African Safari Journal and Field Guide: A Wildlife Guide, Trip Organizer, Map Directory, Safari Directory, Phrase Book, Safari Diary and Wildlife Checklist - All-in-One

A Personal Invitation from Author

Mark Nolting

Before booking your trip to Africa, contact us at

The Africa Adventure Company

to discuss the many safari options we have to offer. Call today - my expert staff and I would love to assist you in planning your safari!

The Africa Adventure Company

2601 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Suite 600

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33306

Tel: 800-882-WILD (9453) • Tel: 954-491-8877 • Fax: 954-491-9060

Email: safari@AfricanAdventure.com

Website: www.AfricanAdventure.com

Praise for the African Safari Journal & Field Guide

A wildlife safari to Africa is a transformational experience, too precious to leave to chance. The African Safari Journal & Field Guide is an extraordinarily valuable, compact resource that’s a must-have on safari. It will help ensure you record your richest experiences on safari so you never forget the trip of a lifetime.

Patrick Bergin

CEO for the African Wildlife Foundation

With expanded and updated color illustrations on everything from trees and fish to eagles and rhinos, there is no single publication available that compiles all of the truly important information one needs to prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa like the African Safari Journal & Field Guide. As someone who has been privileged to travel to that magnificent continent over 40 times, I can say without hesitation that this book is an invaluable guide to anyone planning to experience the infinite beauty and wonder of this incredible destination. Its easy-to-read style and wide variety of information make it a must have for anyone on safari.

Ron Magill

Zoo Communications and Media Relations Director, Zoo Miami

I’ve commented on Mark’s book, the African Safari Journal & Field Guide, a few years in a row now but each time the information gets better and even more invaluable, both to the first time safari goer and the expert. I recently referred to it for an expedition I was planning for National Geographic, and could not have been more satisfied! Mark possesses an innate understanding of people and what they most want to know prior to embarking on safari. His books facilitate the best possible experience, preparing you to manage your expectations and opening you to the magic that is Africa.

Dereck Joubert

Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic Society, Conservationist, Filmmaker

Journeying to Africa and experiencing the wonders of a safari was, for me, a lifelong dream made possible through the Africa Adventure Company. Having Mark Nolting’s African Safari Journal & Field Guide with me the whole time was like bringing Mr. Nolting’s decades of experience and almost impossibly extensive knowledge of the continent with me on my trip. As a resource, an in-the-field guide, and a travel journal, it was a constant companion on my solo journey through Southern Africa. It’s probably the most thorough source of information out there, and an invaluable safari tool, which I turned to regularly while there, and still do, when I want to remember the details of my African adventure.

Pamela Jacobs

Freelance writer and Founder/Editor-in-Chief of www.sologirltravel.com

Booking a safari with AAC is more than just game viewing; there is purpose to making a difference! We are very involved in many African communities, giving back to conservation projects, and supporting guides at the grassroots level. At the community level we assist students’ education as it is our hope they will be able to go on to a career in the wildlife conservation or tourism fields. Let us arrange a visit to these projects on your safari travels. Because of our charitable work, the Africa Adventure Company has been awarded the Tanzania Tourist Board - Tour Operator Humanitarian Award for 2012.

Zimbabwe Schools: We continue to sponsor 450 children at three schools near Hwange as part of the Children in the Wilderness feeding program. We identify children from here to also sponsor their high school education. Our annual donation is used to support monthly payments for internet connection.

Tanzania Schools: Three schools we have partnered with are located near Arusha, Tarangire and Karatu.

Tanzania Scholarships: We have a scholarship fund for over 35 children of the Tanzania guides who take our clients on safari.

Kenya Schools and Scholarships: AAC has an ongoing sponsorship commitment of four years for high school students at the Moi High School near Tsavo (Kenya). We also sponsor a Maasai Camp assistant to attend College as he works towards his guiding license.

Mana Pools Bushlife Conservancy: We give a yearly donation on behalf of all the clients we have booked at Vundu Camp for their ongoing work with the park rangers and wild dog research.

Mother Africa Organization: We continue to donate and support their community and conservation projects.

Botswana Guides: We sponsor the opportunity for camp guides to work up their specialist knowledge providing them with private guiding opportunities that our lucky clients enjoy on a complimentary basis through the year.

Tanzania Guides: We run an annual Guide of the Year award to recognize a wildlife naturalist who has excelled at the highest level.

Wilderness Wildlife Trust: We are major supporters of Wilderness Safaris in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. Beyond the outstanding safari experience they deliver, we know that for every bed night we book with them, a portion of the price goes to the Wilderness Wildlife Trust. This is a true commitment to sustainable photographic tourism.

Africa Adventure Company....Making a Difference

email: safari@AfricanAdventure.com / website: www.AfricanAdventure.com www.facebook.com/TheAfricaAdventureCompany

Copyright © 2013 by Mark W. Nolting

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any other information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher and copyright owners.

Requests should be addressed to Global Travel Publishers Inc.,

2601 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Suite 600, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308, USA.

Email: info@globaltravelpublishers.com

www.globaltravelpublishers.com

African Safari Journal & Field Guide

(Sixth edition, completely revised and updated, 2013)

ISBN: 978-0-939895-18-2

Cover photo credit: Mark Beckwith

Cover Design by 1106 Design, USA.

Publication Design by Nature Works, South Africa

Illustrations © Duncan Butchart

Edited by Sarah H. Taylor

Proofread by Monica C. Kowalski

Publisher’s Notes

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this book, the author and publisher does not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or any potential travel problem caused by information in this book, even if such errors or omissions are a result of negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Also Available in E-Book Version in All Formats.

US$22.95

SPECIAL SALES

Discounts for volume purchases.

For details please contact the publisher at: phone: 954-491-8877 or 1-800-882-9453, fax 954-491-9060 e-mail: info@globaltravelpublishers.com or write to Global Travel Publishers, 2601 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Suite 600, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33306 USA www.globaltravelpublishers.com

FOREWORD

Dear Safarier,

Over the past three decades I have had the privilege of exploring Africa on countless safaris. Having spent hours of preparation for each of my earlier safaris, and in the end having to carry with me several heavy resource books on mammals, reptiles, birds and trees, as well as maps, phrase books and a diary, the idea of consolidating all this into one book was formed.

Why do so many people wish to go to Africa? Many seek the wonderful wilderness of a still largely undeveloped African continent, where wildlife in its natural and exciting environment still abounds. Others seek contact with wild spaces and traditional African cultures which can have a meaningful effect on the human spirit – stirring and stimulating the senses, relaxing and revitalizing the mind.

Visiting Africa means getting back to basics and feeling the thrill of experiencing something entirely different from the developed world in which we live.

The main allure of the continent is that you can find adventure there. When you go on safari, you never know what you’re going to see or what is going to happen. Each safari is unpredictable and exciting. With the right planning, there’s no finer adventure!

There is no better time to venture to Africa than the present. Go now, while Africa can still deliver all that is promised – and more!

Sincerely,

Mark W. Nolting

MARK W. NOLTING is also author of the award-winning Africa’s Top Wildlife Countries, the best guidebook for planning your safari as it:

Highlights and compares over 100 top wildlife parks and reserves in all the best wildlife countries

Includes invaluable charts such as When’s the Best Time to Go and What Wildlife is Best Found Where

Grades safari camps and safari lodges for easy selection and highlights the ones that offer the best safari experience

Beautifully depicts the safari experience with 533 striking photos and 73 easy-to-read maps in 616 pages of color

Available in paperback and all e-book formats $27.95

CONTENTS

Introduction

How to use this book

Preparing for Safari

Africa: A Continent of Diversity

Topography

Africa’s Climate

Africa’s Vegetation Zones

Savannah and Woodland

Scrubland and Desert

Grassland and Heathland

Temperate and Tropical Forest

Rivers, Lakes and Wetlands

Coasts and Ocean

Safari

History of Safari

Safari Tips

Glossary of Safari Terms

Photography on Safari

Conservation

World Heritage Sites

Field Guide

African Mammals

African Birds

African Reptiles and Frogs

African Fish

African Invertebrates

African Trees

Map Directory

Kenya

Tanzania

Uganda and Rwanda

Congo Republic

Ethiopia

Malawi

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Botswana

Namibia

South Africa

Madagascar

Seychelles

Mauritius

Star Gazing on Safari

Mammal Spoor

Wildlife Checklists

My African Safari Journal

Personal Details

Packing List

Journal Pages

Resources

Airport Departure Taxes

Currency

Diplomatic Representatives

Health

Measurement Conversions

Visas and Inoculations

Languages

French

Swahili

Shona

Tswana

Zulu

Suggested Reading

About the Authors

Index

AFRICAN FACTS AT A GLANCE

Area:

11,635,000 square-miles (30,420,000 km²).

Approximate Size:

More than three times the size of the United States; larger than Europe, the United States and China combined; the second largest continent, covering 20% of the world’s land surface.

Largest Waterfall:

Victoria Falls (the world’s largest waterfall by volume), twice the height of Niagara Falls and one-and-a-half times as wide.

Longest River:

Nile River (world’s longest), 4,160 miles (6,710 km).

Largest Crater:

Ngorongoro Crater (largest intact caldera/crater in the world), 12 miles (19 km) wide with its rim rising 1,200 to 1,600 feet (366 to 488 m) off its expansive 102 square-mile (264 km²) floor.

Highest Mountain:

Mt. Kilimanjaro (highest mountain in the world that is not part of a range), 19,340 feet (5,895 m).

Largest Lake:

Lake Victoria (world’s third largest), 26,828 square miles (69,485 km²).

Largest Freshwater Oasis:

Okavango Delta (Botswana), over 6,000 square miles (15,000 km²).

Largest Desert:

Sahara (world’s largest), larger than the continental United States.

Largest Land Mammal:

African Savannah Elephant (world’s largest), over 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg).

Largest Bird:

Common Ostrich (world’s largest), over 8 feet (2.5 m) tall.

Deepest Lake:

Lake Tanganyika (world’s second deepest), over 4,700 feet (1,433 m).

Longest Lake:

Lake Tanganyika (world’s longest), 446 miles (714 km).

Longest Rift Valley:

The Great Rift Valley, a 5,900 mile (9,500 km) gash from the Red Sea to Lake Malawi, with 30 active volcanoes.

Lake With Most Fish Species:

Lake Malawi (500 species).

Tallest People:

The Dinka of southern Sudan (world’s tallest) generally reach on average 5’11" (180 cm).

Shortest People:

The Pygmies of the Congo (world’s shortest) reach only 4’11" (125 cm).

Human Population:

1,032,532,000 (2011).

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

The African Safari Journal & Field Guide differs from other books on the wildlife of the continent in that it is designed for you to write down your experiences and observations while you are traveling. While there is a great deal of interesting and useful information on the following pages, the book will really come to life when you add your own notes and stories. Most travelers have become used to recording their safaris and other holidays through photographs, but there is nothing quite like the immediacy of a personal travel diary to complement these images. This book has been designed in such a way that it will encourage and help you to record the highlights, events and dramas of your African safari, as well as providing a means of noting activities and lists of the mammals and birds which you encounter.

There is space for you to record all of your important personal details, as well as the contact details of traveling companions, safari guides and other people who you will meet. Introductory information on the landscapes and habitats of Africa will set the scene for your own notes. The descriptive accounts of the animals mention interesting behavior which you should look out for, as well as identification tips, while the comprehensive checklist of mammals and birds will allow you to fully document all the species you encounter on safari.

The detailed Map Directory will help you to orientate yourself and follow the route of your safari, while the brief language section has some key words and phrases that provide a stepping-stone into local conversation. A list of recommended books for further reading is also provided, and there is a glossary of unfamiliar terms that you will hear on safari.

Note: In this book the common names of all species are capitalized in line with the recommendations of the International Ornithological Committee (Union). The unique vernacular names given to biological entities (species) should be regarded as proper nouns in order that they can be distinguished from simple descriptions. Examples of this method of capitalization can also be found outside the animal kingdom as with the Rocky Mountains which distinguish this North American range from any rocky mountains .

PREPARING FOR SAFARI

While on safari, you will enjoy the attention and input of one or more guides whose job is to make sure that you have a safe, fun and enlightening experience. Although you will be in capable hands, the more you know before setting off, the more you will get out of your adventure.

Background reading is perhaps the most important, although speaking to somebody who has been to the area you intend to visit can be invaluable. The African Safari Journal & Field Guide is aimed at providing you with an advance overview, as well as being a guide and field book to record your observations.

Your desire to visit Africa may well have been triggered by National Geographic documentaries or Animal Planet. This is all very well, but you should not expect to see everything in the way in which these films depict. The best wildlife films take years to create, and involve weeks or months of waiting for action to unfold. Part of enjoying your safari is having a realistic expectation, and you should always remember that wildlife is just that – wild! With the exception of the most common birds and herbivorous mammals, nothing can be guaranteed on safari – and that, really, is the thrill of it. It is the anticipation and chance that makes getting up early each morning, and driving around each bend in the road, so enthralling.

It is vital to develop a good relationship with your guide from the outset. Bear in mind that he or she will not only know the area and its wildlife, but also the best ways to reveal this to you. Make sure that you state your expectations clearly from the word go, and don’t be shy to get involved in each day’s routine. If you have seen enough lions for one day, for example, let your guide know that you would like to focus on seeking out other species.

Rather than spending your whole safari in search only for big game, aim to get an understanding and appreciation for the whole ecosystem, of which termites and fig trees play as important a role as elephants and lions. Developing an interest in birds, reptiles and trees means that you’ll have a captivating experience even when relaxing at your lodge or being transferred from one locality to the next.

Sensitivity toward wildlife is paramount at all times. Your guide will know the correct distance to approach each individual species without causing stress, but in the rare instances where this may not be so, it is always best to be over-cautious. The most enthralling wildlife encounters are often those in which the animals that you are viewing are unaware or unafraid.

Being on safari generally puts you at less risk than you would be when traveling on busy roads in your own neighborhood, but many animals are potentially dangerous and some simple precautions are advisable. A good guide will naturally avert any risky situations, but as already mentioned, respecting animals’ space by not attempting to get too close is paramount. Almost all large mammals are frightened of humans and generally run or move off when confronted with the upright form of a person. This can never be taken for granted, however, and you should not be tempted to leave the safety of a safari vehicle to approach an animal unless in the company of an armed guide. It is equally important to remain seated while in open safari vehicles, because lions, for example, appear to regard safari vehicles as one entity, rather than a collection of edible primates! Many of the best wildlife lodges are not fenced and allow free movement of all wildlife, so you can expect to be escorted to and from your room or tent before and after dinner by an armed guard. Large mammals may explore lodge surroundings after dark, but typically keep well clear during daylight hours. Exceptions include elephant, impala, bushbuck and some other herbivores which realize that the lodge offers protection from predators. Opportunistic monkeys, and sometimes baboons, frequently raid kitchens and table fruit. Primates can become aggressive once they are accustomed to handouts, so the golden rule is to never feed them, or any other animal.

Naturally, most people will want a record of their safari, so some photography tips are provided on page 26. Perhaps the most important piece of equipment, however, is a pair of binoculars which are not only essential for watching birds but also for looking at larger mammals in detail. Apart from the usual casual clothing one would pack for a holiday in a warm region, you should bear in mind that morning and night game drives in open vehicles can be cool to very cold, so it is advisable to pack a good jacket and woollen hat. A baseball cap or wide-brimmed hat are also recommended, along with sun protection cream, and anti-malarial medication (check with your doctor).

AFRICA: A CONTINENT OF DIVERSITY

Africa is a continent of incredible diversity. Straddling the equator, and stretching beyond both the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, almost every conceivable landscape and climate is present on the giant landmass. From snow-capped peaks to parched deserts, and from dripping rainforests to expansive savannahs, each habitat has its own particular community of plants and animals. No other parts of the world contain as much unaltered habitat, and nowhere are large mammals still so numerous and widespread. All African countries have extensive networks of protected areas and – in many cases – these are actually increasing in size as nature-based tourism becomes an ever more important component of local economies. Nevertheless, Africa’s wild places face innumerable threats and challenges as human populations increase, and development goes unchecked. The impacts of man-induced climate change is of growing concern here, as it is around the world.

TOPOGRAPHY - HIGH AND LOW

Altitude above sea level is a major factor in terms of Africa’s climate, as it determines the vegetation types and distribution of wildlife, as well as the patterns of human settlement. The continent can be divided into high and low regions, with the land above 3,200 feet (1,000 meters) being more temperate even on the equator. European colonists chose to establish settlements on the higher plateaus, where wheat, tea and livestock such as cattle and sheep were able to thrive. Malaria and most livestock diseases are prolific in hot lowlands, so these areas were spared from much development and still contain some extensive wilderness areas. The Congo Basin and most of West Africa is a steamy wet lowland, while the majority of countries of eastern and southern Africa enjoy the benefits of both temperate and tropical or subtropical climates. The South African highveld plateau experiences bitterly cold night temperatures during winter (May to August), while high-lying towns such as Nairobi experience cool nights throughout much of the year.

AFRICA’S CLIMATE

Average monthy temperatures min/max in Fahrenheit (white) and