The Elephant Whisperer: Learning About Life, Loyalty and Freedom From a Remarkable Herd of Elephants

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In his book, Lawrence Anthony, recounts the story of how he took in a rogue herd that otherwise was going to be shot. The imaginative concoctions of too much of storytelling these days don't elicit anyway near the real life emotional swings and metaphysical aspects inherent in this book.

As Anthony risked his life to create a bond with the troubled elephants and persuade them to stay on his reserve, he came to realize what a special family they were, from the wise matriarch Nana, who guided the herd, to her warrior sister Frankie, always ready to see off any threat, and their children who fought so hard to survive. As Lawrence battled to create a bond with the elephants and save them from execution, he came to realise that they had a lot to teach him about love, loyalty and freedom. Anthony had no formal education about the care of elephants; however, he was open to *their* form of communication, he allowed the scared animals the time they needed, ultimately making room for the herd to heal itself in ways that couldn’t have been foreseen. When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse.I ran the gamut of emotions as I read this book: I laughed, I cried, I was amazed, sometimes shocked, and ultimately, I fell in love with the elephants and their human rescuer.

Two biologists, Joyce Pool and Petter Granli, who have spent more than 37 years with elephants in the wild, discovered that these creatures have sophisticated communication ability. After a lovely dinner and then drinks by the fireplace, in the twilight Hermann escorted us, rifle a-ready, to our cabins. Happily, Anthony seemed to understand that a calming presence and personal connection with the lead elephant could make a difference to the herd’s peace of mind. Hoorah for Lawrence Anthony (referred to in the Zulu tongue by a title that sounded like In-koo-loo). They looked at us languidly, but it was hard not to feel startled at being so close to these predators out in the open.

These elephants are notorious in breaking away from their sanctuaries and have been so far unmanageable. When Lawrence passed away, the elephants he rescued and nurtured came visting to his house to pay their last respects.

It is a source of great happiness that there are such people working tirelessly to create an environment of inclusion in a world that increasingly seems focused on self-aggrandizement. Lawrence Anthony is a South African conservationist whose dream to acquire and develop an animal preserve in the heart of Zulu land came to fruition in Thula Thula, Africa. But it was the encounter with a massive bull elephant coming straight at us that had even our veteran guide alarmed. Humans, on the other hand, tend to focus introspectively on their own lives too often, brooding and magnifying problems that the animal kingdom would not waste a millisecond of energy upon. But he was the herd's last chance of survival – dangerous and unpredictable, they would be killed if Anthony wouldn't take them in.Every wild thing is in tune with its surroundings, awake to its fate and in absolute harmony with the planet. What is depicted are varying mesmerizing situations the author has experienced that the reader may glean the relevance of.

A man with a heart the size of his achievements passed from not only this life, but the life of the many animals he dedicated his love to.The audio narration by Simon Vance is wonderful, and earned a Audie Award for Biography/Memoir in 2014. When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his reserve at Thula Thula, his commonsense told him to refuse.