South Africa’s endangered species

The South African endangered species list includes two unusual antelope and the shy, gentle samango monkey. They became endangered because their specialised habitat is changing. But conservation interventions are underway to safeguard and increase their numbers.

An unexpected candidate for South Africa’s endangered species list is the oribi. They have long been a common sight on the KwaZulu-Natal grasslands, favouring areas where they can hide in long grass. BookMyRoom-SA now offers adventure and safari packages like Kruger Wildlife, where you may be able to spot some of these endangered species.

These are distinctive antelope, coppery-coloured with white bellies, black noses and black tails. They have a strange gait, a kind of rocking horse gallop, and sometimes leap in the air in a strange stiff-legged stott – a territorial display.

Habitat change, and careless hunting, has cut their numbers down to perilously low levels, but many private landowners are providing sanctuaries and helping to conserve the species.

Tsessebe antelope numbers also precipitously tumbled for various reasons and they are now one of the endangered species of South Africa. Found mostly in the northern reaches of the country, these are also the greyhounds of the antelope world, though you’d never guess it to look at them.

They are related to wildebeest, and have a certain purplish sheen to their coats. When standing still or walking, they can look quite ungainly. But if startled by a predator, these very quiet animals will let out a loud snort and show danger a clean pair of heels. Typically, they’ll then stop and watch to see if they’re still being followed. They too, are being conserved by private landowners.

Another of South Africa’s endangered species is the gentle samango monkey. It lives in indigenous forests hugging South Africa’s eastern coastline, from northern KwaZulu-Natal right through to the Eastern Cape. Safari and Adventure holiday packages like Kruger and the Kingdoms offered by bookmyroom-sa.com give you a unique view into the habitat of these animals. This is one of many wildlife adventures you can book on bookmyroom-sa.com.

At first glance it may look like the more common vervet monkey, but samangos (also called blue monkeys) are bigger, with prominent brows, and longer tails. The fragmentation of their forest habitat has led to samangos being placed on the list of South African endangered animals. But there are efforts underway to create links between forests and so ensure their survival.

About the Author

Mark Johnson is a press release officer of BookMyRoom-SA

http://www.bookmyroom-sa.com/

South Africa Wildlife Safari – Peregrine Adventures

South Africa $21.98 "DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: South Africa" will lead you straight to the best attractions South Africa has to offer. Packed with information, detailed maps, beautiful cutaways, and floor plans of all major sites, this guide explores every facet of the "Rainbow Nation." This edition also introduces a new 56page field guide to South Africa’s wildlife and safari experience, containing detailed information on safaris, wildlife reserves, and local species. "DK Eyewitness Travel: South Africa" covers everything from Zulu culture to the country’s majestic lions, providing you with comprehensive and essential information about the country. This fully updated and expanded South Africa guide provides comprehensive guidance on the best things to do in South Africa, from exploring the Palace of the Lost City and Kruger National Park to experiencing the multifaceted culture of a country with 11 official languages The "DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: South Africa" provides all the insider tips every visitor needs, with dozens of reviews for hotels, recommendations for South African restaurants and entertainment, and tips for shopping, for any budget. Don’t miss a thing on your vacation with the "DK Eyewitness Guide" to South Africa. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Packed with photographs, illustrations, and maps Cutaways and floor plans of all the major sights 3D aerial views of the city’s most interesting districts Huge selection of hotels, restaurants, stores, and entertainment venues Introducing a 56pp guide to South Africa’s wildlife and the safari experience, with detailed information on safaris, wildlife reserves and species.

Wildlife of South Africa: A Photographic Guide $18.48 A handy, all-in-one photographic field guide to the wildlife of South Africa, this guide covers the region’s mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs and trees most likely to be seen, with concise accounts and distribution maps for each species. A brief introduction discusses geology, climate, vegetation zones, wildlife hotspots, and tips on watching wildlife.

Southern African Wildlife: A Visitor’s Guide $21.98 Wildlife is southern Africa’s number one visitor attraction. This handy, beautifully illustrated book combines field guide and travel guide, explaining where and when to find wildlife and how to identify it. Author Mike Unwin covers everything from the ‘Big Five’ to dung beetles to sand grouse, and explores the wildlife hotspots of seven countries, offering insights into animal behavior and up-to-date conservation perspectives. From superb-value Kruger safaris to Cape Town and its vineyards to malaria-free safaris on South Africa’s garden route, southern Africa has it all. Equally useful to both first-timer and serious naturalist, this Bradt guide is also the perfect safari souvenir.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: South Africa $27 DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: South Africa will lead you straight to the best attractions South Africa has to offer. Packed with information, detailed maps, beautiful cutaways, and floor plans of all major sites, this guide explores every facet of the “Rainbow Nation.” This edition also introduces a new 56-page field guide to South Africa’s wildlife and the safari experience, with detailed information on safaris, wildlife reserves, and local species. From Zulu culture to majestic lions, DK Eyewitness Travel: South Africa is packed with essential information, whatever your budget. This fully updated and expanded South Africa guide provides comprehensive guidance on the best things to do in South Africa, from exploring the Palace of the Lost City and Kruger National Park to experiencing the multifaceted culture of a country with 11 official languages! The DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: South Africa provides all the insider tips every visitor to South Africa needs, with dozens of reviews for South African hotels, recommendations for South African restaurants, tips for shopping and all the best places for entertainment. Don’t miss a thing on your vacation with the DK Eyewitness Guide to South Africa.

Wildlife of East Africa $17.48 Those looking for a concise yet informative, visually breathtaking yet affordable East African safari need look no further than this spectacular field guide. Featuring full-color photos of 475 common species of bird, mammal, snake, lizard, insect, tree, and flower, "Wildlife of East Africa" takes us on an exquisite one-volume tour through the living splendor of the main national parks and game reserves of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Many of the species included–from pelicans to plovers, ostriches to elephants, from the daintiest of antelopes to cattlelike giants, from leopards to lions, baboons to gorillas, chameleons to crocodiles, acacias to aloes–also inhabit neighboring countries. The selection was based on the personal experiences of the authors, wildlife experts who have been leading safaris in the region for more than twenty years. Each species is illustrated with a photo and a detailed entry on the facing page; the text is commendably rich for such a compact guide. This information enables the particular animal or plant to be identified by such traits as size, plumage or pelage, color, and shape. An opening section on wildlife photography provides helpful tips on the best type of camera, film, and lenses to use, techniques, and codes of conduct. "Wildlife of East Africa" is a must for anyone considering a first-hand look at, or simply daydreaming of, the elegant, enormous, or exotic wildlife of East Africa. Covers the main parks and reserves of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, plus surrounding countries475 common species of bird, mammal, snake, lizard, insect, tree, and flower–from ostriches to elephants, leopards to lions, baboons to gorillas, chameleons to crocodiles, acacias to aloesFull-color photographs and detailed entries describing each speciesWritten and illustrated by wildlife experts who have been leading safaris in East Africa for more than 20 yearsTips on wildlife photography, techniques, and codes of conduct

White Hunters: The Golden Age of African Safaris $16.98 East Africa affects our imagination like few other places: The sight of a charging rhino goes directly to the heart; the limitless landscape of bony highlands, desert, and mountain is, as Isak Dinesen wrote, of "unequalled nobility." White Hunters is the story of seventy years of African adventure, danger, and romance. It re-creates the legary big-game safaris led by Selous and Bell and the daring ventures of early hunters into unexplored territories, and brings to life such romantic figures as Cape-to-Cairo Grogan, who walked 4,000 miles for the love of a woman, and Dinesen’s dashing lover, Denys Finch. Witnesses to the richest wildlife spectacle on the earth, these hunters were the first conservationists. Hard-drinking, infatuated with risk, and careless in love, they inspired Hemingway’s stories and movies with Clark Gable and Gregory Peck.

South Africa. – Tino Soriano $99 Indigenous wildlife adorns South Africas coinage.

South Africa: Impressions $12.91 This nature program takes a long, sensuous look at the country of South Africa, and surveys the many landscapes that make up the nation, complete with the sounds of wildlife and wildlife that make for a complete sensory experience.

South Africa Safari $16.48 South Africa with its many glorious and varied facets, is a classic destination for photo safari enthusiasts. Quite apart from the magnificent scenery, the continent’s southerly, region offers a gentle initiation into the wondrous wildlife of Africa.