Relentless Enemies: Lions and Buffalo

by Dereck Joubert

The tawny lion slinks through golden grass, stealthy and sinuous, utterly concentrated on the hunt, a perfect predator awaiting only the instant when pure instinct triggers the rush, the spring, the ferocious slash of sharp claws and merciless fangs that will bring down her prey. It's a scene as old as Africa itself, yet its sudden, violent drama is always new. Dereck and Beverly Joubert know it well. For decades they've lived among lions, winning international acclaim for their unique photographs and pioneering documentaries, which record lions' previously unknown behavior such as nocturnal forays and a willingness to stalk their quarry through water. Of all their long experience, the Jouberts consider their two years with the lions of Duba the most exciting, important research they have done―here presented in fascinating text and 100 gripping images. Month after month, they battled floods, hardship, and danger to capture these spectacular shots of the relentless blood rivalry played out on the Okavanga Delta every day as three separate lion prides harry a huge herd of buffalo. These massive beasts are challenging prey; they fight back fiercely, aggressively seeking out the big cats and attacking them with deadly thrusts of their sharp, sweeping horns. The lions leap and dodge, but not always swiftly enough to escape―and so the ancient struggle goes on. The companion volume to a new National Geographic film airing in 2006, this is an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of the world's most awe-inspiring hunters, the lethal and beautiful lions of Duba.

Genres: Animals

176 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2006

Reviews

[Jose · Rating 1 out of 5]

I own alot of the Authors work be it dvd or bluray or Books, and I love some of them, I specifically enjoyed the film version of this Which I have on Bluray. However, the book despite the spreads, and some of the great photography but the book is of poor quality,the binding is horrible not very durable and the prose and hyperbole by the author is a bit annoying at times falling into the romantic and even questioning God and going into climatechange the pseudoscience and political science. A disappointment compared to their other great works.

[Last Ranger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Walk On The Wild Side!

This huge (10in X 14in) coffee-table book is filled with incredible photos of lions, buffalo and African landscapes. The book coincides with the 2005 National Geographic documentary with the same title that was also filmed by the authors. The Joubert's have spent the last 20 to 30 years in Africa filming and writing about African wildlife. Their approach is "up close and personal" in observing the animals and that has led to some tense encounters with some very dangerous animals. The main focus of the book is, of course, lions and buffalo but you will also see hyenas, cattle egrets and Yellow-billed ox-peckers. Some readers may find the hunting and killing shots to be distressing but there also scenes of peaceful beauty. Misty sunrises and sunsets have an other worldly aspect to them. A shot of a mother lion carrying her cub is one of my favorites. The two page spreads are stunning, some violent some peaceful, like a small water-hole with a half dozen buffalo and surrounded by white cattle egrets. Through the text you will learn of the problems of living and working in a wild and dangerous land as well as important bits of lion and buffalo behavior. The setting, by the way, is Botswana in general and the Duba Plains in the Okavango Delta in particular, you may want to check the Internet or your atlas for more information on that part of the world. In this modern world of computers, the Internet and e-readers its refreshing to know that books like this one are still the best way to get "up close and personal" with the natural world.
Last Ranger