COLLECTABLE!! Poachers in the Hills - Nick Steele

Poachers in the Hills, Norman Deane's Life in Hluhluwa Game Reserve - Nick Steele - Artwork by Nola Steele - 1992, first edition - Privately published - 143p - Black & white photographs and map - Paperback in good condition - Internally clean and tightly bound.

Poachers in the Hills is the authentic account of Game Warden Norman Deane's life in the Hluhluwe Game Reserve.

In the decade 1955 to 1965 gangs of paochers persistently invaded the wooded hills of Hluhluwe colliding with Norman and his brave game guards by day and by night in what were often fierce clashes. It is also the story of the wildlife which Norman and his men struggled to protect, especially the black rhinos and buffaloes which themselves sometimes attacked friend and foe with equal facility. Despite the hard work and the dangers, perhaps because of them, frontier humour and heartwarming camaraderie were common bonds between the men who fought the poachers. The poachers themselves were not lacking in courage nor were they all necessarily regarded bad or criminals. The majority sought cultural fulfillment and protein. Hluhluwe's wildlife was the obvious target.

This account has considerable relevance for conservationists now, as once again some of southern Africa's wildlife, like the endangered rhino species, face possible extinction at the hands of poschers, many of whom are armed with semi-aotomatic weapons. a lagacy of the seemingly endless wars which are being waged on the sub continent.