Cry
Of The Kalahari
Delia and Mark Owens
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Mariner Books (October 15, 1992)
ISBN: 0395647800
Overall Rating: 5 Stars 
Readability: 4 Stars
Content: 5 Stars
Buy
this book
In 1984, when Cry Of The Kalahari was published, it brought international
attention to the plight of wildlife in Africa and the vital need
for comprehensive conservation and management strategies. The
Owens originally established their research station in the Kalahari
Desert of Namibia to study the illusive brown hyena. Cry Of The
Kalahari documents their eight year research project in one of
the most inhospitable environments on earth. The book is quite
dynamic, beginning with their study of the brown hyenas, then
expanding the scope of the project to include the lions that inhabit
the desert environment. The interrelationship of the two species
is fascinating, and the Owens writing flows well, not becoming
bogged down in scientific jargon. Cry Of The Kalahari finishes
with the documentation of the third largest wildebeest migration
in the world, and their subsequent, though possibly unintentional,
slaughter. The Owens make a compelling argument for creating conservation
areas that protect traditional migration routes rather than simply
confining a species to a small protected area. Cry Of The Kalahari
is a must read for the environmentalist, conservationist, or any
traveler to the deserts of Southern Africa.
