The Benoni resident then went to go and look for a book about subspecies in Africa and, when he couldn’t find one, decided to write his own.
The 59-year-old took about two years to compile and publish his book titled African Game Species and Subspecies. The book was launched at the Johannesburg Zoo on July 23.
“I wanted to bring attention to the existence of game to the broader public,” he said.
“People are oblivious to subspecies.”
According to Carton-Barber, the biggest feature of the book is the production of the maps.
The maps show the historical distribution of the animals versus their current distribution, demonstrating how they have moved or disappeared from certain areas.
The Lakefield resident said the biggest challenge he faces is getting the book into stores, online and into honorary stores.
Using a variety of resources, Carton-Barber used publications from the Zoological Society of London, the History Magazine, the internet and records from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
“I absolutely love animals,” he said.
“I’ve loved them since the first trip I took with my parents to the Kruger National Park in the ’60s.
“There is so much more to Africa’s game than we know.”
According to Carton-Barber, subspecies are more diverse than we realise.
“We need to be aware of the game in Africa and the danger we face of it going extinct,” he said.
“So much is disappearing.”
Carton-Barber said subspecies are evolving due to changing environments.
“Today’s subspecies are the species of tomorrow,” he said.
Carton-Barber said climate change has a significant impact on South Africa’s game.
“How will we save them if we don’t know about them?” he asked.
Also read: Benoni woman turns 105 years old
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