The Hunting Imperative

By Richard Harland

Richard Harland’s extraordinary story is most unusual in that he began his big game hunting at a very young age, shooting his first buffalo at 14 years old accompanied only by a tracker. He became an elephant hunter a year later under the direction of Paul Grobler. By the following year Paul was sending him solo on elephant control and recommended he become appointed as an honorary officer. Richard realised the days of making a living by ivory hunting were over, and he joined the game department in Rhodesia. He was posted to Gonarezhou in the south-eastern lowveld to control elephant and buffalo in the tsetse fly corridors. Years of incredible hunting followed which is wonderfully described along with many fascinating observations about people and the environment of those times. Richard condensed a lifetime of hunting into two decades. He undoubtedly had an instinct and a passion for hunting.

Binding and pages: Hardbound with a dustjacket; 250 pages; photographs; fine copy