A Practical Guide to Animal Tracking in Southern Africa (New Edition)
By Alex van den Heever, Renias Mhlongo, Karel Benadie & Ian Thomas
Featuring all-new spoor drawings, some 200 new photographs and an extra 35 species, this fully revised and updated edition of the ever-popular Tracker Manual is packed with the latest on the art of tracking.
Based on information developed by some of southern Africa’s best traditional trackers, Tracker Manual gives even more guidance on how to identify the spoor of some 190 animal species.
The science of tracking
Individual chapters cover carnivores, large mammals, antelopes, small mammals, primates, hares and rodents, amphibians and reptiles, birds and insects.
Each account contains:
- Simple, bulleted text on key points of each animal’s tracks.
- Clear, accurate track drawings.
- Numerous informative photographs, sometimes annotated.
- A list of similar tracks (where applicable), to avoid misidentification.
An instructive introduction describes the science of tracking and outlines what to look for in the field, while a quick-reference table compares tracks that are easily confused. This detailed and richly illustrated manual to the region’s most common animal tracks and signs will prove invaluable in the field.
About the authors
Alex van den Heever is a founder member and general manager of the Tracker Academy. He has spent the last 20 years working as an environmental manager, guide and trainer and assessor of trackers in South Africa. He has travelled to many of the world’s most remote regions to learn traditional tracking skills from expert trackers.
Karel ‘Pokkie’ Benadie spent 33 years as a tracker and field ranger in the Karoo National Park. Using tracking-based evidence, he has contributed to the collection of data for scientific research on the habits of black rhino. A founder member of the Tracker Academy, he is currently the Academy’s principal trainer and is based at Samara Game Reserve.
Renias Mhlongo was born in what is today the greater Kruger National Park. He was a member of the team of trackers who successfully habituated the now-famous leopards of Londolozi in the 1980s, where he has lived for 32 years. A founder member of Tracker Academy, he is the head Academy trainer based at Londolozi Game Reserve.
Ian Thomas is a speaker, author photographer and a FGASA scout – an award that recognises excellence in guiding, weapon handling, and tracking. He has illustrated the tracks in this book.
- PUBLISHER | Penguin Random House SA |
- ISBN | 9781775847755 |
- Recommended Retail Price | R357.00 |
- Classification | Wildlife |
