Foreword

After living alongside Africa’s wildlife for 15 years， the author has accumulated a comprehensive volume of notes on animal observations. He shares the habits and stories of these animals with great care， drawing from his personal experiences.

Verdant Mountains in Africa

Hailing from Wuhan， Hubei Province， and a graduate of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology， the author is a member of both the China Photographers Association and the China Science Writers Association. He has worked in the African savannas for 15 years and served as the Chinese representative of the Tanzanian National Parks.

Africa is an ancient and vast continent， covering approximately 30.2 million square kilometers， making it the world’s second-largest continent， second only to Asia， and over three times the size of China’s land area. Africa is home to the world’s longest river， the Nile， the largest terrestrial fault; the East African Rift， the biggest waterfall， Mosiotunia Falls， one of the largest wetlands， the Mandoby Wetlands， the second-largest primary rainforest in the world; three of the top ten largest freshwater lakes; the oldest hominid fossils， and an abundance of large wild animals globally.

Africa is known not only for the desolate and sweltering Sahara Desert but also for its rich and fantastical topography and landscapes. These elements are interconnected and interact， such as the Okavango River’s rushing waters forming a vast and unique inland delta in the Kalahari Desert， where forests， wetlands， grasslands， and salt flats come together， creating a significantly diverse ecological environment with complex relationships between flora and fauna.

Reflecting on the last 30 million years of changes in the African plate， the elevations in the eastern and southern parts of Africa have continuously risen， while the elevations in the central and western parts have mostly remained low. Consequently， Africa’s overall climate has gradually shifted from hot and humid to warm and dry， leading to the formation of diverse ecosystems， specifically sparse savannas， forests， volcanoes， wetlands， and islands. Therefore， this book presents a comprehensive ecological system of the African continent， introducing and explaining the habits and characteristics of wild flora and fauna within each system， their trends of co-evolution， their value in the food chain， and their relationship with humans.

Over the past 12 years， I have tracked and observed many wild animals in Africa， with these observations taking place across different ecosystems. In the first part of this book， we will start with the sparse savannas of East Africa. Influenced by the Indian Ocean monsoons， the sparse savannas have a dry climate with cool temperatures and distinct dry and rainy seasons， located south of the Sahara Desert in Africa， most of which are sparse savannas. The Serengeti National Park serves as a perfect example of this， hosting 105 species of mammals， 450 species of birds， 327 species of reptiles and amphibians， over 8，000 species of insects， and more than 4，000 species of plants. The soil in sparse savannas is shallow and thin， trees are low and scarce， and animals are mainly large to medium-sized and adept at running， adapted to open and water-scarce environments.

Moving west from the sparse savannas， we reach the primeval forests of Central Africa， specifically the tropical rainforests of the Congo Basin. Tropical rainforests are home to half of the world’s species， characterized by their constant high temperatures， plentiful rainfall， and minimal seasonal variation. The rainforest climate is hot and humid， air moisture is high， and plants grow rapidly and are densely packed， making the area lush and dripping with greenery. Odzala National Park is not only an immense repository of indigenous plant species but also hosts a variety of wild animals， including lowland gorillas， chimpanzees， forest elephants， and forest buffaloes. Furthermore， the grasslands and shrublands on the edges of rainforests， as well as the dense network of rivers and streams， also attract many animals to migrate from afar.

We will follow the East African Rift， examining the mountains along the way. The East African Rift， which formed 30 million years ago due to the divergent movement between the African and Indian Ocean plates， continues to evolve at a rate of 2 mm per year. The collision and compression between the African and Indian Ocean plates have resulted in the continuous rise in elevation， frequent volcanic eruptions， and the uplift of mountain peaks. The East African Rift is intimately linked to human origins and evolution. In the barren saline lakes beside volcanoes， millions of flamingos dance， tinting the lake surface， which mirrors the sky， a pink hue.

Then， moving towards southern Africa， we will pass Lake Victoria， Lake Tanganyika， and Lake Malawi， drift down the Zambezi River， and reach the Okavango Delta in Botswana， a vast wetland. Wetlands， the confluence of land and water， are inhabited by a diverse range of flora and fauna. Wetlands， vital for water conservation， climate amelioration， pollutant degradation， and soil erosion prevention， are aptly dubbed the “Kidneys of the Earth.” African wetlands are flooded during the rainy season， and when the floods recede， a large number of animals return here.

Finally， we will walk along the coastlines of Africa， exploring the unique wildlife of the coasts and islands， such as ring-tailed lemurs， Aldabra giant tortoises， and Zanzibar red colobus monkeys. Typically， African islands are divided into dry west and rainy east， with a clear distinction. With the influence of tides， food types are abundant here， allowing animals to eat without the need for arduous journeys. Most of them are slow-moving and lack the drive to compete. Additionally， we will visit South Africa， the southernmost point of the African continent， where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean currents meet， which is also a world-renowned fishing ground， attracting various marine life such as great white sharks， seals， humpback whales， and dolphins.

Only in their natural state do animals like lions， elephants， cheetahs， giraffes， dolphins， and humpback whales truly show their most authentic selves. Living closely with animals， observing their every move， and feeling their vitality can make our lives more passionate. Cynthia from the Amboseli National Park Elephant Research Center once told me， “When you observe a group of elephants， you see them only in two dimensions. But once you get to know them on an individual level， understanding their personalities， and who their mothers and children are， it adds a new dimension. You’ll be amazed to find that everything about life is interconnected.”

I will share detailed stories and habits of animals in these ecosystems based on my personal experiences. How did they evolve? How do they survive? What role do they play in the ecosystem? I will also share some thrilling and amusing anecdotes encountered during my observations of them.