NOTE!  In an article entitled "British team capture first pictures of Africa's 'unicorn'" on Thu Sep 11, 2008.   The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) claim to have taken the 1st ever photo in the wild of the OKAPI !!!   Not only did they NOT take the 1st ever photo, but they took it with a 'Camera Trap'.  My father took 3 pictures of the OKAPI (one is shown here & on pg 171 of dad's book) when he was on his motorcycle adventure across Africa 33 years ago!  It was likely an oversight and they did not search the internet for current photos prior to publishing this claim.  I have e-mailed the ZSL (noted below) about their oversight and will post their response (or no response) here and on YouTube. 

Here is 1 sentence of their article from Yahoo News, for the full story go to the links noted below: 

“LONDON (AFP) -The okapi, an African animal so elusive that it was once believed to be a mythical unicorn, has been photographed in the wild for the first time, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) said Thursday.”

Yahoo news: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/britaindrcongoanimalwildlife;_ylt=AvlUWPxhuWI9IT_d2GDofqPZn414

or the ZSL site: http://www.zsl.org/field-conservation/news/first-ever-pictures-of-africas-unicorn,514,NS.html

 

Please don't let them take this honor from my dad; if you would like to remind ZSL about their oversight, here are the media contacts: For ZSL inquiries - Lynsey Ford on 020 7449 6288 or lynsey.ford@zsl.org or Kendall Munns on 020 7449 6241 or kendall.munns@zsl.org        Thank you...

Into the Heart of Africa is a fascinating account of an incredible motorcycle journey across Africa.  Jerry Smith shares with the reader such events as Christmas in Cameroon and a meal of zebra liver and steak in the Republic of Central Africa, where Russian military presence was very real. Jerry encounters it all in Africa-from spear toting warriors that could have slipped silently from the bush 100 years ago, to tanks and solders with modern weapons. Bandits and smugglers, colorful Arabs and near naked Pygmies…it is all in, “The Heart of Africa.” An interesting mix of people appears in the book. These include an English speaking Norwegegian Baptist Missionary, austere territorial chiefs in flowing robes to modern well drillers from Texas and of course the Africans who live in many villages along the way. Jerry’s good humor and adventurous sprit are evident in his crisp writing and descriptions, even when jabbed with a bayonet, mooned by a baboon and faced with an aggressive native ready to catapult a spear through him. In the opening chapter, the reader will be riding with Jerry as he races for his life to escape from thieves. For the rest of the story...read the book.  The trek crosses a variety of land including narrow valleys, the endless Sahara, rocky trails where nothing leaves a track, to the dense jungle trails. In addition to being an adventure story, the book will leave you with a better understanding of Africa and its people.  Jerry describes the villages and inhabitants he and his team encounter along the way. War and hardship of living In Africa is noted. However, he exhibits an understanding and sympathy for these people. His wonder and enjoyment visiting a Pygmy village was evident. He also writes of the freedom and excitement of riding alone on age old trails near Lake Victoria in the northern Serengeti. Jerry is something of a modern-day Indiana Jones.  Yet he has the ability to take the reader along on this exciting motorcycle trip.  - A Des Moines, IA reader

Our Video Tribute to dad on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqHlg5PhZhU 

Our Chihuahua Videos on YouTube:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHrgQOq9X7M
                                     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7z1vPmFHbo