Wild Heart of Africa

Hardback with dustcover over original brown rexine boards with gilt blocking to upper board, and gilt spine titles. Illustrated endpapers.

The original Selous Game Reserve was established in 1896, named after the world famous hunter Frederick Courtney Selous in the 1920s, subsequently expanded and today measures some 50,000km. It is both the oldest and the largest reserve in Africa and, at last, someone has written a comprehensive book about this fabulous place. And not just anyone but a group of 20 passionate people who together served the Selous in different capacities for a combined total of over 100 years.

For anyone who has been to the Selous, who wants to go there or is simply interested in Africa, its wild, untamed areas and game, this is an important book. It is scientifically based and caters for the serious student of the Selous and of conservation and at the same time offers entertaining reading. Rolf D. Baldus, the editor, was the German manager of the Selous ConservationProgramme from 1987 to 1993 and served the Selous again from 1998 to2005. He has assembled a team of expert contributors who not only know the Selous intimately but also have a good idea of what the future holds for this iconic Reserve at a time when, unfortunately, in Africa today, many such similar protected areas are in stormy waters. The Selous too has gone through periods of deep crisis when its very existence was at stake and the book describes in open words these years, the causes, remedies taken and the necessary conservation policies. Possible future scenarios are spelt out in a thought provoking way.

This is the first complete book that has ever been written on the Selous Game Reserve and has set a standard by which any book on a protected area in Africa will be measured in future.

It is complemented by 450 excellent colour photographs, maps and superb paintings by Bodo Meier and Wilhelm Kuhnert. This is a complete account of the Selous, its past, present and future and the people and wildlife that have made it what it is today.

Paintings by Bodo Meyer. Cartography by Mike Shand.

Half Title, Title, Dedication, Contents, Foreword, Acknowledgements, Introduction. xix plus 268 pages text with numemerous supporting colour illustrations, etc.

Fine

978 0 9802626 7 4