Book Review: Cry of the Kalahari, by Mark Owens, Delia Owens

Book review by Elizabeth Ann Mathews

Cry of the Kalahari by Mark Owens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a fellow field biologist, I became immersed in this book. (I study marine mammals.) I was fascinated by the Owen's extreme devotion to what they were doing--often to the point of risking personal safety which sometimes went beyond rational (e.g., water access) --and their commitment to studying the less well known carnivores. I liked getting both Mark and Delia's perspectives and learning so much about the Kalahari Desert--the many species of mammals and birds, extreme seasonal cycles, and human influences they documented. They also do a remarkable job of sharing exciting new ideas emerging at that time in the fields of behavioral ecology and evolution, without the narrative becoming too academic. While I hold these two hard-driven biologists in highest regards, it was hard while reading to resist the urge to reach back in time and caution them to not take so many personal risks. But their blind bravery is what keeps us turning the pages in their immersive quest. What a gift Mark and Delia Owens offer in letting us tag along on their expeditions, witnessing their triumphs and disappointments--most through raw perseverance--as they advance our understanding of the Kalahari Desert ecosystem, improving the potential for its conservation.

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