The southern white rhinos of Africa were almost extinct by the end of the 20th century. Although these animals have made a comeback, award-winning author Markle explains they continue to face such threats as habitat loss, continuous poaching, and the high illegal demand for rhino horn. Full color.

The White Rhino Saga - back in print after more than 30 years - is more relevant than ever as our rhino population faces a deadly poaching onslaught. With a new introduction by Julian Rademeyer and a 'missing chapter' never before published, a new generation of readers can enjoy and learn from the extraordinary story of how the white rhino was saved from extinction four decades ago. From Ian Player's first visit to the Umfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa's Zululand in 1952, the salvation of the white rhino from extinction became a personal obsession. The white rhino, the second largest animal in the world, had roamed over the southern half of the African continent in large numbers during the nineteenth century and before. By the 1960s fewer than five hundred remained, confined to 72 000 acres, not nearly enough territory for them to remain healthy and alive. The problem confronting Ian Player and his co-workers was twofold: how to repopulate the game reserves of Africa where white rhinos had once lived, and how to supply white rhinos to the zoos of the world. The techniques for capturing and transporting the huge animals are fascinating. The White Rhino Saga, Alan Paton writes in his foreword, 'is a book for every lover of the wild. The danger of captures, the disappointments, the ultimate successes, makes a splendid tale.' It is a tale of adventure, of Africa, of animals - and of the man who set out to save them.

This book demonstrates the enormous and heroic efforts of those responsible for bringing the rhino back to life when it was faced with near-certain extinction not so long ago. The book also outlines some of the essential decisions and actions required to turn the situation around today.