(101 things to know when you go) ON SAFARI IN AFRICA. Patrick Brakspear
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CALL OF AFRICA
When you've acquired a taste for dust,
The scent of our first rain,
You're hooked for life on Africa
And you'll not be right again
Till you can watch the setting moon
And hear the jackals bark
And know that they're around you,
Waiting in the dark.
When you long to see the elephants
Or to hear the coucal's song,
When the moonrise sets your blood on fire,
You've been away too long
It's time to cut the traces loose
And let your heart go free
Beyond that far horizon,
Where your spirit yearns to be.
Africa is waiting - come!
Since you've touched the open sky
And learned to love the rustling grass,
The wild fish-eagle’s cry.
You'll always hunger for the bush,
For the lion's rasping roar,
To camp at last beneath the stars
And to be at peace once more.
Emily C. Dibb (The Conundrum Trees)
Map of Africa
Introduction
On Safari in Africa has but a single purpose - to enhance your safari experience. There is so much for you to see and experience on safari, so much to take in, that it would be all too easy to get only a superficial glimpse of what a safari is all about. By introducing you to the many facets of an African safari, to which you might not otherwise be exposed, it is hoped that you will become more fully immersed in the bounty it offers. In the following chapters you will be presented with many interesting and poignant facts and theories, an A to Z of the safari world if you like, designed to help you observe more keenly and question more often. If you hold to the belief that through knowledge comes understanding, and through understanding comes true appreciation - then you will gain much from these pages.
Although I have not always been successful, this narrative attempts to be simple and uncomplicated - intended to be light reading and an easy reference. The dialogue is intentionally ‘light’ and tries not to get bogged down in tedious ‘technical’ details. Sometimes this has been done ‘tongue in cheek’ - I mean only to pique your interest and feed your curiosity, not provide a scientific reference work. I am not an accredited Zoologist, nor a noted expert on Africa’s wildlife or its peoples, but I am passionate about Africa and what it has to offer the safari-goer. I must apologise that certain aspects are sometimes repeated – it is just that some things are worth repeating!
Your first encounter with an African elephant will certainly leave quite an impression. But if you were to return home with only the memory of having seen an elephant in the wild, that would be a shame. The experience should be far more than that. After all, this is a living thing, one of a vast array of animals that make up our amazing world. How does this, the world’s largest surviving land animal, live its life, raise its young, communicate with others, and live out each day - what is its future? The answers to these questions will go a long way to enhance your safari experience and help you to fully appreciate the privilege of being in the company of a truly wild animal. It is these answers that On Safari in Africa hopes to share with you.
Having grown up in Africa, and later sharing the thrill of being on safari with people from around the world, it is my hope that On Safari in Africa will enable you to share the insights and passion that I have been privileged to enjoy for so long. I trust that I have done justice to the flora, fauna and people of this amazing continent and that this book may in some small way fulfill your dreams of an African safari.
Through On Safari in Africa I hope to encourage you to get more out of your safari experience: from tips on your preparations before you leave home, including what to expect and what to look out for, through to insights into the wildlife, landscapes and people you will encounter. For many, a safari to Africa is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, but even for ‘repeat-offenders’ it is always a fascinating journey, one that you will undoubtedly remember for many years to come.
Finally, On Safari in Africa serves as an unashamed celebration of our natural world and all it contains – at least that one corner of it, known to us as Africa.
"The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa...for he has so much to look forward to." - Richard Mullin
Acknowledgements
Although I have made every effort to acknowledge, by way of quotations or notation, the many books written on Africa, I am aware that many of the ‘opinions’, ‘observations’ and ‘arguments’ expressed in this book have had their source in the many magazine articles, books and related texts written about Africa that I have read over the years. Each of these texts have inspired me with their insights and have added to my knowledge, or helped to reinforce my own observations. In part, I present this book as a précis of those works and trust that I have done so in accordance with their individual thinking. If I have misrepresented them in any way I apologise, and I would welcome any corrections to any stated ‘facts’ by anyone prepared to share their expertise.
I should also add that although I have expressed a number of opinions on a range of topics, none of these should be taken as the opinions of the safari profession at large, although some may be shared by others within the industry.
Author’s note
This book restricts itself predominantly to safaris conducted in east, southern and central Africa, with little reference to West Africa and virtually none to North Africa. Countries north of the Sahara, including Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, are not considered ‘safari’ destinations per se. West Africa, including Cameroon, Benin, Ghana, the Central African Republic, the DRC, and Mali specifically, although welcoming visitors, suffer from a lack of infrastructure and are generally not considered to be part of the mainstream safari circuit. Other countries, like Ethiopia, Gabon, Chad and the Republic of Congo have begun receiving the more adventurous tourists, and like other parts of West Africa, will surely be adding their unique attractions to the list of safari destinations in the years to come. I certainly look forward to visiting these countries myself, discovering new landscapes and unique habitats, and searching out those forest-dwelling species found nowhere else in the world.
DEDICATION
If any person, or group of people, deserves recognition for their tireless efforts it must surely be the many rangers (and their families) across the length and breadth of the continent. They are the unsung heroes, protectors and caretakers of Africa’s wildlife and wild places. So I dedicate this book to them; past and present, young and old; who, through their dedication and conviction, stand guardian over many of the world’s last wildlife sanctuaries at a time when we seem powerless to halt the progress of our own destruction.
What is a safari?
The word ‘safari’ originates in East Africa from the Arabic verb safara meaning ‘to make a journey’, with implicit connotations of discovery. The derived noun safariya – a voyage or expedition, becomes the Swahili synonym safari.
Once long and arduous, fraught with danger and requiring both stamina and a significant amount of time and money, today’s safari is now within the reach of many, is safe, and considerably more luxurious.
The modern safari