By Marge Lewter
There is a collection of books I have been reading which are just wonderful. If you like animals, (and who doesn’t?) then read the “Elephant Whisperer”, by Lawrence Anthony.
After reading the Elephant Whisperer, I immediately ordered the next book, Babylon’s Ark which is the story of Anthony’s rescue of animals in the Baghdad zoo. And after that, The Last Rhinos. Once I finished Mr. Anthony’s final book, I started in on An Elephant in my Kitchen by Francoise Anthony.
You may have heard of Lawrence Anthony when there was a worldwide news report of his beloved elephant herd arriving at his home at Thula Thula Reserve on the day he died to mourn him as one of their own. He died in a foreign country but somehow they knew and gathered around his home in South Africa after traveling many hours to get there. Then exactly one year later, on the anniversary of his death, they gathered around again. Elephants are famous for two things: Their incredible memory and mourning their dead.
In trying to describe a book which is indescribable, I can only say that I could not wait for the next chapter. I read it cover to cover in a few days, just soaking in the beautiful trust and wisdom of Mr. Anthony and his elephants. The stories all take place at the Thula Thula Reserve in South Africa. The ability of Mr. Anthony to win the trust of a herd of rogue elephants is heartwarming and true. Each chapter is an adventure of life in Africa and all the beauty it holds.
Babylon’s Ark portrays Mr. Anthony’s dedication to animals by risking his life to go and save the animals in a war torn country. It tells the courageous stories of many others who decided to take this mission on alongside of him. It describes how he found the caged animals starving and the facility abandoned. In extremely dangerous conditions, he enlisted the help of others who were able to provide much needed supplies.
The Last Rhinos follows the same theme of Anthony’s dedication to an animal species, but keeps you on the edge of your seat as you learn about the politics and negotiations required to get things done in a land dangerous terrorists in the central African jungle. You travel with him to the secret camp of the insurgents where he convinces them to work with him to save the last remaining white rhinos on the planet.
Lawrence Anthony’s wife, Francoise continues to carry on his work and to raise awareness for the plight of the creatures we share the earth with. She is the author of two books, an Elephant in my Kitchen and The Elephants of Thula Thula. These are filled with the amazing stories of the elephants she continues to protect at Thula Thula Reserve.
The human animal bond goes way beyond us and our house pets. These books demonstrate that that bond can connect all living creatures, domestic and wild.