Vanishing Kings, Lions of the Namib Desert is a unique record of an
elusive predator in an unusual environment. It uncovers the secret lives
of a small population of desert-adapted lions which occurs only in the
oldest desert on our planet, the Namib. A first-ever, this extraordinary
book about Desert lions celebrates the highly adaptive nature of one of
our planet's most iconic predators which continues to battle for
survival in today's world. The Namib is the only place on Earth where a
small population of desert-adapted lions occurs. Remarkably, these
unique lions have survived along the Namib's Skeleton Coast for decades,
but until 20 years ago they were merely phantoms' elusive and seldom
seen, and then believed to have become extinct. In 1997, scientist Dr
Philip Stander discovered a small pride of survivors in the heart of the
desert and began to study the lions: a study which turned into a
lifelong commitment. Through the years he was able to unfold the secrets
surrounding these highly adaptive big cats who appeared to thrive in
their harsh environment. Having followed multiple generations of Desert
lions from birth to adulthood, Stander takes the reader into their
fascinating world, one that would otherwise have remained largely
unknown. Through his intimate accounts of several male Desert lions'
life stories, we come to understand how these rare lions survive in the
relentless Namib Desert. Illustrated with over 300 astonishing images of
Desert lions and other desert-adapted animals that survive in the Namib,
this book is an account of one of the most remarkable research projects
ever undertaken. "If you are interested in wild cats and lions in
particular this is the book for you. The text is scholarly but highly
readable by the average enthusiast. Basically it outlines the
outstanding work done by Dr Philip Stander over many years in the Namib
Desert in Namibia to conserve and document a very special and rare
population of lions who made this hostile environment their home with
some degree of success. Unfortunately, the unnecessary demise of 'The
Five Musketeers' who were possibly the future for the long term survival
of desert adapted lions is recorded which brings a very sad end to a
fascinating journey. The photography in the book is wonderful, numerous
lion images of the highest quality adorn just about every page. I
particularly like the way the text follows a journey from the beginning
of 'The Desert Lion Project' to the present day and apart from a very
well written narrative includes detailed field notes, very well
presented statistics and meaningful charts and maps. I regard this book
as one of the best ever produced on the lion and it deserves a place in
the library of every serious wild cat / wildlife enthusiast. The book
also highlights the other desert adapted mammals that call this region
home. It is in many respects a coffee table book, but contains a wealth
of factual information, I feel it also represents excellent value for
money and presumably also contributes to the long term aims of the
project. The author remains in my opinion one of the most influential
field zoologists to ever work with cats." J Weir
