The Elephant Whisperer

My Life with the Herd in the African Wild

By: Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Biography/Memoir, 2014

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 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.

©2009, 2012 Lawrence Anthony and Graham Spence (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"An inspiring, multifaceted account, Anthony's book offers fascinating insights into the lives of wild elephants in the broader context of Zulu culture in post-Apartheid South Africa." ( Publishers Weekly)

Captivating!

This book grew increasingly riveting! Raw. Authentic. Sad. Joyful. Smiles. Heart-tugging! Loved it! Will listen again!

A tale of epic proportions

Growing up in Africa and visiting the bush often, this book resonated with me. It brought back memories of stories I grew up with, of people with courage, vision and personal integrity, it dealt with tribal issues and beliefs with respect. A wonderful listen, I laughed out loud and had to wipe away tears. U

Excellent story, well narrated.

I didn't know if I would be interested in this title but I was pleasantly surprised.

Exceptional

Lawrence Anthony (17 September 1950-2 March 2012) was a conservationist with the Thula Game Reserve in Zululand, South Africa. He was asked to accept a herd of “rogue” elephants otherwise they would be killed. The elephants had been badly traumatized and would require special care. Apparently he wanted to refuse because of the problems of adding another herd of elephants, but he just could not say no.

The story tells of the bonding with the elephants and becoming part of the herd. Anthony tells interesting anecdotes: some funny, some sad but all educational. He tells how he learned to communicate with the elephants. I send a big thank you to the Zulu people for creating and maintaining this magnificent wild game refuge.

The book is well written and is a highly readable memoir of his life among the exotic animals. The book also provides information about the life and culture of the Zulu people. I read in the newspaper that when Anthony died, the elephants suddenly appeared at his home on the Reserve and spent two days around the house in mourning. I keep wondering how they knew he died. Simon Vance is one of my favorite narrators and of course he does his usual excellent job narrating the book.

I absolutely loved this book

This is a warm, interesting, funny, sad, nail-biting, euphoric, flowing way to get to know a man named Lawrence Anthony and his conservation land Thula Thula in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was so well written. The narration was perfect, Simon Vance really nailed it. And Thula Thula and the Herd came alive for me, along with the people, the dogs, the wildness of the land, the local politics, the love that everyone has for the land and the love the author has for the animals, his family and the environment. I felt like this was a really honest recounting of the highs and lows of incorporating a herd of troublesome elephants onto a patch of land they initially fought to escape from, eventually practically defining the land with their personality and caring. I was fascinated to learn so much about elephants (an animal I never thought much about before). I was charmed by the people and the environment he described, and I could probably have listened to 10 more hours of the same kind of stories and descriptions of average, ordinary days. (I bought the book The Last Rhinos, also by the same author, and it really is more of the same!). I can't say enough nice things about this book - it was a great listen, would make a great road trip book and the entire family could listen to it. So happy I found this.

Loved this book!

What made the experience of listening to The Elephant Whisperer the most enjoyable?

It was so very heartwarming to journey with the herd of elephants and was
so moved by the connections they made with humans.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really liked the two main characters, David and Lawrence. They were so gentle with
all animals. I wish everyone was like them.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

Lawrence

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

a journey with elephants

Any additional comments?

warms your soul

Loved this book!

Any additional comments?

I was worried that this would be too much like a documentary, but it was not at all.
Excellent story which evoked such compassion!

Elephants? Who knew the depths of these animals?

What made the experience of listening to The Elephant Whisperer the most enjoyable?

We have a wonderful herd of elephants at our local zoological park. Knowing the family ties, it still doesn't even come close to the descriptions given in this story. I felt like I was on the reserve and I knew these magnificent creatures.

What did you like best about this story?

The authentic nature of the story telling made me feel as if I were on the reserve watching this herd. The animals had personalities, intelligence and most importantly, felt as if they had souls.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

Simon Vance is the bomb of story telling. All of his characters are memorable and I listen to as many of his recordings as I can.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The tragic turn toward the end of the story with a 'lone' elephant was particularly moving. I felt the author's pain during, and most especially later in the story when he discovers the reason behind the behavior of the elephant in question. (Trying to avoid spoilers here.)

Any additional comments?

I am a very active reader/listener; consuming 50-60 books a year. This book has moved to number three on my all time best books list. I have already downloaded his later story on rhinos. I can't wait to listen.

An adventurous romp through Africa

I also listened to this in Sri Lanka,where I was able to get up close with these magnificent beasts.The author takes on a small head of destructive elephants marked for slaughter.He builds a safari camp with his sophisticated French girlfriend and they battle poachers,an escape and even have to kill one elephant that goes on a rampage.What is very touching is to hear how he gradually gains the trust of these renegade behemoths.The narrator speaks with a very clear British accent and the book was written in an entertaining manner.This was not the case with Ivory's Ghosts,anther Elephant book,that demands close attention to the details.That book was more of a history,and science book.Man has a big dilemma to deal with these creatures.They need space,copious amounts of water and abundant food,but then man is increasing his numbers all the time.Encroaching on the wild and shrinking the animals rightful home.

animal lovers safari

Full off danger and intrigue and a huge dose of heart as Anthony and his workers strive to save the Elephants and other animals. The tragic story of the baby elephant with the deformed legs was heart wrenching. A great read for any animal lover