Update
KNYSNA NEWS - Award-winning wildlife expert and author Gareth Patterson officially launched his latest book, Beyond the Secret Elephants, at Knysna's Bargain Books on Wednesday 19 February.
Patterson has done incredible work to help protect and better understand Africa's lions as well as the continuously dwindling elephant population that live in Knysna's surrounding forests.
His first publication on the Knysna elephants came in the form of his 2009 book, The Secret Elephants, wherein he briefly mentioned what has been dubbed the "Otang", our own version of North America's Bigfoot, the Himalayas' Yeti, and Sumatra's Orang Pendek.
Patterson had long-since heard many a tale from locals who frequent the forests, about the existence of a so-called relict hominoid.
In the much-anticipated sequel, Patterson takes a further look into the Otang, offering more intimate information and tales of his 18 years of experience with the secretive Knysna elephants.
The book also reveals his startling discovery of an even more mysterious being said to be present in the Knysna forest.
At the launch, lucky members of the public had a chance to hear more insight into the book straight from the horse's mouth. Sharing tales of how the book came to fruition, and providing sneak peeks into what can be expected from the book, Patterson lit up the audience's eyes with stories of his experiences in the forests.
After a lengthy and healthy Q&A session to close off the book launch, Patterson was on hand to sign copies of the book, as well as engage in a bit more conversation on the topic at hand.
Patterson's book is now available nationwide.
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