Safari-Safari: Chasing the Big Five in Botswana and Tanzania, Africa - Hardcover

Abernathy M.D., Ernest

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1420885995 ISBN 13: 9781420885996

Publisher: AuthorHouse, 2005

Synopsis

"Safari-Safari" is the story of Ernest Abernathy's ventures into Africa, where a realization came while dealing with a rhino that effectively led to his evolution from being a dedicated hunter into a life concentrating on the conservation of wildlife and retiring from hunting altogether at the ripe old age of forty. Before Africa, Ernest's hunting experiences were in North and South America, Central America, Alaska, and on the Arctic ice. His successes in these two African safaris include seven world record-class entries, including the forty-first largest lion ever recorded (listed in Rowland Ward's World Record Books in London) and an elephant whose size at twelve-foot and eight inches would qualify him as second behind the thirteen-foot and two-inch elephant ranked as number one at Rowland Ward. Jack O'Connor, former shooting editor of Outdoor Life magazine was very much an influence on Ernest's decision to venture on a Safari in Botswana, which led to other African experiences described in detail within this book. The ultimate story of this book, however, is not all about guns and shooting, but more about the not hunting, meaning the interesting details about the animals, environment, people, and cultures encountered. It's about how the author came from for a life of hunting, along with some interest in conservation, then he came to Africa, what happened there, and the events leading to the reversal of those interests and his retirement from hunting. For many years now the author has been active in various wildlife conservation groups and associations, including his favorite, Ducks Unlimited, where he has raised many tens of thousands of dollars. This book contains the tales of a true hunting safari in Botswana (formerly Bechuanaland) in the days before it became so well-known and popular, and a safari in Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) where an opportunity with a rhinoceros led to a thoughtful conversion of Ernest to the conviction he should to retire fr

About this title

About the Author:

Ernest Abernathy was born in a farmhouse in rural Georgia. Both hunting and conservation of wildlife have always been of major interest to him, no paradox, as the two go hand in hand. His hunting life began with quail and progressed to North American whitetail deer, wild boar, black bear, Alaskan brown bear, bobcat, cougar, moose, elk, big horn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and caribou. Africa is a whole new ball game for Ernest, unlike anything he has experienced before. As he finds out, you can become the hunted instead of the hunter.Jack O'Connor, shooting editor of Outdoor Life magazine influenced Ernest's decision to go to Africa, which this book details. In Tanzania, Africa, a decision was ignited that eventually led to his retirement from hunting and focusing on conservation. The next fifteen years were spent working intensely with various conservation groups, and starting new conservation chapters, such as Ducks Unlimited, that raised over one hundred thousand dollars.Ernest points out a safari is not all guns and shooting, the biggest part is not hunting - it's the animals, the visited land and its people, the campfires and the tall tales, the flicker of firelight's yellow-orange flames reaching out, making a ghostly dance upon the trees nearby, blue-black velvet sky with stars so close you feel you can pluck one for your pocket, who you are with, and the joy of being there.An inquisitive nature has taken Ernest to the deserts and swamps of Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Zanzibar, out on the Arctic ice, the Lac Seul Wilderness of Canada, Honduras, Equatorial Colombia, to Cuba, the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, and Colorado, the Medicine Bow Wilderness in Wyoming, Montana's western mountaintops in a blizzard, the Alaskan Peninsula, to ski atop the Alps of France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria, to Germany, Liechtenstein, Venezuela, Greece, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Dominican Republic, multiple Caribbean countries, to the water

About this edition

• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1420885995
• ISBN 13: 9781420885996
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 220