The Elephant Whisperer 

A true story of a herd of wild animals by naturalist Lawrence Anthony.

Conservationist Lawrence Anthony and his partner, the beautiful and sensitive Francois live on the South African game ranch Thula Thula along with the ranch manager David. Anthony is offered a herd of rogue elephants to rehabilitate. If he refuses, the herd would be put to sleep as they have turned out to be unpredictable and dangerous, already having caused enough destruction.

Anthony’s sensitivity to nature and animals is amazing. Here is a man born for the wild. His ability to communicate instinctively with animals makes him the right person to rehabilitate this rogue herd. The book is beautiful from the word go. The journey of the elephants as well as that of Anthony and Francoise along with them is filled with love, poignancy, humour and inadvertent sense of wonder towards nature.

It did remind me a bit of Durrell’s writings – this man is way ahead of Durrell in many aspects though. He has found a kindred soul in the animals – he seems to communicate with animals at a deeper level. Anthony displays an unusual ability to understand the silent communication of the creatures of the wild.