Dr Whyte is a Kruger and Conservation legend, and has contributed some sensible facts to our forums in the past! His and Dr Smuts' lion census inKruger remains the most comprehensive and eye-opening one yet, and revealed significantly greater numbers than previously thought.
This will be a valuable addition to any collection.
Courtesy of Kruger Magazine
“LIVING THE WILDLIFE” BY IAN WHYTE (a review published in Kruger Magazine)
Ian Whyte was permanently engaged with wildlife research in the Kruger National Park for 37 years between 1970 and 2007.He was involved with research on lions for many years and was awarded an MSc degree for his studies on lions. He was later awarded a PhD for studies on elephants.But this is not a scientific book. It is rather a chronicle of his time in Kruger with many stories and fascinating insights into the functioning of Kruger’s ecosystems, the animals, and the people involved. But mostly it is a collection of stories about interactions with the animals with which he worked including lions, elephants, black rhinos, buffaloes, hippos as well as some of leopards, snakes and birds.
His studies were all conducted at an earlier time when research was more “hands on”. Drug immobilisations were conducted by researchers themselves and not necessarily by a veterinarian. Over the years, Ian immobilised many hundreds of animals, and the follow-up field studies led to many fascinating encounters with them, some of which were exhilarating, some life-threatening, and some amusing. He sometimes wonders how he survived it all. But all of these diverse adventures are told with humility, self-deprecation and humour.
Ian and his colleagues Butch Smuts and Trevor Dearlove were involved in an extensive census of lions in Kruger. Night after night they slept in hides calling lions to a bait then darting and marking them. They captured and marked 407 lions during this time and there were many exciting interactions. Having developed this expertise they were once called on to deal with a man-eating lioness close to the Phabeni Gate.
During his studies on lions’ impacts on the wildebeest population, he lived alone in a caravan in the bush for almost two years. He tracked his prides of radio-collared lions daily to locate their kills. A few hair-raising incidents are vividly recalled.
One chapter reveals how Chauke, his old assistant and mentor,had powerful premonitions of his own death on the day he died. That evening they had an accident when his vehicle left the road and overturned. Chauke was killed instantly. Ian then had to walk 11 kms in the pitch darkness to get help.Ian reflects deeply on that inexplicable supernatural event.
Ian also obtained a private pilot’s license, and he gives many insights into the wonders and excitements of flying small airplanes over Kruger.
He is a world authority on elephants and their management, and has given hundreds of talks on these subjects, culminating in addresses in London to the Royal Geographic Society and the Parliamentary Science Committee in the British Houses of Parliament.
This remarkable book, which is liberally illustrated with photos, maps and diagrams, has already attracted many positive comments from readers:
“A must read for any Kruger National Park enthusiast”.
“It’s a cross between an inspirational love story and a John Buchan-cum-Tarzan adventure story. How you ever lived long enough to tell this tale is a miracle”.
“The chapter on elephant management should be read by all conservationists”.
“I have read a number of books written by ex-game rangers and the like, and yours is head and shoulders above the rest!”
The book is currently only available directly from the author - please send an email to: merle.m.whyte@gmail.com. The book is also available for Kindle from Amazon.com.
Price is R345 plus delivery.
Actually, I want to get it, if I come back to SA 
