The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates | 
|  | | | Title: | The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates | | Author: | Richard D. Estes
Daniel Otte (Illustrator) | | Publisher: | Chelsea Green Publishing Company | | Type: | Book / Paperback | | Publication Date: | December, 1999 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 1890132446 / 9781890132446 | | List Price: | $30.00 | | You Save: | $10.20 | | Amazon Price: | $19.80 | |
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| Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Since its original publication in 1993, The Safari Companion has been the best field guide to observing and understanding the behavior of African mammals. An indispensable tool for naturalists traveling to Africa, this new edition has been revised to acknowledge the enthusiasm to those watching these magnificent animals at zoos and wildlife parks, and on film. The Safari Companion enables readers to recognize and interpret visible behavioral activities, such as courtship rituals, territorial marking, aggression, and care of young. Each account of over 80 species includes a behavioral table in which the unique actions of the hoofed mammals, carnivores, and primates are described for easy reference. In addition, useful maps show the major national boundaries, vegetation zones, and game parks relevant to the guide. The book includes an extensive glossary, as well as tips on wildlife photography, a list of organizations working to protect African wildlife, and advice on where and when to see the animals.
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Customer Reviews:
• Good Second Guide 25 November, 2007
This is geared a little more toward those with more experience in the field. It is a little more scientific than Kingdon and offers some very good information. However, if you had to choose just one book, Kingdon would be a better choice.
- Reviewed by customer ID: AEVV6DBOQ86SW
• Well Written, By And Expert 19 July, 2007
I just returned from Tanzania, and used this book while on Safari in Serengetti, Ngorongoro crater, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire.
The main strength of the book is the high level overview given to game viewing in the beginning and at the beginning of each animal section. Without some background in behavioral biology it is tough to watch the animals and find it interesting for too long. After reading the opening to this book I was able to take much more from watching big herds of grazers than the tourists I was with.
Richard Estes is clearly an expert in the field, but he writes in a fashion that is easy to understand for a layman. He also gives some personalization to his accounts, giving personal tips for a good game drive.
The only issue with the book is that it is sometimes difficult to match the behavior of the animals in the field to the book in the limited time that is available on safari, so I would suggest that anyone interested read the sections about the animals they expect to see before the safari, and have those pages marked for reference during the game drive.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1TSRK95I0ARPI
• Greatest Safari Companion For The Wildlife Enthusiast 01 July, 2008
This book is quite simply the one book you must take to Africa and especially if you cant afford a personal game guide to explain all the interesting behaviours and various species habits. If you have a paid expert guide you possibly wont need it but I have found months after returning home to Australia I constantly refer back to this book to hone my memories of what my photos show. It is a brilliant purpose intented book...but its not for someone in a hurry racing from one park to another. Take your time...observe and use it...you wont regret it.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3X2MURPEN1NF
• In My Experience, This Isn't Very Useful 25 February, 2007
I've been to Tanzania's national parks twice, and watched a lot of game in both the popular and the less-crowded parks. Estes came with me the first time, based on my interest in the animals and reviewers' comments found here; and this last time I took along the (copied) pages for a dozen or so animals (zebras, elephants, wildebeest, giraffes, etc).
His work is certainly interesting and I fully expected it would be a useful Safari Companion. But it hasn't lived up to expectations.
I know I've been fortunate to have guides who were very knowledgable: getting us into interesting situations, pointing out behavior and being able to answer lots of questions. In the evening, though, I've often checked to see what Estes might have to say about what we'd seen; and, typically, I didn't learn anything new. That, by itself, doesn't justify leaving Estes behind. But with few exceptions, fairly careful reading of Estes beforehand didn't prepared me to "see" behavior that might otherwise have been missed over the course of 5 weeks of game watching. I'm certain it's not that the behavior Estes describes doesn't occur; it's just that we tourists rarely have the opportunity to observe animals for long enough periods for it to happen!
After my second trip, I got a copy of "The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals" and I might take it along next time as a close substitute for Estes. For very easy identification of the common animals and birds of East Africa, however, I'll continue to rely on Withers and Hosking, "Wildlife of East Africa" in preference to the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to ..." (which I also own).
- Reviewed by customer ID: A19K4ROWJ2IUTP
• Excellent Safari Companion 08 March, 2007
This book was an engrossing and wonderful read as we undertook the Safari.
It provided insight into the behavior and special characteristics of each animal that we saw, and made the sightings much more interesting than just the identification of each species.
Recommended highly!
- Reviewed by customer ID: A2ZV1KKBXDILJP
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