Duikers of Africa: Masters of the African Forest Floor: A Study of Duikers, Hunting, People, and Bushmeat V. J. Wilson . 2001. Duikers of Africa: Masters of the African Forest Floor: A Study of Duikers, Hunting, People, and Bushmeat. Chipangali Wildlife Trust. Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. 798 pp, Reprinted in 2005 by Zimbi Books, Pretoria, South Africa (www.zimbibooks.com). No ISBN number, price

Abstract

V. J. Wilson 2001. Duikers of Africa: Masters of the African Forest Floor: A Study of Duikers, Hunting, People, and Bushmeat. Chipangali Wildlife Trust, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 798 pp, Reprinted in 2005 by Zimbi Books, Pretoria, South Africa (www.zimbibooks.com). No ISBN number, price (hardbound), R650 (trade) and R990 (limited) + shipping to North America, approximately R955. Duikers, small forest antelopes that traditionally have supplied protein to countless African village meals, are a relatively poorly studied taxon. Duikers of Africa , by Vivian J. Wilson, corrects that oversight in a grand fashion and represents the 1st comprehensive study of this important group of antelopes. The 800-page, 5.4-kg volume compiles previous research and adds the author's vast field and market experience to place duikers and their conservation in an ecological, social, and economic context. The author spent more than a decade traversing more than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa in search of duikers, clues to their ecology, and their role in local communities. Extensive information came from duikers for sale in bushmeat markets and by accompanying local hunters. When possible, stomach contents and reproductive tracts were preserved, often along with skulls, all of which were returned to Zimbabwe for further study. It is an understatement when Wilson writes in his Preface , “Apart from my learning about these fascinating little animals, I also learnt how to work in many difficult situations in Africa.” In an essentially self-published book Wilson enjoys the luxury of including his personal experiences and his commentary on the wonders …