Safari: The Romance and the Reality [signed]

Come to Africa! Sleep deeply and awake with a start, your senses suddenly, fully alert to an ominous rumble. Place your wavering trust in the thin sheet of canvas that forms the only barrier between you and the largest land mammal on Earth. Resume breathing when you realize that elephants walk gently where they are treated with respect, and that these intelligent creatures learned long ago to step over the guy ropes of tents. Safari chronicles the history of the great Arican adventure, from the exploits of Teddy Roosevelt and other privileged hunters to the innovactive efforts of modern-day conservationists. We meet Shan and Dave Varty, whose century-old preserve exemplifies today's three-pronged approach to wilderness management; care of land, care of wildlife, care of people. And Heinz Kohrs, a veterinarian whose childhood dreams of romping with wild animals inspired him to reestablish natural migration routes across Mozamique. And the Cottar familhy, whose photographic safari opened the aventure to a vastly wider and more inquisitive audience. These richly illustrated pages reveal the preservation models of such nations as Botswana where underground treasure and thoughtful wildlife management keep the wilderness pristine..Tanzania, whose astonishing natural beauty brings an overabundance of popularity..and South Africa, where government and private enterprise have taken down fences, reconverted abandoned farmland to wilderness, and seen the return of the cheetahs and other big predators. Safari plunges us into wetland and grssland, desert and bush for an unforgettable view of the complexity of Africa, and with it an understanding that conservation initiatives will succeed only with a team effort involving all stakeholders, from governments and local people to the tourists who visit.