Django: A Small Dog with a Big Heart

Book excerpt: 1980s Maun is reminiscent of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick’s 1880s Barberton, and Django is no less of a character than the legendary Jock of the Bushveld. Named for the hero in a spaghetti western, and oblivious to his diminutive statue, Django, a Jack Russell cross, squares up to the challenges life as a safari guide’s dog throws at him. As a pup he puts the ferocious Pitbull terrier Buford firmly in his place; the only other animal to have done so was a hyena. Django’s baptism to life in the bush takes place at the tender age of not-quite-a-year old. With Peter and Salome he embarks on an arduous trek through the Okavango Delta and it is here that his humans quickly learn to heed his warnings and pay careful attention to his intuition. Over the years, and as he notches up safaris Django develops a keen understanding of life in the bush, his nose, eyes and ears are an early-warning radar system to the less-in-tune humans and many is the time that his sharp sense of danger saves lives. These are wild, remote parts of southern Africa, angry buffalo, venomous snakes and stampeding herds of elephant are common if unsuspectingly stumbled upon. Django holds his own in the face of a lion charge and endears himself to the locals of these sacred lands. In his travels he wins the hearts of a tribe of Kalahari Bushmen, descendants of the oldest people on earth. In the Namib Desert he encounters the red ochre-adorned Himba people who try to claim him for their own, and while venturing into the remote Kaokoveld he befriends the most endangered tribe in Africa. In one interlude, in the depths of Barotseland, Zambia, a young boy, influenced by tribal lore regarding the white man, flees screaming in fear of being eaten by these strange white-skinned people and their dog. As the shared adventures in this odyssey unfold, the reader cannot help but fall hopelessly in love with the intelligence and charm of this plucky terrier. His adventures are woven into an enthralling tapestry that reveals a host of intriguing, colourful characters, an understanding of the hyper-specialized ecological system of the Delta and some truly hilarious encounters. Praise for Django: ‘…a wonderful read – an experience more than just a read actually.’ Trish Frielinghaus ‘One of the greatest pleasure of reviewing books for publishers is when really great ones come along – this is one: Django by Peter Comley’ Lesley Cripps Thomson ‘…magic book, with a free flowing writing style; very Bill Bryson, with a proper African view! I feel I knew Django.’ Julian Hill ‘Wonderful and so beautifully and wittily written. Great treat.’ Heather MacDonald ‘We very much enjoyed the delightful story of Django.’ Anthony and Sandy Collier