This book originated from the sheer joy of travel. We have wandered around some exciting parts of the globe over the years, both in our work as travel writers and photographers, and as ordinary travellers simply curious to see what lies over the next hill. As much as we've enjoyed the attractions of great cities and great civilizations, what has stayed with us the most are the wonders of nature – breathtaking landscapes, unspoiled wilderness, fascinating wildlife. The more we travel these days, the more we're drawn to those exceptional places. Unfortunately, these parts of the world are disappearing the fastest.
The world continues to change, as it always has, although today we seem to be living in an era of unprecedented transformation, both good and bad. When it comes to the natural world, the news tends to be more bad than good – population pressures, global warming, deforestation, more species becoming extinct. A month before publication, news reports raised concerns that after an unusually low migration of monarch butterflies to Mexico, parts of Canada that usually have plenty of returning monarchs have none at all. Only time will tell if this is a temporary glitch or something more serious. There is less question about the seriousness of the rhino poaching problem in South Africa, or the impact of global warming on the Arctic. UNESCO may revoke World Heritage Site status from Ethiopia's Simien Mountains if human impact continues to be a problem. Closer to home, we've watched dramatic changes over a couple of decades as loggers, miners, and road builders penetrate deeper into pristine boreal forest, lakelands, and river valleys of the northern Saskatchewan wilderness.
While there is much to lament, this collection of stories celebrates the joys of discovering nature's wonders – the thrill of getting close to Africa's great predators, watching the sun rise from atop a giant sand dune in the Namibian desert, gazing over the stark beauty of Antarctica, rambling through the wilds of Patagonia. If the world's special places and special creatures are to survive, it will be because people know about them and care about them.
These stories span several years, and range from the Arctic to Antarctic, Africa to Latin America, to a tiny spec in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Above all, Sleeping with Rhinos is an escape from our increasingly over-crowded, over-urbanized, and over-civilized world to places where wildness is valued and Mother Nature still has some clout.