The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild [Hardcover]

I love Elephants, and was looking for a book that would recall the absolute joy I felt when I first saw them in the wild. I could not have done better than Lawrence Anthony's The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild.

Anthony, a former businesman-turned-conservationist, manages the Thula Thula private game reserve in Zululand, South Africa. At the beginning of the story, he accepted a "rogue" herd of Elephants onto his reserve. As soon as they arrive they start trying to escape. Anthony realizes that that, in order to calm the herd down, he has to communicate with them. Throughout the book, nthony often finds himself alone in the African bush with the Elephants. He uses the same verbal and physical language strategies that humans employ everyday to communicate with each other, such as changing the intonation of his voice. The amount of communication between Anthony and the Elephants is truly incredible. Eventually, he forms a strong bond with the two leading females. When one large female, Frankie, does charge him, Anthony is able to persuade her to stop by shouting, "Don't, it's me!" Throughout the book, Anthony shows just how deep and sincere the bond really is. In one memorable encounter, Anthony is standing near the giant matriarch Nana when he realizes she just wants her presence acknowledged. That simple act of recognition satisfied Nana and cemented their connection.

Part memoir, part collection of anecdotes, each chapter of The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild contains a different and generally exciting story about Anthony, the team at Thula Thula, and the herd. If the book had a theme it would be emotions and wildlife. I often felt like Anthony took me, as the reader, along for a ride on an emotional roller coaster. I've read many books about Elephants, but found myself floored by some of their antics. Anthony reports that whenever he arrived back at Thula Thula from a trip, the Elephants would line up to greet him at the front gate. Once, when he was in Durban and his flight was canceled, the Elephants stopped their march to the gate and turned back - at exactly the same time Anthony heard his flight was canceled. At another point, the Elephants demonstrated their love for freedom by opening the gate to a boma enclosure and freeing a herd of Nyala antelope that was being prepared for transport. Other animals, from the Elephants to Anthony's dog, show amazing courage in the face of adversity. By the end of the book, I was almost in tears, but also happy to know that humans were slowly breaking the barriers of communication with Elephants.

None of this is to ignore the human characters in the book. They're also an incredible bunch. Françoise, Anthony's Parisian wife, helps in the maintenance of the lodge and often provides lighthearted relief. David, the bush ranger, seems absolutely fearless as he drives toward burning fires and ventures out into the night with two male lions on the prowl. The regal Zulu king Nkosi provides a connection to the Zulu tribe's past as well as a vision for the future. As with all good heros, the book has its set of villains, from poachers to cattle barons. It even features several shootouts.

The real question isn't whether to get this book - it's how soon you're going to book a trip to Anthony's Thula Thula reserve (where I heard his wife makes a great cuisine). I've already told my wife that it will be our next adventure. In the meantime, I ordered Lawrence Anthony's Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo.

Here are some other good books and movies on Elephants that I've enjoyed:
- Echo and Other Elephants
- Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family
- Elephant Destiny
- Elephant
- When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals
- Wildlife Wars: My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures

I have been fascinated by elephants ever since seeing a documentary on them so it's no wonder this book caught my attention. From page one it grabbed me and kept enthralled throughout. The relationship between Lawrence Anthony and his wild herd of elephants is something to be admired. I felt transported to another world as I read about life on "Thula Thula". This book is not just about elephants but about all the adventures of life in the African Wild. I am so captivated with this man and his work that I now want to visit Thula Thula one day so I can meet this amazing herd of jumbos. If you are an animal lover, especially exotic animals, I highly recommend this book. It will not disappoint.

I loved this book. It took me into a world that I could only hope to experience. Lawrence Anthony has a story to tell that will fill hearts with exhiliration, joy, as well as sadness and exasperation. He really reveals the depth of elephants in a way that only one who has spent considerable time and love on them can. A great read.

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