The natural beauty and bounty of Masai Mara in Kenya make it one of the finest places to observe wild animals up close. Valmik Thapar, after thirty-three years of tiger-watching, finds himself in this natural haven where he confesses spending one of his finest twelve-day stretches ever.

With nearly 200 colour photographs showcasing every incident as the author tracked the wild animals, An African Diary is an authentic record of what the Mara has to offer to the keen observer. From the largest to the smallest, the book captures the complex web of life: the big and awe-inspiring (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, rhinoceros) to 'smaller wonders' (black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox) to birds of all feathers (ostrich, lilac-breasted roller, black-headed oriole, yellow bee-eater) to reptiles, and much more. The book also records the author's experiences in Ol ari Nyiro, a sprawling wildlife paradise in northern Kenya.

The Afterword ('The Guardians of Eden') by Kuki Gallmann, author of the bestselling I Dreamed of Africa , is a passionate reflection -on the need to save the world's natural treasures. Ian Johnson's 'The Keys to Paradise', a special inclusion, offers rare insights on guiding and ecotourism in Africa.

The photographs, captured moment to moment, and the narrative, with its near-graphic rendition, meld to create a visual continuity reminiscent of motion pictures. Not just about the beauty of the natural world but also the battle so vital to save it, An African Diary is a must-read for animal lovers and nature conservationists.