We have finalized our trip. We are going to Cape Town, Mala Mala, and Ngala in April. If you were to recommend 1 book to get to read and learn about the animals before we go and to then take with us as a guide book, what would it be? Thank you.

while i have not yet been on my safari, i am in the middle of reading "The Safari Companion" by Richard Estes.
it only deals with mammals, but is very in depth, for ex.the chapter on the wild dog ( which i just finished) gives the follwoing info.
what is it-describles the size, and coloring of the animal
where it lives-its range, type of habitat
activity- diurnal/nocturnal when they eat, how ong they spend on finding food
social/mating system-very extensive information on this
foraging/predatory behavior-again extensive information
reproduction-
offspring and communal care
relations with other predators
how it communicates
then there is a table that discusses differences in behavior and what that all means, ie aggressive and sbmissive behavior.
the wild dog chapter is 5 1/2 pages.
there are no color pictures, but it is extremely informative.

in the hyena chapter i found out that the spotted hyena will kill opposite sex siblings just after whelping (but not same sex) and given the location of where they are whelped the mother is unable to prevent this.

enjoy your trip
amy

Safari Companion is a classic.

Not trying to overload your luggage, but since you show an interest in animal behavior, you may also want to bring a bird book. It is fun to try to identify the birds on your own or with the guide. While the guide will probably have book, it is best to have your own book.

Kenneth Newman's Birds of South Africa would be a good bird book.

Have a marvelous time.

Thanx so much, Amy and Lynn. We ordered The Safari Companion by Richard Estes, and we look forward to reading it prior to our trip (& during safari too, of course). Now we are starting to think about the necessary clothes, etc. for this very exciting trip in April! Again, many thanks!

Carole

Does anyone know the difference between "The Safari Companion" by Richard Estes and "The Behavior Guide to African Mammals" by Richard Estes? I'm guessing that the safari guide might be less academic but I don't know, and can't find them in a local bookstore to check them out.

Carole
That is where I am in my planning, I got the books, so ok now what else do i need to bring (clothes, etc). there are some great posts on that on this forum (try the search function).

tockoloshe
Didn't know about the Behavior Guide, i just took a look at it at Amazon. From the reviews, I agree it might be a tad more "academic" but i think given that i am reading the Safari companion (which is great- and not overly technical) that either would be fine.

amy

Assuming you've been watching (in USA) the National Geographic and Animal Planet and Discovery TV channels about Africa wildlife, yes? Those are good background. Many are available on DVD.

Also, all safari guides seem to like to tell you the "gestation periods" of the animals. Memorize those for the big five and impress your guide and fellow vehicle mates.

regards - tom

I agree with everyone about Safari Companinion. And it's worth spending a little time with in advance since Dr. Estes little graphic symbols that indicate family grouping do take a minute to figure and get used to -- but once you so they are fascinating aids! Terrific book.

You asked for one book, but just for the hell of it, if you wanted to read something very different, well written and compelling, African Game Trails by Theodore Roosevelt is a stiring, atmospheric and very informative book that paints a marvellous picture of the early 20th century safari without a drop of "out-of-africa" self-consciouness. It's been out of print since the 70's, but was once so popular that very inexpensive used copies are easy to find online.

tockoloshe
"The Safari Companion" is a shorter version (of "The Behavior Guide to African Mammals" ) , and made for quicker browsing to get that piece of basic data you need to know about an animal...

Thanks, it's on order - don't know how I missed this one, I thought I had most reference books - I like reading about places/people/wildlife as much as actually going! I've got 'Wild Ways' by Peter Apps which looks similar, but sure I'll learn something new.