THE ART OF TRACKING:

x, 176 pages: illustrations. Pictorial paper covered boards, unevenly faded.

This title has been reworked for subsequent publications with greater emphasis on tracking and paw print evidence of animal activity. Liebenberg's thesis is that, through the millennia, humans became adept at tracking and that this has caused our brains to be adaptive or receptive to grow a scientific imagination "… and while the similarities between tracking and modern science may suggest how science originated by means of biological evolution, the differences between them may give some indication of how science subsequently developed by means of cultural evolution" p. v. Liebenberg also discusses modern nature conservation and how tracking can allow an assessment of animals in an area. He quotes finding spoor of the spotted-necked otter on the Sabi River banks, when all academic works on the Kruger National Park indicate it is not present there, as it has never actually been seen! Liebenberg also delves into the aspect of hunting and trophy hunting, pointing out the boastfulness of the activity (as evidenced by posing alongside the kill). In traditional hunting societies, the hunters were always the most humble and gentle of the tribe "… hunting was not carried out in an aggressive spirit at all. Owing to the consciousness of depleting natural resources, there was actually a regret at killing life. In some cases, they even felt compassion for the killed animal" (p. viii-ix). He touches on archaeology, anthropology, paleontology, botany, zoology, history and the philosophy of science. His field work was comprehensive, his bibliography extensive and his conclusions intriguing.