Product Description

"Kilimanjaro slowly takes shape as the night sounds die, its glaciated peak tinged pink in the early light. A solitary wildebeest stares motionless as if mesmerized by the towering mass; a small caravan of giraffe drifts across the plain in solitary file, necks undulating to the slow rhythm of their gangling stride. There is an inexplicable dÈjý vu about the African savannas, as if some subliminal memory is tweaked by the birthplace of our hominid lineage. -from In the Dust of Kilimanjaro.

In the Dust of Kilimanjaro is the extraordinary story of one man's struggle to protect Kenya's wildlife. World-renowned conservationist David Western-who grew up in Africa and whose life is intertwined with the lives of its animals and indigenous peoples-presents a history of African wildlife conservation and an intimate glimpse into his life as a global spokesperson and one of Kenya's most prominent citizens.

Beginning with his childhood adventures hunting in rural Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Western describes how and why the African continent came to hold such power over him. In lyrical prose, he recounts the years of solitary fieldwork in and around Amboseli National Park that led to his gradual awakening to what was happening to the animals and people there. His immersion in the culture and ecology of the region made him realize that without an integrated approach to conservation, one that involved people as well as animals, Kenya's most magnificent creatures would be lost forever.

His accounts of his friendships with the Maasai add a personal dimension to the book that gives the reader new appreciation for the centuries-old links between Africa's wildlife and people. Continued coexistence rather than segregation, he argues, offers the best hope for the world's wildlife. Western describes how his unique understanding of the potentially devastating problems in the region helped him pioneer a new approach to global wildlife conservation that balances the needs of people and wildlife without excluding one or the other.

More than an exceptional autobiography, In the Dust of Kilimanjaro is a riveting look at local and global efforts to preserve species and protect ecosystems. It is the definitive story of wildlife conservation in Africa with a strong and timely message about co-existence between humans and animals.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #838128 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 312 pages

From Library Journal
Western, the director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, describes his career in African wildlife conservation, beginning with his childhood in the bush of Tanganyika. His experiences with his hunter father formed the basis for his lifelong commitment to saving African wildlife. At the same time, he was one of the earliest conservationists to insist that preservation efforts must include native peoples, in this case the Maasai of Amboseli National Park, where Western conducted field research. The most engaging segments of this book trace his friendship and collaboration with the Maasai, who needed the parklands for grazing their cattle. He describes the years of political and scientific maneuvering needed to establish policies in the best interest of wildlife, native Africans, and tourists alike. Included are his views on the world ban on ivory, which are a bit surprising. Western writes very well?often lyrically?about wild Africa and displays a charming readiness to admit when he's been wrong. Recommended for conservation collections in public and academic libraries.?Beth Clewis Crim, Prince William P.L., Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

The Snows of Kilimanjaro,,, are melting
In the Dust of Kilimanjaro (A Shearwater Book)

The Snows of Kilimanjaro are melting,
a review of David Western's book on ethnic relationships and conservation in east Africa,
by CactusMitch

David Western knows the Hemingways, both father and son.

They all hunt and perhaps haunt the same Africa. Father and son Hemingway crafted "True at First Light" over many years. Their work is on the tip top of my list of modern literature greats.

Mr Western's book is a worthy sequel, though his father was not a writer, only a hunter. Papa Hemingway, and his son Patrick, aka. Bwanna Mouse, grew up hunting the north slop of the tallest equatorial mountain in eastern Africa. All became convinced of the need for coexistence rather than segregation. Both seem blind to racial segregation. By "integration," they mean people of all strains living in an as yet to be found world where wilderness and wildlife thrives and the people's lives are the better for it.

Patrick now lives in Montana. East Africa would be a hard place in these troubled times. David is an adjunct professor at University of California, San Diego. David Western founded the Ecotourism Society, the foundation of which, promotes a sort of coffee table vanity. "Oh look where I visited!"

From my reading of "True at First Light," I think that Papa Hemingway's heart and soul were converted to pre-colonial beliefs. He recorded a snippet about his vision of Gitchie Manitou in Wyoming. He saw a new belief system in which all peoples could share.

For some, seeing the truth, even in the shimmering dawn, compels one to abandon everything old to inhabit such a new and wonderful place. Isn't there a parable about a farm hand who found a buried treasure and sold everything to buy the field?

Why did that leopard climb so high? (See the first words in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro.")