We’ve got wild flower reserves and red-necked spurfowls. Walking safaris and the most trafficked wild mammal in the world. And we’ve got big sky country. Explore the treasures of Africa though the pages of these great books.
Walking safaris are one of the best ways to explore our parks and reserves, and Walking Safaris of South Africa is a great place to start. With close to 60 guided walks, there’s everything from short dawn and dusk walks to multi-day backpacking trails, from ultra-luxurious to wild camping under the stars. There are stories by hikers Hlengiwe Magagula and Denis Costello of tracking lions and elephant snacks (to inspire or scare) and masses of jolly useful info. Struik.
Gamebirds of Africa boasts being the definitive field guide, and this full-colour handbook includes everything you need to know to identify the 89 species, and is a useful addition to the libraries of bird enthusiasts. Jacana.
In Pangolins – Scales of Injustice, Richard Peirce blends facts with fiction – keeping the story as close as possible to what’s likely to have happened on a journey of a pangolin poached in Zimbabwe and taken to Joburg to be sold to a waiting trafficker. He includes methods and stats of the trade, explains the links between wildlife and Covid-19, and details China’s response to the unfolding drama of the pandemic. Struik.
Beginning at Melkbosstrand just north of Cape Town, and ending where the Orange River meets the Atlantic Ocean, The West Coast explores a captivating part of South Africa, and reveals a bounty of treasures that give the West Coast, or Weskus as locals call it, its particular allure. Leon Nell takes you on a trip through seaside villages and inland towns, exploring the history, fauna and flora and interesting attractions along the way. Struik.
Compiled by: Kym Argo
