a birding guide for English comedianBill Oddie and an editor of Lonely Planet guides. He was coordinat-ing author for LP�s Watching Wildlife East Africa, contributed toWatching Wildlife Australia and is now the Series Publishing Managerfor the Watching Wildlife guides.

authors

from the authors

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Luke HunterThanks to the staff of South African National Parks, particularly AdelSmit and to Lee Vincent and Jeff Gaisford of KZN Wildlife. Many re-searchers and specialists provided valuable information, especiallyAdrian Bailey, Joel Berger, Vic Cockcroft, John Dini, Andrew Hockly,Mike Hoffman, Robyn Keene-Young, Andrew Mortimer, StephenMulholland, Simon Murray, Karl Rosenberg, Dion Sadie, Rob Slotow,Gus van Dyk and Martin Whiting. I�m grateful to Ansie Dippenaarfor the map of Karoo NP and to Harvey Croze for the rhodopsinidea. Afroventures provided exceptional support in Botswana;thanks to Phillip Lategan and especially to Seagal Tembwe andMoffat Nsiwa of Afroventures, two of the finest guides I�ve met.Thanks also to Des Pretorius and his staff at Camp Moremi, Darrenand Michelle McKissock at Nxabega, Sonja and Brendan Ferrar atSavute Camp, the lovely Mbina Ntshwabi at Chobe Game Lodge,and thanks again to Adriaan and Jo Erasmus for the bed at Tswalu.

Thanks a stack to the LP team for a great series, especially toDavid Andrew and Sean Pywell for launching it, to Miranda Wills forher speedy editing and to Andy van Smeerdijk for some excellent


LUKE Hunter researched and wrote the Nature in Southern Africa,Wildlife-Watching and Habitats chapters; the South Africa,

Namibia and Botswana sections of the Parks and Places chapter (in-cluding the introduction); the Mammals section of the Wildlife Gallerychapter; and the Introduction to the book. Susan Rhind researchedand wrote the Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia sections. DavidAndrew researched and wrote the Birds section with assistance fromLuke Hunter; and Andrew van Smeerdijk contributed supplementaryinformation to several sections.

from the publisherTHE idea for this series came from David Andrew and was sup-

ported by Chris Klep, Nick Tapp and Sue Galley. The concept wasdeveloped further by Sean Pywell and Jane Bennett; Sean becamethe first series editor and Mathew Burfoot designed the layout forthe series. Maps for Watching Wildlife Southern Africa were drawnby Ray Thomson and Simon Tillema. Editing and proofing weredone by Miranda Wills, Sean Pywell, Andrew van Smeerdijk, ThaliaKalkipsakis and David Andrew (with assistance from Janet Brunck-horst, Jennifer Garrett and Andrew Bain). Layout was by Vicki Bealewith assistance from Wendy Wright. Most of the photos weresourced and supplied by LPI � special thanks to all at LPI who put inmuch extra effort for this title. Jamieson Gross designed the cover.Mapping was checked by Michael Blore and Chris Klep; layout waschecked by David Andrew, Michael Blore and Glenn van der Knijff.

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suggestions about Botswana. My family, as always, provided un-failing support, particularly Russ and Nol for the astonishing gift ofa new lens when my gear was stolen, Dan for his equally generouslaptop largesse and Tim for tireless proofreading. I am extremelygrateful to Jonathan Scott for his terrific Preface; his many beauti-ful books nurtured my love for Africa. And finally, thanks to SophieWise; a lovelier traveling companion and expert game-spotter I haveyet to meet.

Susan RhindI owe considerable thanks to many for smoothing the travel pathand providing information. In Zimbabwe I am particularly gratefulto Flo Nyongoro and Alison Hewitt (African Adventures), StevePope (Chipembere Safaris), Craig MacRae (Sengwa Safaris), BeatAccorsi (Shamwari Safaris), John Stevens (John Stevens Safaris) andPeter Ginn (Peter Ginn Birding Safaris). Thanks also to the staff ofRiver Lodges of Africa, Hwange Safari Lodge, Mbizi Game Park,Kazuma Trails, Toddhall Tours, Shearwater and Elephant Sands SafariLodge. In Malawi, Central African Wilderness Safaris, Ulendo Travel,Mike and staff at Mvuu (Liwonde), and David Foot and team (NyikaSafaris) gave me considerable assistance. Jens Haugaard providedinvaluable detail on Malawi�s birds, and Will and Valerie Darwall in-troduced me to the intricacies of cichlids. Thanks also to ChintecheLodge and Kayak Africa. In Zambia, Penny Mae and Doris Glasspoolof Kachelo Travel were fantastic and made it all happen. Thanks toTagd Wixsted and Edmund of Kasanka Trust, and the staff andguides of Chinzombo Safaris, Kafunta River Lodge, Wildlife Camp,Basanga Trails, Royal Zambezi Lodge and Chiawa Camp.


WHEN I left my home in England 25 years ago to traveloverland through Africa, it was the realization of a

dream. Finally I was going to make a safari for myself, camp outunder star-filled skies, listen to the sounds of elephants andhyenas, and see my first big cats in the wild. In those days guidebooks were for identifying what you saw � giving it a name. ButI was looking for something more. I wanted to know how theanimals and birds lived, how the web of life fitted together.What I didn�t want was to have to wade through an exhaust-ive list of every animal and bird I might see � if only WatchingWildlife Southern Africa had been available then.

In those days South Africa still lived under the cloud ofapartheid, so after a quick visit to Kruger National Park I headedfor Botswana (where I spent a year working) before returningto East Africa which remains my home to this day. But I hadalready glimpsed such gems as Botswana�s Okavango Delta,Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, and the Luangwa Valleyand Kafue National Park in Zambia. What treasures await thetraveller to these destinations! But don�t make the mistake oftrying to see everything. Cast off your workaday persona andsavour the essence of Africa. Take time to watch, look andlisten.

I have always felt that Lonely Planet was an evocative titlefor a series of books. There is a poignancy that speaks to me ofour responsibility to cherish and help protect the staggering di-versity of life that our planet still sustains. But time is runningout. I have seen huge changes since I first set foot in Africa. Tensof thousands of rhinos and hundreds of thousands of elephantshave been slaughtered, and the bushmeat trade has reachedstaggering proportions.

Africa is blessed with wonderful friendly people, but many ofthem live in abject poverty and view wildlife as either a threatto life and property or as competition for scarce resources. Onlyby helping to reduce poverty and by including local commu-nities in efforts to conserve wilderness areas can we hope toprovide a meaningful future for people and wildlife. I hope thatby learning more about Southern Africa and its spectacularwildlife you will return home with a renewed commitment toprotect our planet.

Jonathan Scott

Jonathan Scott is an award-winning wildlife photographer andauthor of more than a dozen books on Africa�s wildlife. He isthe co-presenter of the popular BBC/Animal Planet televisionseries Big Cat Diary filmed in Kenya�s Masai Mara NationalReserve. Jonathan is married to wildlife photographer AngieScott, and they live within five minutes� drive of Nairobi National Park.

preface10


MORE than any other continent, Africa is synonymous withwildlife and there are two truly exceptional regions here

for viewing it. For many, East Africa has traditionally been�classic� safari country but Southern Africa now outranks it interms of numbers of foreign visitors (and, of course, most ofthem come for the wildlife). While the diversity and density ofspecies here is exceeded in some forests of Central Africa andSouth America, there is nowhere else on earth where such avariety of wildlife is so visible. Even a week�s tour of the parkshere guarantees sightings of dozens of mammal species andhundreds of birds, as well as sundry reptiles and smaller fry. Forthe wildlife devotee, Southern Africa will probably deliver thesafari of a lifetime.

This book aims to assist and enhance the process. For thefirst-timer, we cover the basic �how-to� information for planninga visit, specifying the best times, the various safari options, suit-able equipment and clothing, the best places to see particularspecies and so on. Then, for everyone from the complete noviceto the wildlife specialist, we detail how to extract the most onceyou�re here. The most productive reserves of Southern Africaare reviewed in detail, providing information on the specificwildlife attractions of each destination and the finer points offinding them. We cover a range of different parks and reserves,including everything from the largest national parks to lesser-known attractions noted for a particular species that�s hard tofind elsewhere. Additionally, we�ve gone for diversity overduplication, so that coastal, desert, fynbos and wetland re-serves appear alongside the typical savanna-grassland ones forwhich Africa is so well known. The book does not aim to coverevery reserve � there are over 500 of them in Southern Africa� but you will find the very best of them here.

To help with identification, our Wildlife Gallery illustrates over270 species most likely to be seen, all of them in colour photo-graphs. But more than that, the Gallery also provides a little in-terpretation of animal behaviour and ecology. Beyond simplyticking species off a list, Southern Africa offers exceptional op-portunities to truly observe animals, whether it�s interpreting thevocalisations of vervet monkeys, unravelling the chain ofcommand among different vulture species or perhaps even an-ticipating where and when a kill might happen. We hope you�llfind this book provides the clues for that extra insight.

Above all, we hope it inspires you to keep on watchingwildlife. Whether it encourages and aids your first trip, a returnvisit or even just an armchair safari, we want the book to in-crease your enjoyment of wildlife. Money from wildlife-watching tourism is very much the main form of revenue forconservation in Africa. However you decide to go on safari,keep on doing it! And if your stories enthuse a friend, encour-age them to do likewise; if this book has helped you at all, passit on to someone else who is thinking of going.

introduction11


YOU�RE here to see the animals and we�re here to help you:Watching Wildlife Southern Africa shows you how to

recognise the major players and advises you on where to findthem. This book is also packed with background information onwildlife habitats, advice on getting started, when to go and howto prepare. There are also detailed watching tips (eg, which trailor pan to go to), and clues on the best time to look. Read onto help plan your wildlife-watching adventure and get the bestout of this treasure-trove.

Getting Started There are two main ways to go about watch-ing wildlife: pick your animals and then find out where to go;or choose where you want to go and then find out what�s there.In Southern Africa you�ll see a lot of the same wildlife in a lotof places (eg, wildebeests and zebras); but for other animalsyou�ll need to go to certain places (eg, Lengwe NP for Wood-wards� batises). The key chapters cover both approaches: Parksand Places describes where to go and what�s there; and theWildlife Gallery tells you about the animals. Flipping betweenthese chapters will tell you almost everything you need to know.

Index The quickest way to find out about an animal or reserveis to look it up in the Index. Animals are arranged into groupsaccording to their common names (Burchell�s zebra comesunder zebras) � page numbers in bold indicate a photo of thatanimal. Reserves are listed alphabetically by name.

Table of Contents This gives you a quick overview of the book.We�ve colour-coded each chapter to help you find your wayaround until you�re more familiar with the layout.

Wildlife Gallery This is a run-down of all the key speciesand groups: what they looklike (and how to tell themapart) and the kinds of thingsyou can see them doing. Thischapter is divided into threesections: Mammals, Birds,and More Creatures Greatand Small (eg, reptiles).

Key animals are presentedas feature pages, which de-scribe unusual and interestingaspects of their ecology. Aside-bar next to the main textsummarises some of theirmain characteristics (eg, be-haviour, breeding and pre-ferred habitat); and aHotspots box lists someplaces where they might be

how to use this book

Nature

Wildlife-Watching

Habitats

Parks and Places

Wildlife Gallery

GGrroouupp ppaaggeeAnimal�s rangeHHiigghhlliigghhtt ppaaggee

Summaryinformation

Hotspots: where tofind animals

12

Each chapter is colour coded to helpyou navigate through the book �look for the thumb tabs.


found (use this as a link to the Parks and Places chapter). Asmall map indicates each species� range.

Other animals appear in family (or closely related) groups �these pages are packed with photos to help you work outwhat�s what.

Parks and Places Organised country by country and startingwith an introduction to the overall region, this chapter describesthe best national parks, reserves and other places in which tosee wildlife. Each country section begins with an overview (in-cluding itineraries). Specific destinations, eg, national parks andother reserves, are ordered alphabetically according to their im-portance for wildlife-watching. Thus major attractions, such asKruger NP, are given more-detailed treatment and less-fre-quented reserves may becovered in only one page.Facts for travellers (like loca-tion, contacts, accommoda-tion and wildlife rhythms),watching tips and wildlifehighlights are summarised foreach; and a colour map pointsout major features and goodwildlife-viewing areas.

Wildlife-Watching Essentialbackground reading. Thischapter tells you when to goand how to look, and explainsthe ins and outs of safaris,guides, equipment and fieldguides. Special features coverdiving and snorkelling, bird-watching, photography andsome safari alternatives, suchas walking or canoe trips.

Nature in Southern Africa Weexplain the reasons behindSouthern Africa�s great biodi-versity and introduce some ofthe conservation issues.

Habitats Describes SouthernAfrican ecosystems in simpleterms.

Resource Guide This lists rec-ommended field guides andother books, reliable tour op-erators and wildlife-relatedweb sites.

Glossary Explains any confus-ing words in the text.

Wildlife highlights Park map

General park information

Watching tips

13

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The following information isn�t intended to be comprehensive; we�veput together some key references and contacts as a starting point.

recommended readingField guidesMammals Probably the best guide for the region is C & T Stuart�sField Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa. Their compactSouthern, Central & East African Mammals � A Photographic Guideis a concise pocket-guide to 152 species most likely to be seen. TheKingdon Field Guide to African Mammals by J Kingdon, covers thewhole of continental Africa and is packed with information andcolour illustrations.

Birds The original and still one of the best, Roberts� Birds of South-ern Africa by G Maclean, is a little weighty for the field but is ex-tremely comprehensive and excellent value. K Newman�s Birds ofSouthern Africa � The Green Edition, and Sasol � The IllustratedGuide to the Birds of Southern Africa by I Sinclair, P Hockey & WTarboton, are also excellent. Collins Illustrated Checklist � Birds ofSouthern Africa by B van Perlo covers the entire region includingMalawi, northern Mozambique and Zambia (which the othersdon�t). For Malawi alone, K Newman�s Birds of Malawi is excellentand D Aspinwall & C Beel�s Field Guide to Zambian Birds not foundin Southern Africa illustrates over 100 species not found south ofthe Zambezi.

Reptiles and amphibians B Branch�s Field Guide to the Snakes &Other Reptiles of Southern Africa is the most comprehensive guideand covers 480 species in detail. South African Frogs by N Passmore& V Carruthers is a start for amphibian watchers, but Amphibiansof Central & Southern Africa by A Channing covers all frogs andcaecilians of the region.

Invertebrates Field guides for the smaller denizens of the bush area little patchy but some useful ones include Butterflies of SouthernAfrica � A Field Guide by M Williams, The Centipedes & Millipedesof Southern Africa � A Guide by R Lawrence, and Southern AfricanSpiders � An Identification Guide by M Filmer.

Aquatic life Reef Fishes & Corals � East Coast of Southern Africa byD King illustrates the common reef fish and coral species along theKwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique coasts, while A Guide to Whales,Dolphins & Other Marine Mammals of Southern Africa by V Cock-croft & P Joyce covers marine mammals. A Guide to the Fishes ofLake Malawi National Park by D Lewis, P Reinthal & J Trendall, isinvaluable for cichlid identification, and Ad Koning�s Book of Cich-lids & All the Other Fishes of Lake Malawi by A Konig is excellent.A Koornhof�s The Dive Sites of South Africa details more than 160sites along the coast.

All-in-one The Wildlife of Southern Africa by V Carruthers coverseverything, from lower invertebrates though all the animals andplants; for identifying virtually every species you�re likely to en-counter in the one volume, it�s hard to beat.

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resource guide

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Resource Guide 329

Background reading and referencesR Estes� Behaviour Guide to African Mammals is comprehensive; hisSafari Companion is a more compact version designed for the field.Creatures of Habit � Understanding African Animal Behaviour by PApps & R du Toit is more condensed with outstanding photographs.To identify spoor, scats, nests, wallows and even skulls, you can�t gopast C & T Stuart�s Field Guide to Tracks & Signs of Southern & EastAfrican Wildlife; The Art of Tracking � The Origin of Science by LLiebenberg gives fascinating background theory to the subject.

Island Africa by J Kingdon is a readable and well-illustrated bookon the evolution of rare species across the continent while Pyramidsof Life by H Croze & J Reader examines the intertwined ecologicalrelationships in African ecosystems. The Mammals of the SouthernAfrican Subregion by J Skinner & R Smithers is the standard mammalreference for the region; for a comprehensive and beautifully illus-trated coffee table version, get a copy of The Complete Book ofSouthern African Mammals by G Mills & L Hes.

Ornithologists should dip into the companion volume The Com-plete Book of Southern African Birds by P Ginn, G McIlleron & PMilstein; for some really serious reading, consult the multivolumeBirds of Africa series by L Brown, E Urban & K Newman, or the 12-volume Handbook of Birds of the World edited by J del Hoyo, AElliot & J Sargatal � both profusely illustrated and covering all thebirds of Africa in detail.

For a taste of what field work is like in a few of the most remotesouthern African wilderness areas, have a look at Horn of Darkness� Rhinos on the Edge by C Cunningham & J Berger, and M & DOwen�s books Cry of the Kalahari and Survivor�s Song � Life &Death in an African Wilderness. Kakuli by N Carr is a very person-al insight on Africa�s conservation challenges.

PeriodicalsAfrica Geographic (: www.africa-geographic.com) is probably thebest magazine covering Africa�s wildlife and conservation issues,with detailed articles and beautiful photography. The same groupproduces the equally excellent Africa � Birds & Birding. Getawaymagazine (: www.getawaytoday.com) is also very worthwhile, es-pecially for up-to-date travelling details for parks and reserves allover Africa. Magazines with more of a local scope include Zimbab-we Wildlife produced by Wildlife & Environment Zimbabwe, andEndangered Wildlife produced by the Endangered Wildlife Trust,which deals mainly with South Africa. SANP�s Timbila(c [email protected]) has excellent coverage of South Africanparks with the occasional feature from elsewhere in Africa. For theconservation-minded, Oryx, published by the Flora & Fauna Preser-vation Society (c/o Zoological Society of London), has a strongAfrican focus.

International bookshopsBefore your trip it�s worth checking out the comprehensive rangeavailable from mail-order natural history bookshops; several have aweb catalogue and online ordering service.

� American Birding Association (USA & Canada % 800-634 7736,fax 590 2473; International % 719-578 0607, fax 9705; : www.americanbirding.org/abasales), PO Box 6599, ColoradoSprings, Colorado 80934, USA.

� Andrew Isles Natural History Books (% 03-9510 5750, fax 95291256, c [email protected], : www.AndrewIsles.com),115 Greville St, Prahran, Victoria 3181, Australia.

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