Bernhard and Michael Grzimek – Serengeti Shall Not Die – 1961 Third Impression – Pioneering African Wildlife Conservation – Illustrated – Original Dustwrapper

GRZIMEK, BERNHARD AND MICHAEL. SERENGETI SHALL NOT DIE: 367,000 ANIMALS WITHOUT A HOME. AN IMPORTANT EARLY ACCOUNT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN EAST AFRICA, ILLUSTRATED THROUGHOUT WITH COLOUR AND BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS. FIRST BRITISH EDITION, THIRD IMPRESSION, 1961.

Authors: Bernhard Grzimek (1909–1987) and Michael Grzimek (1934–1959).

Publisher: Hamish Hamilton, London, England.

Date: 1961.

Edition: First British edition, third impression. First published in Britain in 1960.

Translation: From the original German by E. L. and D. Rewald.

Introduction: Alan Moorehead.

Format: Hardback in original publisher’s cloth, with the original colour photographic dustwrapper.

Pagination: 344 pages.

Illustrations: Extensively illustrated with colour and black-and-white photographs, maps and drawings, including coloured map endpapers.

Condition: Near fine in a very good indeed original dustwrapper, with slight creasing, nicking and rubbing.

Stock Code: 004233.

Location: Bookroom.

Description

An attractive, clean early British printing of Serengeti Shall Not Die, the celebrated account of Bernhard and Michael Grzimek’s pioneering wildlife research and conservation campaign in East Africa. Published by Hamish Hamilton in 1961, this is the third impression of the first British edition, originally issued in 1960.

The book documents one of the most influential early campaigns for the protection of African wildlife and the preservation of the Serengeti ecosystem. Written by the German zoologist and conservationist Bernhard Grzimek and his son Michael, the work combines scientific observation, African travel, aerial exploration, wildlife photography and a passionate appeal for the protection of one of the world’s greatest natural environments. The authors undertook extensive aerial surveys of the Serengeti, recording the movements and distribution of enormous herds of wildebeest, zebra and other animals. Their findings demonstrated the importance of understanding seasonal wildlife migration when defining the boundaries of protected areas. The book was closely associated with the internationally acclaimed documentary film of the same name, which received the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1960. Tragically, Michael Grzimek was killed in an aircraft accident during the expedition in January 1959, aged just twenty-four. The resulting publication became both a memorial to his pioneering conservation work and a powerful statement about the importance of protecting the wildlife and landscapes of East Africa.

The Serengeti: A Landscape of International Importance

The Serengeti is one of the most celebrated wildlife regions in the world.

Situated principally in northern Tanzania and extending into the wider Serengeti–Mara ecosystem of Kenya, its grasslands, woodlands and river systems support extraordinary concentrations of large mammals. The region is particularly famous for the seasonal movements of wildebeest, zebra and other grazing animals. These migrations are among the most remarkable natural spectacles on Earth. The animals follow seasonal patterns of rainfall and the availability of fresh grazing, moving over vast distances through an interconnected landscape. During the middle decades of the twentieth century, however, the future of this extraordinary ecosystem was increasingly uncertain. Changing land use, expanding settlement, hunting pressures and proposals concerning the boundaries of protected areas raised fundamental questions about the long-term survival of its wildlife. At the centre of the problem was a crucial scientific question: could the Serengeti’s enormous migratory herds survive if their traditional movement corridors were divided by administrative boundaries?

Bernhard and Michael Grzimek recognised that the answer required a much more detailed understanding of the animals’ movements. Their work helped demonstrate that the conservation of the Serengeti depended upon protecting a functioning ecological system rather than isolated concentrations of wildlife.

Pioneering Aerial Wildlife Surveys

One of the most fascinating aspects of Serengeti Shall Not Die is its account of the aerial surveys undertaken by Bernhard and Michael Grzimek. Using a small aircraft painted with distinctive black-and-white zebra markings, they surveyed the grasslands and wildlife herds from above. The aeroplane enabled them to investigate areas that would have been extremely difficult to study systematically from the ground. They photographed and counted large concentrations of animals and attempted to establish how the herds moved across the landscape. Their research challenged earlier assumptions about the numbers and distribution of animals inhabiting the Serengeti. The title’s subtitle, 367,000 Animals Without a Home, reflects the authors’ concern that a vast wildlife population might lose essential parts of its habitat. The aerial photography and observations represented an important development in the study of large mammal populations.

Although modern wildlife surveys employ more sophisticated methods, including satellite tracking, GPS collars and advanced aerial imaging, the Grzimeks’ work belongs to the early history of systematic, landscape-scale wildlife monitoring. Their investigations also helped communicate scientific findings to a much wider public. The photographs and aerial perspectives provided readers with a striking visual understanding of the scale of the Serengeti and the extraordinary concentrations of animals inhabiting its plains.

Condition

Near fine in a very good indeed original dustwrapper. The original publisher’s cloth binding is exceptionally clean and well preserved. The contents are clean and tidy, and the book presents as a carefully maintained example. The original colour photographic dustwrapper is complete and remains very attractive. There is slight creasing, minor nicking and rubbing at the extremities, together with some light surface wear, particularly around the upper edges and corners. The wrapper retains its distinctive photographic design and remains highly presentable.

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