Where the Crawdads Sing

[Brenneke]

A long and interesting story with lots of twists and turns ...that has it's genesis in Africa and wildlife conservation
A story that inclines one to think of so many other similar African wildlife conservation -- incidents
So many people trying so hard working for African nature and wildlife Conservation -- against such terrible odds !

Some years ago I read about an American couple working in the Botswana Kalahari studying Lion and Hyena

Cry of the Kalahari

https://www.amazon.com/Cry-Kalahari-.../dp/0395647800

A very interesting non-fiction serious wildlife story -- both authors were [are] trained and qualified in animal sciences.
They were expelled from Botswana for bringing the effect of the foot and mouth Veterinary fences on wildlife migration -- to the notice of the outside World


They then moved to the North Luangwa Valley in Zambia

The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness
https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Elephant-.../dp/B009MBTSLK

Where they ran anti-poaching operations
Due to exposure by an American TV production of these anti-poaching operations they had to leave Zambia
A poacher got killed -- on camera ( sensitive Americans got terribly shocked )

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2.../05/the-hunted

https://slate.com/culture/2019/07/de...er-africa.html


Another African themed book followed

Secrets of the Savanna: Twenty-three Years in the African Wilderness Unraveling the Mysteries of Elephants and People

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Savan.../dp/B0058M70KI


Which somewhat later brings us to the Crawdads

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/21/b...lia-owens.html

https://www.readitforward.com/author...h-delia-owens/


and the author who wrote it some years later -- out of Africa -- and back in the US

https://www.deliaowens.com/

Quite amazing to have a run-away best seller at the age of seventy !
What an amazing life's story from the Kalahari desert to the swamps of North Carolina

Their foundation

http://www.owens-foundation.org/index.html


One wonders how things are now currently in North Luangwa Zambia ?

[DaavG]

Sjoe that's been an interesting diversion! I have the Kry of the Kalahari at home and its superb. I didn't know the rest of their history.

[Spliffcat]

Mark and Delia got marching orders out of Bots. They clashed with govt.
They then went to the Luangwa Valley where they have been doing sterling work against poaching.
Mark used to fly around in a chopper carying a revolver. Mind you I have not seen them since the mid, 90s so have not kept in touch.
Norman Carr sadly passed away a number of years ago he lived just down the road from me. He was instrumental in getting the Luangwa game reserve off the ground.
Another unrelated but interesting chap I met and spent a fair amount of time with was Gareth Patterson when the remaining cubs of George Adamson were flown to Botswana. I built the camp for Gareth and his 3cubs.
Gareth also wrote a few interesting books about the lions of the Tuli Block.

[Brenneke]

Mark and Delia got marching orders out of Bots. They clashed with govt.
They then went to the Luangwa Valley where they have been doing sterling work against poaching.
Mark used to fly around in a chopper carying a revolver. Mind you I have not seen them since the mid, 90s so have not kept in touch.
Norman Carr sadly passed away a number of years ago he lived just down the road from me. He was instrumental in getting the Luangwa game reserve off the ground.
Another unrelated but interesting chap I met and spent a fair amount of time with was Gareth Patterson when the remaining cubs of George Adamson were flown to Botswana. I built the camp for Gareth and his 3cubs.
Gareth also wrote a few interesting books about the lions of the Tuli Block.

Joy and George Adamson ALSO killed by -- poachers
What has happened to Gareth Patterson ?

There is a book written about -- Shiwa Ngandu

( Lorna and John Harvey ALSO killed by poachers )

The Africa House

https://www.amazon.com/Africa-House-.../dp/0140268340

and the place itself

Shiwa Ngandu

https://www.shiwangandu.com/



The story of an Englishman in Africa

[Spliffcat]

George was murdered by Somalian poachers. His wife Joy was murdered by a camp hand. That's when the 3 cubs were he was caring for were flown to Bots.
Gareth is living in Knysna and still involved with wild life, when I last spoke to him he was researching the leopards in the mountains there.