Ian Player Books

Dr Ian Cedric Audley Player (1927 - 2014) was a highly respected South African conservationist who started with the Natal Parks Board in 1952 and became warden of the Umfolozi Game Reserve. Among his many notable conservation efforts, he was responsible for 'Operation Rhino' which saved the few remaining southern race of white rhino and achieving protected status for the Umfolozi and St Lucia Wilderness Areas - the first wilderness areas to be zoned in South Africa and on the African continent. He was the brother of golfer, Gary Player.

The White Rhino Saga by Ian Player (1972). In 1953 the author counted 437 white rhinos in the Umfolozi reserve, South Africa. The population was too dense and was under attack by poachers. The problem was to move some of these dangerous animals to other parts of Africa where they used to be or to zoos throughout the world in order to save them from extinction. At the same time, the local tribesmen had to be educated and convinced that poaching was not an option. An exciting true account.

Zululand Wilderness: Shadow And Soul by Ian Player (1997) tells of the deep friendship between Ian Player and Maqubu Ntombela, who both worked in the Umfolozi game reserve. It follows the two men of entirely different cultures and backgrounds learning from each other, battling against poachers and initiating the capture and translocation of the white rhino. It reveals the interdependence of man, the landscape and the wildlife, and suggests that the healing powers of the wilderness have the power to transform a nation.

Big Game by Ian Player (1972) were a series of booklets recording the decimation of southern Africa's wildlife and subsequent efforts at its conservation.

Man And The Wilderness by Ian Player (1986)

Men, Rivers And Canoes by Ian Player (1964) is a book about the Dusi Canoe Marathon which is held over three days between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. It was originally organised by Ian Player in 1951.

Graham Linscott

Into The River Of Life: A Biography Of Ian Player by Graham Linscott (2013) is the life story of Ian Player, who was a respected game warden who went on to become a internationally recognised conservationist. He was an irascible campaigner and a maverick who was deeply committed to all he believed in.

Page Updated: June 2021