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Zew Kalahari
Bestseller New York Timesa uhonorowany nagrodą National Geographic Special oraz Medalem Johna Burroughsa dla najlepszej książki przyrodniczej, opisujący przygody Marka i Delii Owensów (autorki światowego fenomenu literackiego Gdzie śpiewają raki).
Para młodych amerykańskich zoologów, Delia i Mark Owensowie, w 1974 roku wsiada na pokład samolotu do RPA, mając przy sobie niewiele ponad zmianę ubrania i lornetkę. Kupują land rovera z trzeciej ręki i jadą w głąb pustyni Kalahari. Tam, na dotąd niepoznanym terenie, gdzie w promieniu setek kilometrów nie ma dróg, ludzi ani wody, Owensowie zaczynają badania zwierząt, które nigdy wcześniej nie widziały człowieka.
Międzynarodowy bestseller Zew Kalahari, nagrodzony w 1985 roku Medalem Johna Burroughsa dla najlepszej książki przyrodniczej, jest opowieścią o życiu Owensów wśród lwów, hien brunatnych, szakali, żyraf i wielu innych stworzeń, które stały się im bliskie. To także przejmująca relacja ich walki z niebezpieczeństwami życia na jednym z ostatnich nieskalanych cywilizacją miejsc na ziemi.
Para młodych amerykańskich zoologów, Delia i Mark Owensowie, w 1974 roku wsiada na pokład samolotu do RPA, mając przy sobie niewiele ponad zmianę ubrania i lornetkę. Kupują land rovera z trzeciej ręki i jadą w głąb pustyni Kalahari. Tam, na dotąd niepoznanym terenie, gdzie w promieniu setek kilometrów nie ma dróg, ludzi ani wody, Owensowie zaczynają badania zwierząt, które nigdy wcześniej nie widziały człowieka.
Międzynarodowy bestseller Zew Kalahari, nagrodzony w 1985 roku Medalem Johna Burroughsa dla najlepszej książki przyrodniczej, jest opowieścią o życiu Owensów wśród lwów, hien brunatnych, szakali, żyraf i wielu innych stworzeń, które stały się im bliskie. To także przejmująca relacja ich walki z niebezpieczeństwami życia na jednym z ostatnich nieskalanych cywilizacją miejsc na ziemi.
544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
2138 people are currently reading
11580 people want to read
About the author
Mark Owens
6 books86 followersWhen Mark Owens and his wife Delia first went to Africa in 1974, they bought a third-hand Land Rover, drove deep into the Kalahari Desert, and lived there for seven years. The Owens are the authors of Cry of the Kalahari, an international bestseller and winner of the John Burroughs Medal, The Eye of the Elephant, and Secrets of the Savanna. After more than thirty years in Africa, they returned to the United States to carry on their conservation work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 637 reviews
May 18, 2020
Oh, to be Mark and Delia and lie under the clear sky with only lions for company. That is the stuff of dreams for an animal lover. I feel privileged to have been taken by the authors to Botswana Kalahari and given a glimpse of the rare world out there, so inaccessible to most of us. So for that, thank you, Mark & Delia!
Mark and Delia (M&D henceforth) were students in the 70s US trying to think of a subject for their Ph.D thesis. Finally, they decided to go to Botswana on a pure whim. They sold off everything they owned to get money for their trip. Once they reached Botswana, they purchased some basic supplies and headed off deep into the Kalahari far away from the nearest civilisation, in a place where even bushmen hesitated to penetrate. Here, they studied the lives of the brown hyenas and Kalahari lions for seven years.
The writing was delightful and detailed. Every problem they faced and every rewarding moment was described with emotional intensity. They developed a kind of bond with the animals without intruding too much into their lives, damaging them, or taming them. I loved the way M&D held themselves off from the animals while still being so close to them that they became a part of the landscape. Life in the camp was not all about cuddly cats either. From worrying about dying of thirst to the risk of bush fires, the wild animals around them seemed to be actually the least risky of the dangers M&D faced for seven years.
One of the main dangers that the Kalahari wildlife faces is from the cattle industry. Because cattle is considered of supreme importance, is one of the biggest industries of Botswana, is run by powerful people at the helm, any danger to them is swiftly dealt with without even taking the long-term ecological problems into consideration. It is not just the Botswana government which is responsible for this, but also other countries and the EEC (at the time), which impose restrictions on the Botswana cattle industry, directly leading to actions that endanger the Kalahari wildlife. When their repeated entreaties went unheard at the local level, M&D decided to publish their findings in international journals and publicise the problem.
Another major danger posed to the wildlife is from the expected discovery of important minerals in the Kalahari. Union Carbide (the same shitty company that was responsible for the Bhopal disaster) had been allowed to prospect in the region, without any regard to the local people or the local ecosystems. African governments in general should be very careful about allowing in foreign companies for these things. Not only are their resources exploited, but also their people aren't too better off in the long run either.
M&D have since been involved in a number of conservation efforts in Africa and around the world. We need governments to sustain their efforts and for the general public to support these initiatives. But in the meanwhile, I recommend reading this beautiful book that will convince almost everyone of the beauty of wild untamed nature.
Mark and Delia (M&D henceforth) were students in the 70s US trying to think of a subject for their Ph.D thesis. Finally, they decided to go to Botswana on a pure whim. They sold off everything they owned to get money for their trip. Once they reached Botswana, they purchased some basic supplies and headed off deep into the Kalahari far away from the nearest civilisation, in a place where even bushmen hesitated to penetrate. Here, they studied the lives of the brown hyenas and Kalahari lions for seven years.
The writing was delightful and detailed. Every problem they faced and every rewarding moment was described with emotional intensity. They developed a kind of bond with the animals without intruding too much into their lives, damaging them, or taming them. I loved the way M&D held themselves off from the animals while still being so close to them that they became a part of the landscape. Life in the camp was not all about cuddly cats either. From worrying about dying of thirst to the risk of bush fires, the wild animals around them seemed to be actually the least risky of the dangers M&D faced for seven years.
One of the main dangers that the Kalahari wildlife faces is from the cattle industry. Because cattle is considered of supreme importance, is one of the biggest industries of Botswana, is run by powerful people at the helm, any danger to them is swiftly dealt with without even taking the long-term ecological problems into consideration. It is not just the Botswana government which is responsible for this, but also other countries and the EEC (at the time), which impose restrictions on the Botswana cattle industry, directly leading to actions that endanger the Kalahari wildlife. When their repeated entreaties went unheard at the local level, M&D decided to publish their findings in international journals and publicise the problem.
Another major danger posed to the wildlife is from the expected discovery of important minerals in the Kalahari. Union Carbide (the same shitty company that was responsible for the Bhopal disaster) had been allowed to prospect in the region, without any regard to the local people or the local ecosystems. African governments in general should be very careful about allowing in foreign companies for these things. Not only are their resources exploited, but also their people aren't too better off in the long run either.
M&D have since been involved in a number of conservation efforts in Africa and around the world. We need governments to sustain their efforts and for the general public to support these initiatives. But in the meanwhile, I recommend reading this beautiful book that will convince almost everyone of the beauty of wild untamed nature.
May 22, 2012
Emotional and riveting, Cry of The Kalahari is one of the most inspirational books I've encountered in my reading history. The seven year journey of Mark an Delia Owens not only represents them as zoologists and researchers, but shows their compassion and love towards the environment and the species inhabiting our world. It displays the interworking relationships between animal and man, a questioning subject that will forever be a mystery, and wedges its way into the world of beasts, trying to get a better understanding on how animals thrive to live.
Knowing that the term "wild" was degrading due to loss of habitat and environment, Mark and Delia, a married college couple make a decision to conduct a self independent research in Africa, one of the last known places with untouched wilderness. In order to start their studies, collecting enough money to fund their trip was a three year process in which the Owenses sold all of their belongings, and made their way to Southern Africa in the republic of Botswana. With little insight on where to go, they remained in the town of Gaborone for two months to scrape up even more money and eventually made their way to Maun, their village of resource throughout their seven year stay in Africa. Once there, the couple encounters the local life and recieves news of a place untouched by human hands and strikes immediate interest. The Kalahari desert, a land filled with species diversity and known for harsh weather and climte, was a haven for the young couple.
Upon their first few months there, the two of them struggled with themselves and their never ending need of supplies and money. They recieve relief from a local Englishman by the name of Bergie Berghoffer, and gives them hope of continuing with their research. With the help of grants from National Geographic as well, Mark and Delia were able to march onward for the sake of their studies. During these seven years, the Owenses develop relationships between themselves and the animals, who have never seen humans before. The primary studies of jackals, lions and the endangered brown hyena emphasizes their purpose of being in the Kalahari and provides them with a sense of serenity from the chaotic world of man. Their love for the Blue Pride (named due to the color of their eartags), a brown hyena named Star and Bones, a lion whom was near to death and they nurtured back to health with the help of a minor surgery, is an indescribable bond that can only be felt through hands on experience; a bond that is rare.
Mark and Delia faced the harsh climate and weather changes together, learning more than they imagined about how their local animals lived through such tedious events. Also, the threat of fires, drought and the ever growing agricultural business lingered in the way of their studying, leaving them more protective and caring about the environment in which they lived in for so long. Not knowing what would happen, Mark and Delia stood their ground and defended the slowly disappearing Kalahari desert, and became a voice for declinging animal species everywhere. This compelling book not only held my interest until the very last page, and even made me tear up, but it opened my veiws on how we as humans care solely on ourselves and our growing world that we do not have time to care aout the environment and what lives there. There is, thankfully, a few of us out there who do not turn away from the cries of the animals that live in this world, and for that I thank Mark and Delia Owens, for helping me realize the beauty of this world and everything it was intended to be; wild and beautiful.
Knowing that the term "wild" was degrading due to loss of habitat and environment, Mark and Delia, a married college couple make a decision to conduct a self independent research in Africa, one of the last known places with untouched wilderness. In order to start their studies, collecting enough money to fund their trip was a three year process in which the Owenses sold all of their belongings, and made their way to Southern Africa in the republic of Botswana. With little insight on where to go, they remained in the town of Gaborone for two months to scrape up even more money and eventually made their way to Maun, their village of resource throughout their seven year stay in Africa. Once there, the couple encounters the local life and recieves news of a place untouched by human hands and strikes immediate interest. The Kalahari desert, a land filled with species diversity and known for harsh weather and climte, was a haven for the young couple.
Upon their first few months there, the two of them struggled with themselves and their never ending need of supplies and money. They recieve relief from a local Englishman by the name of Bergie Berghoffer, and gives them hope of continuing with their research. With the help of grants from National Geographic as well, Mark and Delia were able to march onward for the sake of their studies. During these seven years, the Owenses develop relationships between themselves and the animals, who have never seen humans before. The primary studies of jackals, lions and the endangered brown hyena emphasizes their purpose of being in the Kalahari and provides them with a sense of serenity from the chaotic world of man. Their love for the Blue Pride (named due to the color of their eartags), a brown hyena named Star and Bones, a lion whom was near to death and they nurtured back to health with the help of a minor surgery, is an indescribable bond that can only be felt through hands on experience; a bond that is rare.
Mark and Delia faced the harsh climate and weather changes together, learning more than they imagined about how their local animals lived through such tedious events. Also, the threat of fires, drought and the ever growing agricultural business lingered in the way of their studying, leaving them more protective and caring about the environment in which they lived in for so long. Not knowing what would happen, Mark and Delia stood their ground and defended the slowly disappearing Kalahari desert, and became a voice for declinging animal species everywhere. This compelling book not only held my interest until the very last page, and even made me tear up, but it opened my veiws on how we as humans care solely on ourselves and our growing world that we do not have time to care aout the environment and what lives there. There is, thankfully, a few of us out there who do not turn away from the cries of the animals that live in this world, and for that I thank Mark and Delia Owens, for helping me realize the beauty of this world and everything it was intended to be; wild and beautiful.
July 2, 2024
Cry of the Kalahari
One of the best books on “white man in Africa”. I enjoyed it especially because a little before they began their research in Botswana, my wife and I had spent 2 years in neighboring Zambia. I taught English at Nkumbi International College, which was really a secondary school for refugee freedom fighters. The students ranged in ages from 18 or so to their 40s. My wife worked in administration.
We were newlyweds then like Mark and Delia, who were much more remote from villages, etc., than we were, but relatively speaking we were considered remote by our sponsors, the US Agency for International Development in Washington and the Africa-America Institute headquartered in the UN complex in New York City. We were also much more comfortable and well looked after than the Owenses. We were also paid handsomely. And, unlike this couple we were pretty distant from roaming predators. Elephants and smaller cats like the serval abounded as did serpents of every stripe, but all in all we were pretty safe from being a casual meal for lions or leopards, for example.
Like the Owenses we were not immune from politics and world events, however. We were near a gigantic farm block where many expatriate farmers held grants for agricultural development. Some of them were Greek who invited us to their parties and gatherings. We were also periodically visited by Zambian politicians and various Americans, curious as to what we were doing with these guerrilla fighters, most of whom had been in combat at some time or other with South African, Rhodesian, and Portuguese troops and rival African freedom fighters. A company of Chinese army engineers was encamped a few miles away. There was also an adjoining tribal village in which the Bemba chief lived who had granted the space for our campus. It was quiet except for payday. The Owenses were encamped maybe a hundred miles from their nearest village--extremely isolated.
I liked “Cry of the Kalahari” because it shows the dedicated determination by Mark and Delia to do research under wild conditions, but also their bravery when confronting the hyenas, their main subject, in addition to the lions that were very curious about what they were up to. They stuck to their objective, eventually gaining more support and readying themselves for their next target—Zambia’s elephants. They were admirable people with no other agenda than conserving wildlife…as far as we know.
One of the best books on “white man in Africa”. I enjoyed it especially because a little before they began their research in Botswana, my wife and I had spent 2 years in neighboring Zambia. I taught English at Nkumbi International College, which was really a secondary school for refugee freedom fighters. The students ranged in ages from 18 or so to their 40s. My wife worked in administration.
We were newlyweds then like Mark and Delia, who were much more remote from villages, etc., than we were, but relatively speaking we were considered remote by our sponsors, the US Agency for International Development in Washington and the Africa-America Institute headquartered in the UN complex in New York City. We were also much more comfortable and well looked after than the Owenses. We were also paid handsomely. And, unlike this couple we were pretty distant from roaming predators. Elephants and smaller cats like the serval abounded as did serpents of every stripe, but all in all we were pretty safe from being a casual meal for lions or leopards, for example.
Like the Owenses we were not immune from politics and world events, however. We were near a gigantic farm block where many expatriate farmers held grants for agricultural development. Some of them were Greek who invited us to their parties and gatherings. We were also periodically visited by Zambian politicians and various Americans, curious as to what we were doing with these guerrilla fighters, most of whom had been in combat at some time or other with South African, Rhodesian, and Portuguese troops and rival African freedom fighters. A company of Chinese army engineers was encamped a few miles away. There was also an adjoining tribal village in which the Bemba chief lived who had granted the space for our campus. It was quiet except for payday. The Owenses were encamped maybe a hundred miles from their nearest village--extremely isolated.
I liked “Cry of the Kalahari” because it shows the dedicated determination by Mark and Delia to do research under wild conditions, but also their bravery when confronting the hyenas, their main subject, in addition to the lions that were very curious about what they were up to. They stuck to their objective, eventually gaining more support and readying themselves for their next target—Zambia’s elephants. They were admirable people with no other agenda than conserving wildlife…as far as we know.
October 6, 2011
While the writing was good, tells the story of the Owenses first seven years in Africa, and conveys the passion the couple feels toward preserving wildlife there, I could not fully appreciate this book. Last year this article was published in the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/20... and it is a really damning portrait of the Owenses presence in Africa. Granted, the Kalahari book tells of their time in Botswana (1974-1981), and the article focuses on their time in Zambia (ca. 1986). What the book fails to mention but is pointed out in the article is that the Owenses got KICKED OUT of Botswana by the government for their campaign against the cattle industry there. I read the book thinking how skewed it was toward their interests and their cause; hence, not entirely accurate. It was interesting, though, to compare what they say in their book to what is reported in the article.
November 13, 2020
Hey, y'all. This is not a review --- yet. I just wanted to get your attention to tell you that I will be without internet access for awhile, beginning Thursday evening, November 12. I don't know how long it will be before I'm back online. When I come back, I will post of review of this book.
August 18, 2025
Nie lubiem ludziów jeszcze bardziej 🥺
Ale sama książka niesamowicie fascynująca
Ale sama książka niesamowicie fascynująca
October 29, 2024
Als Delia und Mark Owens 1973 ihr Zoologie-Studium abschlossen, wollten sie nicht auf Promotionsstellen warten, Themen und Finanzierung suchen, um in Afrika zu arbeiten. Sie wollten sofort in der Kalahari forschen und weitere Schritte auf später verschieben. Ihr spontaner Entschluss führt sie nach Maun/Botswana und von dort ins Deception Valley, ein fossiles Flusstal, das bis dahin unerforscht und durch kleine Gruppen der San nur zum Jagen und Sammeln durchstreift worden war. Botswana war erst 1967 unabhängig geworden. Der Versuch der Owens, einem amerikanischen Leserpublikum zu erklären, wie wasserarm, menschenleer und von der Naturschutzbehörde wenig beachtet diese Region war, wirkt anfangs ebenso naiv wie ihr spontaner Start mit minimaler Ausrüstung. Der weitere Verlauf ihrer Erinnerungen gibt jedoch in Nebensätzen zu erkennen, dass sie sich die lokalen Sitten aneignen konnten.
Ihr Vorsatz, mit einem bisher nicht erforschten Thema bei Sponsoren um Fördermittel zu werben, bringt das Paar schnell auf das Sozialleben von Löwen und Schabrackenhyänen als Forschungsgegenstand, nachdem sie erkennen, dass rudelbildende Bewohner der Kalahari sich anders verhalten als die bisher erforschten Tiere der Serengeti. (Mark wird später über das Helferverhalten von Löwen promovieren, Delia über Schabrackenhyänen.) Unter den Sponsoren wird die Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt eine besondere Rolle spielen.
Anders als Löwen waren Tiere ohne Flauschfaktor (Hyänen, Schakale, Kojoten, Wildhunde) damals wenig beachtet, wider besseres Wissen wurden sie im Gegenteil mit negativen Adjektiven etikettiert. Im Ökosystem der Kalahari ist die Balance zwischen Gras, Regenfällen, Huftieren als Beute und den Beutegreifern dieser Spezies leicht zu stören. Weichen beide Tierarten auf Wassersuche über die Grenzen der Halbwüste in bewirtschaftete Regionen aus, werden sie bejagt. Die Konflikte zwischen Forschung, Viehzucht, Tierschutz, Jagd- und Safari-Tourismus und um den Veterinärzaun, der Wildtiere von Zuchttieren trennen soll, sind bis heute ungelöst.
Wie sich die Owens über 7 Jahre hinweg unter härtesten Lebensbedingungen Schritt für Schritt Arbeitsmethoden und die dafür nötige Ausrüstung erarbeiten, liest sich sehr spannend, abwechselnd von Mark und Delia Owens erzählt. Besonders in der Beziehung der Owens zum einheimischen Assistenten Mox wird deutlich, dass Mox alles lernen kann (auch wenn er seine Heimat zuvor noch nie verlassen hatte), umgekehrt die Owens jedoch ebenso viel über das Ökosystem und seine Bewohner lernen mussten. Neben den Aha-Momenten, wenn die Owens durchschauten, wie Löwen und Schakale (jeweils untereinander) kommunizieren und gemeinschaftlich ihre Jungen aufziehen, fand ich auch das Prinzip des Knotenpunktes für Waren, Informationen und nützliche Beziehungen in Maun höchst unterhaltsam.
Bisher kannte ich nur „Das Auge des Elefanten/The Eye Of The Elephant“ (978-3596119363) der Owens und fand die Lektüre der Neuausgabe ihres Klassikers „Der Ruf der Kalahari“ sehr lohnenswert zu lesen. Empfehlenswert finde ich es für alle, die am südlichen Afrika interessiert sind, am Ökosystem Kalahari und an Verhaltensbiologie komplexer Zweckgemeinschaften bei Säugetieren.
Ihr Vorsatz, mit einem bisher nicht erforschten Thema bei Sponsoren um Fördermittel zu werben, bringt das Paar schnell auf das Sozialleben von Löwen und Schabrackenhyänen als Forschungsgegenstand, nachdem sie erkennen, dass rudelbildende Bewohner der Kalahari sich anders verhalten als die bisher erforschten Tiere der Serengeti. (Mark wird später über das Helferverhalten von Löwen promovieren, Delia über Schabrackenhyänen.) Unter den Sponsoren wird die Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt eine besondere Rolle spielen.
Anders als Löwen waren Tiere ohne Flauschfaktor (Hyänen, Schakale, Kojoten, Wildhunde) damals wenig beachtet, wider besseres Wissen wurden sie im Gegenteil mit negativen Adjektiven etikettiert. Im Ökosystem der Kalahari ist die Balance zwischen Gras, Regenfällen, Huftieren als Beute und den Beutegreifern dieser Spezies leicht zu stören. Weichen beide Tierarten auf Wassersuche über die Grenzen der Halbwüste in bewirtschaftete Regionen aus, werden sie bejagt. Die Konflikte zwischen Forschung, Viehzucht, Tierschutz, Jagd- und Safari-Tourismus und um den Veterinärzaun, der Wildtiere von Zuchttieren trennen soll, sind bis heute ungelöst.
Wie sich die Owens über 7 Jahre hinweg unter härtesten Lebensbedingungen Schritt für Schritt Arbeitsmethoden und die dafür nötige Ausrüstung erarbeiten, liest sich sehr spannend, abwechselnd von Mark und Delia Owens erzählt. Besonders in der Beziehung der Owens zum einheimischen Assistenten Mox wird deutlich, dass Mox alles lernen kann (auch wenn er seine Heimat zuvor noch nie verlassen hatte), umgekehrt die Owens jedoch ebenso viel über das Ökosystem und seine Bewohner lernen mussten. Neben den Aha-Momenten, wenn die Owens durchschauten, wie Löwen und Schakale (jeweils untereinander) kommunizieren und gemeinschaftlich ihre Jungen aufziehen, fand ich auch das Prinzip des Knotenpunktes für Waren, Informationen und nützliche Beziehungen in Maun höchst unterhaltsam.
Bisher kannte ich nur „Das Auge des Elefanten/The Eye Of The Elephant“ (978-3596119363) der Owens und fand die Lektüre der Neuausgabe ihres Klassikers „Der Ruf der Kalahari“ sehr lohnenswert zu lesen. Empfehlenswert finde ich es für alle, die am südlichen Afrika interessiert sind, am Ökosystem Kalahari und an Verhaltensbiologie komplexer Zweckgemeinschaften bei Säugetieren.
November 30, 2008
The descriptions of the untouched wildlife in the Kalahari desert are astounding. The authors, however, are dumbasses. What sort of crazy people move to the Kalahari desert, hundreds of miles from the nearest human settlement, without any equipment or experience to speak of? It is truly miraculous that they didn't die out there -- especially after reading about some of the experiences they had along the way. Nonetheless it's a good read and gave me new appreciation for both the wildlife of Africa and the amenities of my own quiet life.
January 11, 2013
Although it's an old book (1980s), I would recommend it to absolutely everyone. Mark and Delia Owens had the adventure of a lifetime, and brought world focus to the problems of African animals. I put it at exactly the same level of importance and influence as Silent Spring. And it's a much more interesting read: the Owenses had so many brushes with death, the book is like an adventure page-turner as well as a clarion call for conservation.
The Owenses have been busy since leaving the Kalahari in 1981. Their bio sketch tells the story:
http://www.owens-foundation.org/docs/...
The Owenses have been busy since leaving the Kalahari in 1981. Their bio sketch tells the story:
http://www.owens-foundation.org/docs/...
March 26, 2023
This book was an instant classic about the wilds of Africa in my humble opinion. It is the true story of Mark and Delia Owens who explored the foreboding Kalahari desert and studied the wildlife there. It is a story about how they survived and how the wildlife is adapted to live in these harsh conditions too. A must read for anyone interested in wildlife and conservation.
July 24, 2020
In Cry of the Kalahari, Mark and Delia Owens recount seven years of studying the Botswana wildlife, particularly lions and brown hyenas.
I'm glad they wrote about the experience in such detail, as it wasn't just the bliss of watching the lions sunbathing. The hardships of their living were unbelievable. Just securing the funding was a painstaking process, and then there was the day-to-day hard work and research to be done. These two survived so much, I'm honestly surprised they lived to tell the tale.
Originally published in 1984, it was meant to be a wake-up call. It still is, I believe, as the problems of wildlife conservantion abound, whether they're different or not. I did not check how the situation has changed in all these years, and I wish there was an update provided in the new edition, but it's not a huge issue.
While I wasn't able to devour the book in one or two sittings, it was a solid read that I'd recommend to anyone interested in wildlife conservation and the behavior of the Kalahari lions. Cry of the Kalahari remains a classic, and rightly so.
I'm glad they wrote about the experience in such detail, as it wasn't just the bliss of watching the lions sunbathing. The hardships of their living were unbelievable. Just securing the funding was a painstaking process, and then there was the day-to-day hard work and research to be done. These two survived so much, I'm honestly surprised they lived to tell the tale.
Originally published in 1984, it was meant to be a wake-up call. It still is, I believe, as the problems of wildlife conservantion abound, whether they're different or not. I did not check how the situation has changed in all these years, and I wish there was an update provided in the new edition, but it's not a huge issue.
While I wasn't able to devour the book in one or two sittings, it was a solid read that I'd recommend to anyone interested in wildlife conservation and the behavior of the Kalahari lions. Cry of the Kalahari remains a classic, and rightly so.
January 2, 2023
Zabrakło mi ludzi w tej książce - ich emocji, przemyśleń, zmiany pod wpływem natury.
May 8, 2022
Ever since I was a child I have loved the natural world. I was fascinated by all the documentary series that were aired on British TV. A love that has carried on into adulthood. So having just watched a documentary called Into The Okavango I went to my local bookstore in search of more about this amazing place. Well as it turns out they were somewhat light on books about the subject but what they did have was a slightly neglected copy of Cry of The Kalahari. Not having ever heard of it I skimmed through the inside of the dust jacket. It imminently sounds like just the sort of book to keep me glued to the pages for a good many hours. How could I not resist reading about some of the animals I had spent so long lovingly watching on the TV for so many years. I was also curious to hear about their study of Hyenas. They strike me as an animal that is much misunderstood by the human world. I suspect in part due to how they look? I have only seen them once up close and as much as I would love to say it was a magical experience seeing them running in circles around a concrete enclosure left me feeling heartbroken for a group of animals that should be free to roam the wilds. Not contained for humans to stare at for entertainment.
Setting off on their adventure I must admit they seemed very naive about the whole thing. The thought now of just packing up a few things add heading off to another country with little planning and preparation seems like a fool's errand. But this they did and to their credit, they managed to make it work for the longest time. They collected data that to the best of my knowledge at the time did not exist on these amazing animals. I was fascinated by how their work evolved over time. With the passing of the season and their interaction with each of the local prides, it swayed the focus as new information came to light. It captivated me to be able to read about this process as it unfurled. More often than not we get to see the end results with little time devoted to how they got there. For me, in such works, the process is just as important as the shinny results edited for the nine-a-clock news.
Whilst the animals that are contained within these pages are no doubt long since dead I got to feel like I knew them a little. What made them tick and their drive to keep the bloodlines alive. With this comes an uncompromising work that never flinches away from the harsh realities of the natural world. Maybe too many animated tales on the big screen have sugarcoated the world for us. But within these pages, there is no such luck as much as we want all of them to survive nature is indifferent. With that said this book and their research would not be what it is had they chosen to show an edited version of the world. We rely on such work to educate us on what came before and to help us better understand the world we live in. The Owens by no means did everything right and at times I felt myself strongly disagree with certain actions they took. When it comes to how we gather data on wild animals times have moved on and systems are in place for how to do such activities. It is just worth remembering that in the seventies when all this took place. Nature conservation was in its infancy. And how animals were observed seems to have been the dealers' choice.
There are many wonderful stories to be found here from waking up to lions in their camp to Heynas becoming fairly nonplus about the Owen's being around them. And I loved delving into each of them seeing how in many ways these beautiful animals are not all that different from us. The work they did with the Heynas was especially reverting for me and I can safely say that I came away with a much great understanding of how they exist in the world. And a thurst to go and discover more about them. It is far too easy whilst reading this to feel the heat of the African sun on your back and the dust between your fingers. But usually, within a few pages, we are reminded of the reality of surviving miles away from nowhere. Personally, as much as the thought of doing what they did fascinates me I know I'm not built for such a place and would have run from the heat long before they did.
This was a book that totally took me in from the start and refused to let me go. I loved reading about the animals and places. Only made more vivid by the scattering of photos taken by the couple during their time in the Kalahari. These deep rich colors swirling around inside my head made the experience all the more enjoyable. It is a book that I could not only talk about for a great many hours but would also be happy to recommend to many others.
Setting off on their adventure I must admit they seemed very naive about the whole thing. The thought now of just packing up a few things add heading off to another country with little planning and preparation seems like a fool's errand. But this they did and to their credit, they managed to make it work for the longest time. They collected data that to the best of my knowledge at the time did not exist on these amazing animals. I was fascinated by how their work evolved over time. With the passing of the season and their interaction with each of the local prides, it swayed the focus as new information came to light. It captivated me to be able to read about this process as it unfurled. More often than not we get to see the end results with little time devoted to how they got there. For me, in such works, the process is just as important as the shinny results edited for the nine-a-clock news.
Whilst the animals that are contained within these pages are no doubt long since dead I got to feel like I knew them a little. What made them tick and their drive to keep the bloodlines alive. With this comes an uncompromising work that never flinches away from the harsh realities of the natural world. Maybe too many animated tales on the big screen have sugarcoated the world for us. But within these pages, there is no such luck as much as we want all of them to survive nature is indifferent. With that said this book and their research would not be what it is had they chosen to show an edited version of the world. We rely on such work to educate us on what came before and to help us better understand the world we live in. The Owens by no means did everything right and at times I felt myself strongly disagree with certain actions they took. When it comes to how we gather data on wild animals times have moved on and systems are in place for how to do such activities. It is just worth remembering that in the seventies when all this took place. Nature conservation was in its infancy. And how animals were observed seems to have been the dealers' choice.
There are many wonderful stories to be found here from waking up to lions in their camp to Heynas becoming fairly nonplus about the Owen's being around them. And I loved delving into each of them seeing how in many ways these beautiful animals are not all that different from us. The work they did with the Heynas was especially reverting for me and I can safely say that I came away with a much great understanding of how they exist in the world. And a thurst to go and discover more about them. It is far too easy whilst reading this to feel the heat of the African sun on your back and the dust between your fingers. But usually, within a few pages, we are reminded of the reality of surviving miles away from nowhere. Personally, as much as the thought of doing what they did fascinates me I know I'm not built for such a place and would have run from the heat long before they did.
This was a book that totally took me in from the start and refused to let me go. I loved reading about the animals and places. Only made more vivid by the scattering of photos taken by the couple during their time in the Kalahari. These deep rich colors swirling around inside my head made the experience all the more enjoyable. It is a book that I could not only talk about for a great many hours but would also be happy to recommend to many others.
March 11, 2023
2/5 ⭐
Znacznie gorsza niż się spodziewałam :( musiałam wręcz się zmuszać, by do niej wracać. Jest to sucha, pusta wręcz relacja z badań w Kalahari. I wszystko okej, rozumiem, że założeniem było właśnie opisanie życia zwierząt. Zabrakło mi natomiast tutaj jakichkolwiek emocji. W końcu Owensowie mocno się zmienili odkąd przybyli do Afryki. Chciałabym widzieć opis tego, jak ich doświadczenia na nich wpłynęły. Jeśli ktos kocha naturę i Afrykę, to z pewnością śledząc życie hien i lwów będą momenty ciekawe (ja tak miałam). Natomiast to tylko momenty. Dodatkowo samo zakończenie było bardzo pospieszone :(
Znacznie gorsza niż się spodziewałam :( musiałam wręcz się zmuszać, by do niej wracać. Jest to sucha, pusta wręcz relacja z badań w Kalahari. I wszystko okej, rozumiem, że założeniem było właśnie opisanie życia zwierząt. Zabrakło mi natomiast tutaj jakichkolwiek emocji. W końcu Owensowie mocno się zmienili odkąd przybyli do Afryki. Chciałabym widzieć opis tego, jak ich doświadczenia na nich wpłynęły. Jeśli ktos kocha naturę i Afrykę, to z pewnością śledząc życie hien i lwów będą momenty ciekawe (ja tak miałam). Natomiast to tylko momenty. Dodatkowo samo zakończenie było bardzo pospieszone :(
December 22, 2025
The wildest thing about this book is that they did not die. They did so many stupid things, and felt such an entitlement to a wilderness which had nothing to do with them. The writing is beautiful and it is an interesting (although very narrow) perspective on conservation, but this book leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
For me nothing sums this up better than them naming all of these wild carnivores "Taco, Muffin, Star, Spicy".
For me nothing sums this up better than them naming all of these wild carnivores "Taco, Muffin, Star, Spicy".
October 13, 2021
‘The sky deepened. I lay back in the straw-colored grass, and pressing my fingers into the rough surface of the riverbed, as I had so many times before, I wondered how long the Kalahari would belong to the wild.’
Having lived and worked in Africa, I am always eager to read stories from that conflicted continent. ‘Cry of the Kalahari’, originally published in 1984, is being reissued with full colour photos for the first time and I highly recommend it. It was a wake up call almost forty years ago and, sadly, would appear to remain seemingly relevant today.
Mark and Delia Owens devoted much of their life to conservation. This book details their first seven years of studying the Botswana wildlife, particularly lions and brown hyenas. Here you will read about what would have been the adventure of a lifetime, especially given the situation in the early 80s, namely the lack of communication. The hardships they endured on a daily basis seem so unreal but this is very much a factual account. To balance it out however, they bring such joy to what they did and through the sharing of their immersive lifestyle of living in such remoteness, we can learn and feel so much.
‘We had to remind ourselves that they were wild lions. What we felt at such times could not be expressed with any one of the usual emotional terms. It was an amalgam, really, of several emotions: excitement, gratitude, warmth, companionship.’
It would be remiss of me not to draw attention to the proverbial elephant in this review - Delia Owens of Where The Crawdads Sing fame. Having read that novel, having read this current book and having been inspired to read more about the work of Delia and Mark Owens, I have to admit to being intrigued by the seeming correlations of Delia’s experiences adapted to her fictional sensation of Where The Crawdads Sing. Fascinating to consider.
This is truly an inspiring read of a young couple dedicating seven years of their life to studying the wildlife of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Tenacious, brave and seemingly fearless, they pushed on through many hardships in an effort to understand and preserve a very special part of our world. A must read for anyone interested in wildlife and conservation.
‘It’s difficult to describe the excitement and joy we felt. We had found our Eden. Yet we were very anxious not to disturb the intricate patterns of life that were going on around us. Here was a place where creatures did not know of man’s crimes against nature. Perhaps, if we were sensitive enough to the freedom of these animals, we could slip unnoticed into this ancient river valley and carefully study its treasures without damaging it. We were determined to protect one of the last untouched corners of earth from ourselves.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
Having lived and worked in Africa, I am always eager to read stories from that conflicted continent. ‘Cry of the Kalahari’, originally published in 1984, is being reissued with full colour photos for the first time and I highly recommend it. It was a wake up call almost forty years ago and, sadly, would appear to remain seemingly relevant today.
Mark and Delia Owens devoted much of their life to conservation. This book details their first seven years of studying the Botswana wildlife, particularly lions and brown hyenas. Here you will read about what would have been the adventure of a lifetime, especially given the situation in the early 80s, namely the lack of communication. The hardships they endured on a daily basis seem so unreal but this is very much a factual account. To balance it out however, they bring such joy to what they did and through the sharing of their immersive lifestyle of living in such remoteness, we can learn and feel so much.
‘We had to remind ourselves that they were wild lions. What we felt at such times could not be expressed with any one of the usual emotional terms. It was an amalgam, really, of several emotions: excitement, gratitude, warmth, companionship.’
It would be remiss of me not to draw attention to the proverbial elephant in this review - Delia Owens of Where The Crawdads Sing fame. Having read that novel, having read this current book and having been inspired to read more about the work of Delia and Mark Owens, I have to admit to being intrigued by the seeming correlations of Delia’s experiences adapted to her fictional sensation of Where The Crawdads Sing. Fascinating to consider.
This is truly an inspiring read of a young couple dedicating seven years of their life to studying the wildlife of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Tenacious, brave and seemingly fearless, they pushed on through many hardships in an effort to understand and preserve a very special part of our world. A must read for anyone interested in wildlife and conservation.
‘It’s difficult to describe the excitement and joy we felt. We had found our Eden. Yet we were very anxious not to disturb the intricate patterns of life that were going on around us. Here was a place where creatures did not know of man’s crimes against nature. Perhaps, if we were sensitive enough to the freedom of these animals, we could slip unnoticed into this ancient river valley and carefully study its treasures without damaging it. We were determined to protect one of the last untouched corners of earth from ourselves.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
May 10, 2023
4,5⭐️ całkiem przyjemne w klimatach National Geographic😊
August 23, 2024
I was born and raised in Botswana, and have visited many of the places described in this book. I have a great love for the wild, open plains of the great Kalahari that are described so beautifully in this book, and it is with a heavy heart that I can relate to many of the conservation ideas prescribed by the authors in the 70's because today, in 2019 the Kalahari is slowly fading away. The vast number of wildebeest described in the book are no more; the fences that were said to interfere with migrations have done just that. The mining sector too has taken it's share of the Kalahari, following the surveys carried out when the authors still occupied their camp on Deception valley.
It still is beautiful, but reading this book makes one wish they existed at times long gone - exactly what a good book should do.
It still is beautiful, but reading this book makes one wish they existed at times long gone - exactly what a good book should do.
January 15, 2018
Quattro stelle le posso dare. Non cinque perchè a tratti è un pò noiosetto ma non è pure il mio genere di libro. L'ho letto perchè l'ho trovato tra i libri di mia madre e ho pensato fosse interessante da leggere. Naturalmente se adorate questo tipo di libro ve lo consiglio. Altrimenti no. Però mi sono fatta una cultura anche.
November 20, 2023
Piękna książka o surowej Kalahari. Dająca do myślenia, wspaniale oddająca dzikość natury i zaangażowanie Owensów w ochronę istniejącej tam przyrody. Wiele razy wzruszała, jeszcze więcej zachwycała. W trakcie lektury odczuwało się, że autorzy, to nie bajkopisarze, tylko prawdziwi naukowcy i dlatego jest tak cudownie autentyczna. Polecam dla każdego miłośnika przyrody.
April 13, 2016
(See our Further Reading section at the bottom of the review for more books like this!)
Cry of the Kalahari by wildlife researchers Mark James Owens and Cordelia Dykes Owens (Delia Owens) goes into great detail about animal behavior and living in the wilderness in a way that will capture the imaginations of casual readers and veteran wildlife watchers alike. It encompasses in vivid detail the wilderness of Deception Valley, their home for seven years, as well as the small rural town of Maun, roughly one hundred miles away, which has since grown to be the fifth largest town in Botswana. A large part of Cry of the Kalahari relates to the tedium of setting up an in-situ research station in the middle of preserved wilderness while balancing the Owenses' own needs for basic supplies and shelter. The other significant portion of the book is about carrying out research and observing wildlife in their natural habitat. While some people would not find either of these topics alone to be very interesting, the way that these two experiences are woven together into a comprehensive view of "Africa's last great wilderness" is both impressive and creates a narrative that is easy and enjoyable to read.
The authors also go into detail about their difficulties in finding a research location and place to live, which they did illegally. It's bold of them to have written this (albeit after the fact), but readers should know that this type of behavior is not characteristic of conservationists as a whole and that the legal red tape that the Owenses circumvented is exactly the sort of thing that prohibits successful conservation efforts all over the world. Overall it is disappointing to see that part of the Owenses' success was not due to changing the laws that were a barrier to their conservation efforts, but by thwarting the system without attempting to change it themselves and future conservationists.
It would have been nice to see more explanations of current events in Southern Africa during that time as a point of comparison for readers not familiar with 1970s southern Africa. However Cry of the Kalahari does an excellent job of emphasizing how information-starved the Owenses were in the raw remoteness of their research base. Adding background or even a short history of Botswana's people and parks might have added some depth to the book, but also taken away from the unique qualities of the memoir.
Great photos from the Owens' time in the Kalahari accompany the book. One section is black-and-white and focuses more on the Owens' early research topics as well as showing what the make-shift camp looked like and some of their animal visitors over the years. The second section are wonderful color photos giving life to the terrain, wildlife, and wildlife behaviors that fascinated the Owens' for seven years. Among the more interesting photos are those capturing the research subjects incapacitated as they are tagged, given medical help, or simply moved to a more comfortable position while they recover; photos of various carnivores with their prey; and one which shows springboks "pronking," a behavior that might be a type of "honest signal" designed to show off to predators how hard the antelope would be to catch and to look elsewhere for an easy meal.
The book concludes with an epilogue, but doesn't go into detail about what the Owens' were involved in after leaving Botswana's Kalahari. For that, readers will want to follow up with The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness which picks up in the Kalahari of Botswana and shifts over to the couple's time in North Luangwa Valley, Zambia.
Cry of the Kalahari also has three appendixes pertaining to suggested conservation measures for migratory ungulates (largely wildebeest), lions, and the brown hyena which were the Owenses' primary research topic. While this section may not seem of interest to casual readers, it provides a brief and insightful glimpse of the reports written by NGOs and governmental organizations concerned by a multitude of national security concerns including: environmental health, park and wildlife tourism revenue, resource security, and quality of life improvements for humans in rural regions.
Other Books by the Authors:
Mark and Delia Owens have co-written two other books that are highly recommended. The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness picks up after Cry of the Kalahari when they journey to Zambia and Secrets of the Savanna: Twenty-three Years in the African Wilderness Unraveling the Mysteries of Elephants and People contributes further details about the couples' experiences in Zambia with a focus on the human element of conservation.
Further Reading:
Those interested in some lighter reading relating to living in the wild and wildlife behavior would be wise to look up Kobie Krüger's The Wilderness Family , a warm and vibrant depiction of the reality of the South African Lowveld as experienced by her game warden husband and their family living inside the world famous Kruger National Park in South Africa. The Wilderness Family combines the same sense of freedom in the wild as well as anecdotes about coexisting with wildlife and animal behavior as Cry of the Kalahari and in an even more readable format.
Readers who enjoy reading about wildlife behavior and conservationists in Africa may also be interested in Gareth Patterson's continuing work in Africa. Patterson has written several books including To Walk with Lions , Last of the Free , and My Lion's Heart: A Life for the Lions of Africa , which detail lion instincts, behavior, and the challenges involved in raising lions and what considerations must be made before lions can be considered for release back into the wild.
Cry of the Kalahari by wildlife researchers Mark James Owens and Cordelia Dykes Owens (Delia Owens) goes into great detail about animal behavior and living in the wilderness in a way that will capture the imaginations of casual readers and veteran wildlife watchers alike. It encompasses in vivid detail the wilderness of Deception Valley, their home for seven years, as well as the small rural town of Maun, roughly one hundred miles away, which has since grown to be the fifth largest town in Botswana. A large part of Cry of the Kalahari relates to the tedium of setting up an in-situ research station in the middle of preserved wilderness while balancing the Owenses' own needs for basic supplies and shelter. The other significant portion of the book is about carrying out research and observing wildlife in their natural habitat. While some people would not find either of these topics alone to be very interesting, the way that these two experiences are woven together into a comprehensive view of "Africa's last great wilderness" is both impressive and creates a narrative that is easy and enjoyable to read.
The authors also go into detail about their difficulties in finding a research location and place to live, which they did illegally. It's bold of them to have written this (albeit after the fact), but readers should know that this type of behavior is not characteristic of conservationists as a whole and that the legal red tape that the Owenses circumvented is exactly the sort of thing that prohibits successful conservation efforts all over the world. Overall it is disappointing to see that part of the Owenses' success was not due to changing the laws that were a barrier to their conservation efforts, but by thwarting the system without attempting to change it themselves and future conservationists.
It would have been nice to see more explanations of current events in Southern Africa during that time as a point of comparison for readers not familiar with 1970s southern Africa. However Cry of the Kalahari does an excellent job of emphasizing how information-starved the Owenses were in the raw remoteness of their research base. Adding background or even a short history of Botswana's people and parks might have added some depth to the book, but also taken away from the unique qualities of the memoir.
Great photos from the Owens' time in the Kalahari accompany the book. One section is black-and-white and focuses more on the Owens' early research topics as well as showing what the make-shift camp looked like and some of their animal visitors over the years. The second section are wonderful color photos giving life to the terrain, wildlife, and wildlife behaviors that fascinated the Owens' for seven years. Among the more interesting photos are those capturing the research subjects incapacitated as they are tagged, given medical help, or simply moved to a more comfortable position while they recover; photos of various carnivores with their prey; and one which shows springboks "pronking," a behavior that might be a type of "honest signal" designed to show off to predators how hard the antelope would be to catch and to look elsewhere for an easy meal.
The book concludes with an epilogue, but doesn't go into detail about what the Owens' were involved in after leaving Botswana's Kalahari. For that, readers will want to follow up with The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness which picks up in the Kalahari of Botswana and shifts over to the couple's time in North Luangwa Valley, Zambia.
Cry of the Kalahari also has three appendixes pertaining to suggested conservation measures for migratory ungulates (largely wildebeest), lions, and the brown hyena which were the Owenses' primary research topic. While this section may not seem of interest to casual readers, it provides a brief and insightful glimpse of the reports written by NGOs and governmental organizations concerned by a multitude of national security concerns including: environmental health, park and wildlife tourism revenue, resource security, and quality of life improvements for humans in rural regions.
Other Books by the Authors:
Mark and Delia Owens have co-written two other books that are highly recommended. The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness picks up after Cry of the Kalahari when they journey to Zambia and Secrets of the Savanna: Twenty-three Years in the African Wilderness Unraveling the Mysteries of Elephants and People contributes further details about the couples' experiences in Zambia with a focus on the human element of conservation.
Further Reading:
Those interested in some lighter reading relating to living in the wild and wildlife behavior would be wise to look up Kobie Krüger's The Wilderness Family , a warm and vibrant depiction of the reality of the South African Lowveld as experienced by her game warden husband and their family living inside the world famous Kruger National Park in South Africa. The Wilderness Family combines the same sense of freedom in the wild as well as anecdotes about coexisting with wildlife and animal behavior as Cry of the Kalahari and in an even more readable format.
Readers who enjoy reading about wildlife behavior and conservationists in Africa may also be interested in Gareth Patterson's continuing work in Africa. Patterson has written several books including To Walk with Lions , Last of the Free , and My Lion's Heart: A Life for the Lions of Africa , which detail lion instincts, behavior, and the challenges involved in raising lions and what considerations must be made before lions can be considered for release back into the wild.
August 26, 2023
Une épopée humaine formidable, des descriptions de la faune merveilleuses. On se croirait en train de partager des moments privilégiés avec les lions, les hyènes, les chacals, les oiseaux, les rongeurs, les antilopes.... Un très beau moment de lecture.
March 29, 2023
One day I’ll stop glamourising toxic 1970’s counterculture couples, but today isn’t that day.
I’m eternally thankful for ecologists and zoologists and anyone who chose studying and protecting wildlife as their life’s work.
Delia and Mark Owens published this autobiographical book in 1984. It’s about their experience living in the Botswana Kalahari desert studying wildlife (mainly on lions, brown hyenas and jackals) for 7 years.
The Owens’ met on campus studying ecology and convinced each other to move to Africa to study wildlife with almost no money, no local knowledge and no survival w. They were absolutely stupid to do that and it’s a miracle that neither one of them died, but it worked out well.
The book is not meant to be a scientific read, it’s more like a documentary that you read; you read about the drama among prides of lions and their love affairs. Who’s sleeping with whom and who’s fighting with whom in among the jackals and hyenas and how these animals are behaving and adapting to changes in their environment and circumstances (for seven years). And of course, they name every animal so it’s easy to follow.
The book was amazing and wholesome to read. The Owens’ start every chapter with a poem or a quote and they alternate POV’s. They also write about their own trials and tribulations, the people they meet there and the politics of that part of Africa, and of course, their Land Rover which was the third main character in this book.
Here is where I feel like they served white saviour. First, they move to Africa for a noble but not entirely altruistic purpose but they have no local knowledge or seek to include any locals in their team. It feels like they’re entitled to this experience. Mark Owens writes in passing about the Rhodesia’s (now Zimbabwe) independence struggle but refers to them as terrorists. It’s true they targeted innocent colonials but what were the innocent colonials doing syphoning wealth out of their land in the first place. Not to mention the irony considering Mark Owens is an actual terrorist who actually started a militia that targeted African poachers. So it’s a complicated issue but the Owens’ have the luxury of not being political at all and not discussing any of this nuance.
Their political cause was that they were against cattle fences as those disrupted critical migration patterns, and they had a disruptive effect on the hunting grounds of local apex predators. So they campaigned persistently throughout the years to do away with them, despite the fact that the fences serve as a way to curb the spread of foot and mouth disease, and we’re insisted on by importing countries. It was a sensitive subject because Botswana’s economy at the time depended heavily on exports.
At the end of the book Mark and Delia append it with a lot of great and specific recommendations about preserving wildlife. Like using newer vaccines and expanding the nature reserve area, but the most prescient one was insisting on Botswana developing an upmarket and sustainable hunting and safari tourism economy that would actually help transition away from cattle economy and help with preservation efforts. This ended up being very true. Today Botswana is known to be THE destination for sustainable and wildlife friendly safari tourism. It is absolutely the most expensive in Africa but the most legitimate. The money tourists spend in Botswana directly goes into saving wildlife.
Eventually their campaigning against the cattle industry annoys the government and they get asked to leave, and they go back home and write this book and get PhD’s. This book doesn’t cover past Botswana, but the second chapter of their Africa life is that they go back to Zambia this time, get eco-radicalised and start a militia manned by the Owens’ and locals that terrorises rhino poachers and that becomes scandalous when they kill someone.
I’m eternally thankful for ecologists and zoologists and anyone who chose studying and protecting wildlife as their life’s work.
Delia and Mark Owens published this autobiographical book in 1984. It’s about their experience living in the Botswana Kalahari desert studying wildlife (mainly on lions, brown hyenas and jackals) for 7 years.
The Owens’ met on campus studying ecology and convinced each other to move to Africa to study wildlife with almost no money, no local knowledge and no survival w. They were absolutely stupid to do that and it’s a miracle that neither one of them died, but it worked out well.
The book is not meant to be a scientific read, it’s more like a documentary that you read; you read about the drama among prides of lions and their love affairs. Who’s sleeping with whom and who’s fighting with whom in among the jackals and hyenas and how these animals are behaving and adapting to changes in their environment and circumstances (for seven years). And of course, they name every animal so it’s easy to follow.
The book was amazing and wholesome to read. The Owens’ start every chapter with a poem or a quote and they alternate POV’s. They also write about their own trials and tribulations, the people they meet there and the politics of that part of Africa, and of course, their Land Rover which was the third main character in this book.
Here is where I feel like they served white saviour. First, they move to Africa for a noble but not entirely altruistic purpose but they have no local knowledge or seek to include any locals in their team. It feels like they’re entitled to this experience. Mark Owens writes in passing about the Rhodesia’s (now Zimbabwe) independence struggle but refers to them as terrorists. It’s true they targeted innocent colonials but what were the innocent colonials doing syphoning wealth out of their land in the first place. Not to mention the irony considering Mark Owens is an actual terrorist who actually started a militia that targeted African poachers. So it’s a complicated issue but the Owens’ have the luxury of not being political at all and not discussing any of this nuance.
Their political cause was that they were against cattle fences as those disrupted critical migration patterns, and they had a disruptive effect on the hunting grounds of local apex predators. So they campaigned persistently throughout the years to do away with them, despite the fact that the fences serve as a way to curb the spread of foot and mouth disease, and we’re insisted on by importing countries. It was a sensitive subject because Botswana’s economy at the time depended heavily on exports.
At the end of the book Mark and Delia append it with a lot of great and specific recommendations about preserving wildlife. Like using newer vaccines and expanding the nature reserve area, but the most prescient one was insisting on Botswana developing an upmarket and sustainable hunting and safari tourism economy that would actually help transition away from cattle economy and help with preservation efforts. This ended up being very true. Today Botswana is known to be THE destination for sustainable and wildlife friendly safari tourism. It is absolutely the most expensive in Africa but the most legitimate. The money tourists spend in Botswana directly goes into saving wildlife.
Eventually their campaigning against the cattle industry annoys the government and they get asked to leave, and they go back home and write this book and get PhD’s. This book doesn’t cover past Botswana, but the second chapter of their Africa life is that they go back to Zambia this time, get eco-radicalised and start a militia manned by the Owens’ and locals that terrorises rhino poachers and that becomes scandalous when they kill someone.
August 28, 2019
This book is a happy thing for me. I first read this book 20+ years ago and loved it. I went on to read their "Elephant book" as well. Will (now 13) is really into non-fiction books and I went on something of a "quest" to figure out the name of the book so he could read it. I couldn't remember the name or title or authors or anything and I was doing random Google searches for "couple lives with lions in Kalahari desert" and things like that. No luck.
Enter: Where The Crawdads Sing (yes, I loved it like everyone else). I am reading a review of it one day - several months after I've finished the book and the review mentions that although Crawdads is Delia Owens first NOVEL, it's not actually her first book ..... then the review goes on to explain about how she and her husband Mark lived in Africa .... LIGHTBULB MOMENT.
I immediately Google "Delia Owens books" and Voila! "Cry of the Kalahari". Now not only has Will (also) read it, it's in his backpack to bring to school for a girl in his English class.
I loved loved loved this book, this couple, this story. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
Enter: Where The Crawdads Sing (yes, I loved it like everyone else). I am reading a review of it one day - several months after I've finished the book and the review mentions that although Crawdads is Delia Owens first NOVEL, it's not actually her first book ..... then the review goes on to explain about how she and her husband Mark lived in Africa .... LIGHTBULB MOMENT.
I immediately Google "Delia Owens books" and Voila! "Cry of the Kalahari". Now not only has Will (also) read it, it's in his backpack to bring to school for a girl in his English class.
I loved loved loved this book, this couple, this story. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
September 4, 2024
A story about how the drive of some people can help them overcome any obstacles... with the majority of the obstacles having been created due to their own poor planning. The book swerved between the description of the couple's life on Kalahari and the observations about hyenas and lions they were watching. While I understand that the whole research they've conducted was published separately, I think this book would benefit with the reader knowing a bit more about what they were trying to research and how, instead of getting random snippets.
I can't say the story was boring, but for some reason it failed to grip me and I found myself tuning off while listening to the audiobook. Also, I'm quite sure that some instances of black humour were unintended and that I'm a terrible person for laughing at those moments. Learning a bit more about the customs of various animals was interesting as well, but here, sadly, I must say that David Attenborough does it better.
I can't say the story was boring, but for some reason it failed to grip me and I found myself tuning off while listening to the audiobook. Also, I'm quite sure that some instances of black humour were unintended and that I'm a terrible person for laughing at those moments. Learning a bit more about the customs of various animals was interesting as well, but here, sadly, I must say that David Attenborough does it better.
March 29, 2022
'Cry of the Kalahari' is a beautiful narration of the lives of Mark and Delia Owens in the wilderness of the Kalahari desert, for over seven years in the 1970s-80s amidst the prides of lions and the packs of brown hyenas. The core message of the book is the need for conservation of wildlife and natural resources that are getting plundered due to human intervention, especially the large scale cattle farming in forest lands.
September 19, 2020
An inspiring read by a young couple who devoted seven years to the study of lions and hyenas in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Their bravery, fearlessness, and tenacity in facing everything that nature (and man) throws at them is admirable and their contribution to the understanding of those species invaluable to their preservation. Side note: Delia Owens is also author of a novel I read recently and thoroughly enjoyed, “Where the Crawdads Sing.”
September 16, 2025
It’s was pretty interesting, but so frustrating to read. The couple in the book made the dumbest decisions time after time for years. And many of those decisions they narrowly avoided mortal consequences.
It was driving me crazy everytime they did something stupid and described how lucky they got to survive.
It was driving me crazy everytime they did something stupid and described how lucky they got to survive.
July 22, 2021
Only when we pause to wonder do we go beyond the limits of our little lives. —Rod McKuen”
― Mark Owens, Cry of the Kalahari
This I realized to be true: there are people in our world that are doing significant and brave things - at every minute - of every day.
This story will have you questioning, are you following your true calling? Are you doing enough?
This story will cause you to appreciate the little things.
This story will likely reignite in you a sense of wonderment in the animal world. You may look at your pets with a more intense sense of scrutiny. You may find yourself, much as I have, wondering more about how they interact with each other and their “humans”. This story will open your eyes to your own microcosm.
If you have a pulse, the plight of the animals of the Kalahari Desert should touch you. I am well aware there are several sides to this story. Only, we must recognize that protections have to be in place for these animals. We need to all be a part of this conversation. Trust that there will always be those well in trenched on the side of greed over conservation. There must be a balance. Awareness by us all, and a call to action to speak for these animals, who cannot speak for themselves, must be a part of that conversation. I fear what will happen if we don’t all take some level of responsibility.
This story will get in your head and not come out until it is completely done. It is a journey. It is magnificent. What I am most grateful for are these two people took this journey, then us along, through this book. What a thrill to know this all exists in this vast wide world and the lessons we can learn from this acknowledgment.
Your world will grow, in degrees. This is what is meant by:
In books I have traveled, not only to other worlds, but into my own.”
― Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life
I recommend this book for all those who travel in the written word. We should all read books that immerse us into the animal kingdom. Challenge us to look beyond our own backyards. Books that reignite our sense of wonderment. To me, this keeps me in a state if awe. It keeps alive that childlike sense of curiosity. It gets us out of our heads and into the life and death happenings of other beings. You will be more for this journey.
The audio book that I read has two excellent narrators.
^ Of Note: Delia Owens is also the author of the very popular fiction novel Where the Crawdads Sing.
― Mark Owens, Cry of the Kalahari
This I realized to be true: there are people in our world that are doing significant and brave things - at every minute - of every day.
This story will have you questioning, are you following your true calling? Are you doing enough?
This story will cause you to appreciate the little things.
This story will likely reignite in you a sense of wonderment in the animal world. You may look at your pets with a more intense sense of scrutiny. You may find yourself, much as I have, wondering more about how they interact with each other and their “humans”. This story will open your eyes to your own microcosm.
If you have a pulse, the plight of the animals of the Kalahari Desert should touch you. I am well aware there are several sides to this story. Only, we must recognize that protections have to be in place for these animals. We need to all be a part of this conversation. Trust that there will always be those well in trenched on the side of greed over conservation. There must be a balance. Awareness by us all, and a call to action to speak for these animals, who cannot speak for themselves, must be a part of that conversation. I fear what will happen if we don’t all take some level of responsibility.
This story will get in your head and not come out until it is completely done. It is a journey. It is magnificent. What I am most grateful for are these two people took this journey, then us along, through this book. What a thrill to know this all exists in this vast wide world and the lessons we can learn from this acknowledgment.
Your world will grow, in degrees. This is what is meant by:
In books I have traveled, not only to other worlds, but into my own.”
― Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life
I recommend this book for all those who travel in the written word. We should all read books that immerse us into the animal kingdom. Challenge us to look beyond our own backyards. Books that reignite our sense of wonderment. To me, this keeps me in a state if awe. It keeps alive that childlike sense of curiosity. It gets us out of our heads and into the life and death happenings of other beings. You will be more for this journey.
The audio book that I read has two excellent narrators.
^ Of Note: Delia Owens is also the author of the very popular fiction novel Where the Crawdads Sing.
March 11, 2023
I picked up this book for two reasons. I really-really loved the book Delia Owens wrote “Where the crawdads sing” so I wanted to get to know her a little bit and the other reason is ofcourse the animals. 463 pages filled with love, passion and eagerness to help the Kalahari wilderness. I get really emotional regarding anything to do with animals (that’s why we don’t watch many documentaries at home, can’t bear to look at the deaths all over the world) and it was really hard to read some of the pages in here. Even though the book is quite old (they started the research in 1973 and the book was published in 1984) I didn’t know that these problems excited already by then and how hard it was for them to get their voices heard.
Such and important book, a really beautiful story between humans and wild animals - 1000% recommend reading this one.
Such and important book, a really beautiful story between humans and wild animals - 1000% recommend reading this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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