Cries of the Savanna
To be sure, Cries of the Savanna is a story about big game hunting in Africa. Readers will slink warily through the long grass in the wake of Cape buffalo, pursue wild game in meticulous games of follow-the-leader, and lie terror-stricken as the cries of lions and hyenas fill the tent with dread. Yet, the adventure is much more than a hunting safari, it is a story of Africa – as well as its people and wildlife.
As a non-hunter enchanted by African wildlife, Sue Tidwell never expected to be accompanying her husband on a three-week big game hunting safari in remote Tanzania. Like many Americans, she had romantic notions about African wildlife and a naïve view of how wildlife conservation worked on the Dark Continent. Over the course of her African adventure, that all changed.
Africa is a wondrous and intriguing land but it is also harsh and unforgiving — for both animals and humans alike. Tidwell’s boots-on-the-ground experiences and relationships with the people of Masimba Camp exposed her to realities that she had never considered. Those truths and her love for the people and wildlife of Africa lit a fire in her gut, fueling a passion to share her journey with the world.
Whether an animal lover, conservationist, wanderer, adventurer, or human rights advocate, her unexpected journey will arm readers with the awareness necessary to support rural Africans while conserving Africa’s spectacular wildlife. Only then will the beastly cries of the savanna remain a part of the wild.
