Man-Eaters, Mambas and Marula Madness: A Game Ranger's Life in the Lowveld

by Mario Cesare

What started as a vision about the Olifants River Game Reserve has become the story of a game ranger's life.He tells his story here and provides a wealth of lessons on conservation as well as stories of life in the bush, as it is enjoyed only by those fortunate enough to live on a 'Big Five' reserve. With a naturalist s eye for detail as well as the bigger picture of managing a fragile ecosystem through years of drought and plenty, Mario Cesare brings a storyteller's delight - and a dash of Italian passion - to sharing his world.Life-and-death encounters with lion, elephant and buffalo are balanced by rescues and interventions as these giants of the lowveld suffer the effects of human interference in their ecosystem. There are problems with poachers and with rapacious neighbors; then the delights of success - and in the case of the elephant population, the conundrums of too much success.

Genres: Africa, Nonfiction, South Africa

401 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2011

Reviews

[Kerri Davis]

Bit of a hard one to rate, and I don't like rating a person's life experiences anyway.

I picked this up expecting funny anecdotes, pearls of wisdom, daring tales and such from the South African bush and it's wildlife. It was all those things, but a large chunk is dedicated to reserve and conservation management which, while interesting, did not make for the page-turning holiday read I was looking for.

I did enjoy the author's take on the ethics of wildlife documentaries and photography and definately took some of that lesson away with me, his a unique perspective I had not encountered before. His dedication to the bush and conservation efforts is entirely apparent throughout the book and I can only commend that.

[Romit Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, great insight on the history of the kruger and the oliphants reserve as well as game farms.

[Noni Torrent · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice short true chapters on life in the bush.

[Tony Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mario Cesare writes most engagingly of his encounters with lions, elephants and buffalo in a private game reserve adjacent to the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa. His naturalist's eye for detail, combined with the struggles of managing a fragile ecosystem through the problems of drought, poaching and difficuly neighbours makes this book an unforgettable read. As a young man I spent a number years in the areas he writes so vividly about.