The adventures of two wildlife trackers.

When Alex’s grandfather shoots a lion dead, the young white boy is deeply traumatized and finds himself dreaming of the untamed African bush as a way of escaping his own dysfunctional home. Years later, as he finally begins his dream job as a young safari guide, Alex is partnered with wildlife tracker Renias Mhlongo – a mysterious and alluring man with a powerful connection to his ancient Shangaan culture and a deep instinctual knowledge of the natural world.

Their relationship is tenuous at best. Set against the backdrop of their racially divided histories, a language barrier, their age difference, and the deep-seated resentment that comes with cultural misunderstanding and historical pain, the mismatched pair must find a way to communicate, to bond, and to trust one another in order to literally walk with leopards, and survive.

A Practical Guide to Animal Tracking in Southern Africa

In 2017 Alex and Renias co-authored (together with Karel Benadie) the bestselling Tracker Manual published by Struik Nature. This practical guide to animal tracking is a one-of-its-kind manual, based on information collected whilst training professional wildlife trackers in Southern Africa. It presents obvious as well as subtle animal sign imagery for some 160 species to give a comprehensive picture of recent – and not-so-recent – traffic through the bush. Simple, bulleted text guides readers through the key points and teaches the broad-based observational skills required to detect and interpret messages; multiple photographs, some annotated, along with accurate track drawings for all the animals, offer a clear visual guide too. Rich in detail, accurate, and with an instructive introduction, this guide to the region’s animal tracks and signs is every tracker’s go-to manual.