When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of “rogue” wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd’s last chance of survival: they would be killed if he wouldn’t take them.In order to save their lives, Anthony took them in. In the years that followed he became a part of their family. And as … family. And as he battled to create a bond with the elephants, he came to realize that they had a great deal to teach him about life, loyalty, and freedom.
The Elephant Whisperer is a heartwarming, exciting, funny, and sometimes sad account of Anthony’s experiences with these huge yet sympathetic creatures. Set against the background of life on an African game reserve, with unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, it is a delightful book that will appeal to animal lovers and adventurous souls everywhere.
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I could not put this book down. We have been to Africa twice and seen lots of elephants along the way. They are what make this book a page turner. I learned lots about the animals of Africa.
I thought this story just drew you in and held your interest. It was sad, heartwarming, funny and exciting. Lawrence Anthony goes to extreme measures to protect these endangered elephants on his game reserve. Would he be able to protect this ‘rogue’ herd of wild elephant, and the first challenge would be to keep them on his reserve. I loved every page of this book.
I greatly enjoyed the synergy between Lawrence Anthony and the elephants. His knowledge and empathy for all the animals on the Thula Thula animal refuge shows in all respects; however, the elephants hold a special place in his heart. I exceedingly enjoyed learning about the elephants, game reserves & African politics in general. I recommend this book to all animal lovers!
Loved it!
Attention grabbing from the start. Proof that true life stories inspire and stay with you.
Interesting read about elephants and humans relate in their family structure.
Terrific book
A truly great book.
Made me want to book a flight to visit this fascinating game reserve. The book discusses the joys and the difficulties of living in the bush and protecting & feeding the animals they love. They have difficulty with everything from poachers to wildfires. They have joys with everything from baby animals to an unexpected wedding. I’m going to wait a week or two, then read it again.
This is the kind of book that makes you grateful there are people like the author looking out for wildlife and the land.
It played beautifully into my love of elephants and of Africa. I was enchanted by this story and it’s amazing outcome. The descriptions were fantastic and you felt as though you were there experiencing them. It is about a life few of us know and it inspires with the dedication one man shows to wildlife and their natural habitat.
Haven’t finished it yet, but am thoroughly enjoying it. Amazing how the elephants communicate with each other–too bad we’ll never know how they do it!
a great look into a period I did not know much about.
A must read for anyone concerned about conservation of lands and native species. As an elephant fan and foster parent, the insight to wild elephant behavior was amazing.
I am not an animal lover. This book brought a love and respect for wild life also an insight of Africa! Highly recommend it!
This was an enlightening book. I have a whole new respect for elephants. They are smart, and much more aggressive than I had imagined. Nice insights into life in South Africa and how and why cultural traditions should be honored.
This is the incredible story of Lawrence Anthony’s decision to take on a group of troubled elephants onto his wild animal preserve, which he had purchased in 1998, 5,000 acres of pristine bush in Zululand, South Africa called Thula Thula. This land had formerly been a hunting preserve, but Anthony transformed it into a preserve where no animal was harmed unless a situation was life threatening. Elephants had not been seen in this area for more than a century, and he had his work cut out for him with this group, who were constantly trying to break free, or just the daily actions of dealing with such a unruly group of animals, as these elephants came to him having had a huge mistrust of people. Anthony worked with them one on one, by talking to them and gaining their trust, often putting himself in dangers way. We learn about the amazing way the elephant can communicate and how intuitive they are. This is an amazing story, which flows so beautifully. There is much more to the story besides the elephants, such as his work with the Zulu tribes, his closeness to his canine companions and that of the people that he is closest to and his best supporters, but also that of the poachers that try to undermine his efforts.