WILD HEART OF AFRICA –THE SELOUS GAME RESERVE IN TANZANIA

Rolf D. Baldus (Ed.)
Rowland Ward Johannesburg 2009;
65 US$

www.rowlandward.com

The Selous is one of Africa’s finest hunting reserves, as many of us know. With 50,000 km2 unpopulated wilderness it is certainly one of the biggest. We would, however, not know that it is at the same time Africa’s oldest protected area, if it was not for the editor of this book. His research in old German archives produced evidence that it was the German Governor Herrmann von Wissmann, who founded it in 1896.

Interestingly enough only two books were ever written about this extraordinary place (Sand Rivers and Secret Eden) and both have been out of print for decades. Finally someone has written a comprehensive book about this fabulous place. And not just anyone, but a team of 20 expert contributors knowing the Selous intimately. Together they served the Reserve in different capacities for a combined total of over 100 years. For example, Brian Nicholson, who spent 24 years of work there and took over from the Snake Man, “Iodine” Ionides, as Chief Warden in 1954, has narrated how and why he introduced big game hunting. He also describes the interesting years around independence which finally led to his resigning in 1973. The late Alan Rodgers, who served the Selous as researcher and warden from 1966 until 1976, writes about these “development years” in his informative and at the same time most entertaining style. Alan also authors chapters on the ecology and the trees of the Selous. Gerald Bigurube, today Director General of Tanzanian National Parks (TANAPA), describes his „trembling legs“ when he was appointed Selous Project Manager in 1986. Rudolf Hahn and Ireneus Ngwatura describe how „poachers can become wardens“ and write about the importance of community conservation, a development in which they both played an important role, and its importance for the Reserve, its wildlife and the resulting strategy for a wildlife corridor connecting the Selous with the Niassa Reserve in Mozambique. Erasmus Tarimo (now Director of Wildlife), Benson Kibonde (former Chief Warden of the Selous) and Mike Shand have contributed on different aspects of conservation, management and history. There are also informative, entertaining and well written chapters on the birds, wildlife and ecology of the Selous by Neil Stronach, Christian Pitra and George Atanas.

Hunting which is the economic backbone of the reserve gets the necessary attention. There are several articles on hunting in the book: Ludwig Siege has many entertaining hunting adventures to tell of famous and less famous people who hunted the Selous, starting with James Southerland and General von Lettow-Vorbeck in the early 19th century. The late Rolf Rohwer adds an exciting and unusual incident, in which he was at the receiving end of a lion mauling. He also has provided a detailed account of how hunting is conducted in the Selous Game Reserve.

With its current population of some 70 000 elephants, 120 000 buffaloes, over half a million antelopes and several thousand large carnivores which roam freely over the plains, forests, rivers and mountains of this massive area, which is devoid of human habitation, photographic and walking safaris are conducted and Richard Bonham, a Selous old hand of many years, introduces the reader to the secrets and wonders of walking safaris in unspoilt wilderness. Apart from editing the book and managing the publication process during ten years Rolf Baldus has contributed many of its chapters. The editor is known to “call a spade a spade” and this adds a special freshness and piquancy to the chapters on conservation or when he finally gives his outlook on the “future of the Selous”.

The Foreword is by the late head of the Selous family, Commander G.M.B. Selous. Dieter Schramm, President of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) sums up the “pro-hunting message” of the book in an epilogue. This is remarkable, as the book is primarily written for a non-hunting readership. The text makes it clear that without hunting tourism the Selous could not exist, but that it must be “sustainable”. Useful maps, 400 excellent colour photographs, and 50 superb paintings by Wilhelm Kuhnert and Bodo Meier complement all this. The first artist painted in the Kibambawe area along the Rufiji River in 1905 and the latter nearly a century later.

For anyone who wants to visit the Selous, hunt there or is simply interested in East-Africa, its wildlife and safari hunting, this is an authoritative book not to be missed. It is scientifically based and offers at the same time entertaining reading. Despite the outstanding illustrations this is no coffee table book. It 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. The book can be bought by mail order from the publisher: www.rowlandward.com and in the USA from Safari Press.