Tag Archives: conservation

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

The Elephant WhispererTitle: The Elephant Whisperer
Author: Lawrence Anthony
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Conservation, Inspiration, Non-fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Pan Books
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: If he was shaking, it was with anger – not an overdose of electrons.

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Synopsis

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 – dangerous and unpredictable, they would be killed if Anthony wouldn’t take them in.

As Anthony risked his life to create a bond with the troubled elephants and persuade them to stay on his reserve, he came to realise 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.

With unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, this is an enthralling look that will appeal to animal lovers and adventurous souls everywhere.

Thoughts

No matter how many times I read this book, I will still be in awe. Inspired. And wishing that I could return to South Africa. I actually originally bought this (and read it) on the way back to Australia from Johannesburg. And it was glorious. Impossible to put down, and one of the most inspiring conservation stories that I have ever read. Reading it the second time, well, my response really hasn’t changed in the slightest…

Lawrence Anthony is both an engaging storyteller and passionate conservationist. His maverick approach to problem solving and incredible gumption mean that you are on the edge of your seat the entire time you read of his exploits. And the fact that his life and exploits feature an amazing herd of elephants, and some incredibly picturesque scenery. After all, Africa has some of the most iconic animals in the world, and it is impossible not to imagine yourself going on game rides right alongside Anthony and his staff.

I love no-hold way in which this story is told. There is no sugar coating the difficulties of life in the bush and the horrors which it can entail. Nature takes its course, and rather than trying to redirect the ebbs and flows of life, Anthony partakes in all of its mystery. It reminds me why I love being out in the bush and just enjoying what our countryside has to offer, even if my countryside has far smaller animals than his…

 <- Babylon’s Ark Review The Last Rhinos Review ->
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Kangaroo Dundee by Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Kangaroo Dundee

Title: Kangaroo Dundee
Author: Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Biographies, Conservation
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Back to working seven days a week, dealing with massive overheads, busting my back, sweating like a pig.

Synopsis

When Chris Barns, AKA Brolga, stopped at a roadside to tend to a kangaroo lying there, he found that she was already dead – another victim of speeding cars in the remote Australian outback. But as he gently moved her body, he discovered still tucked up within the pouch a tiny pink baby kangaroo, injured but alive. So began an extraordinary and life changing journey.

Brolga’s deep love and respect for animals went back to childhood, but for years he had led a nomadic life drifting from one job to the next never settling. This moment was a turning point. Brolga tenderly nursed the baby joey back to health and realised that if he could save one orphan then he could save another.

Over the years Brolga has watched how kangaroo mums care for their young. He now uses what he’s learned to give these helpless creatures a second chance; feeding them, bathing the, doing everything a mother would.

Living simply in a one-room tin shack in Alice Springs, this tough, 6’7″ Australian has dedicated his life to painstakingly caring for his kangaroo ‘mob’ before releasing them into the sanctuary he has created.

Here, Brolga describes life with the joeys and how through his care and love for them a lifelong bond is created. We meet Roger and Ella and the other kangaroos, and come to understand how this unique relationship between one man and these beloved animals not only saved their lives, but gave purpose to his.

Thoughts

I’ve had this book on my shelf for ages. I went looking for Australiana books while I had a friend over from overseas and just thought that this looked a little interesting. The other night I decided to pick it up. Which was great, but also a mistake. I didn’t put it back down again. Something about the familiarity of our beautiful country, Brolga’s passions and the great Aussie voice completely reeled me in and made it just impossible to put this down. Or sleep. Even though I was absolutely buggered…

My family has always rescued birds (and the occasional possum) found on the side of the road. So many of the things that Brolga goes through are kind of familiar. The heartbreak of losing something because of human stupidity, or just a simple accident. And the joy at nursing something back to health, just to return it to the wild and a life that they can now live. It’s all familiar, and incredibly heart-warming to read about in someone else’s words.

This story takes you all along the western coast of Australia, to the Top End, and back down to central Australia. Mostly throughout the outback and more intense parts of our country, but I loved the vividness and realism of Barns’ descriptions. This is definitely a book that I’m going to be recommended to others, and reading a few more times.

 <- Journeys to the Other Side of the WorldThe Emotional Lives of Animals (Revised) ->

Image source: Goodreads

Adventures of a Young Naturalist by David Attenborough

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Adventures of a Young Naturalist

Title: Adventures of a Young Naturalist: The Zoo Quest Expeditions
Author: David Attenborough
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Conservation, Non-fiction
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Two Roads
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: We had constructed a large cage for the peccary from thin saplings bound together with strips of bark, and this was wedged in the bows of the boat.

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Synopsis

In 1954, a young David Attenborough was offered the opportunity of a lifetime – to travel the world finding rare and elusive animals for London Zoo’s collection, and to film the expeditions for the BBC for a new show called Zoo Quest.

This is the story of those voyages. Staying with local tribes while trekking in search of giant anteaters in Guyana, Komodo dragons in Indonesia and armadillos in Paraguay, he and the rest of the team battled with cannibal fish, aggressive tree porcupines and escape-artist wild pigs, as well as treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather, to record the incredible beauty and biodiversity of these regions. The methods may be outdated now, but the fascination and respect for the wildlife, the people and the environment – and the importance of protecting these wild places – is not.

Written with Attenborough’s trademark wit and charm, Adventures of a Young Naturalist is not just the story of a remarkable adventure, but of the man who made us fall in love with the natural world, and who is still doing so today.

Thoughts

I love David Attenborough. So it’s not really a surprise that I love this book. Although I’ve seen him live, and talking about the years in which he travelled around filming and catching for Zoo Quest, it was a lot more fun to read about it. Or at least, to read about three of his adventures. It was completely unexpected, quite funny in spots and just a fascinating journey to be swept away on.

This journey starts with an introduction – it tells you a little about the background of Zoo Quest and how it all came about. Then you begin in Guyana. Each chapter is its own little adventure, and the three completely different journeys are structured and separated in a way that you almost pause and take a break in between. Much like Attenborough would have as he travelled on such a crazy whirlwind.

One of the things that really stuck out at me throughout this novel is how dramatically everything has changed. I highly doubt you could go on such an adventure anymore. And it’s even less likely that many of the animals that were found, filmed, and in some cases, captured are roaming about the wilderness anymore. This might be where Attenborough’s career really took off, but it is also a poignant reminder of the myriad of ways in which conservation practices and wilderness has changed in the last sixty years.

 <- Life on Air ReviewJourneys to the Other Side of the World Review ->
Image source: Blackwell’s

Babylon’s Ark by Lawrence Anthony

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Babylon's Ark

Title: Babylon’s Ark
Author: Lawrence Anthony
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Conservation, Non-fiction, True stories
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Thomas Dune Books
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: I knew it was unlikely I would be able to shoot my way out, but I certainly would take a couple of these cutthroats with me.

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Synopsis

When the Iraq war began, conservationist Lawrence Anthony could think of only one thing: the fate of the Baghdad Zoo, located in the city center and caught in the war’s crossfire. Once Anthony entered Baghdad he discovered that full-scale combat and uncontrolled looting had killed nearly all the animals of the zoo.

But not all of them. U.S. soldiers had taken the time to help care for the remaining animals, and the zoo’s staff had returned to work in spite of the constant firefights. Together the Americans and Iraqis had managed to keep alive the animals that had survived the invasion.

Babylon’s Ark chronicles the zoo’s transformation from bombed-out rubble to peaceful park. Along the way, Anthony recounts hair-raising efforts to save a pride of the dictator’s lions, close a deplorable black-market zoo, and rescue Saddam’s Arabian horses. His unique ground-level experience makes Babylon’s Arkan uplifting story of both sides working together for the sake of innocent animals caught in the war’s crossfire.

Thoughts

There is nothing like settling down with a good, inspiring book that not only restores your faith in humanity, but also reminds you that anything is possible… if you have the courage to try. Anthony’s exploits in Baghdad at the take-over by American soldiers is one such story. Although the background of war and conflict help to heighten the risks which Lawrence takes in the name of conservation, this story is an incredible story about the people and the animals who are stranded in the middle of this dire situation.

Impulsive like the best of us, Anthony decides to travel to Iraq to attempt to save the animals that were stranded in the middle of one of the most bullet riddled conflict zones of the war. What follows is a journey that has stuck with me for the past two years. I have read it multiple times throughout the proceeding year, and with each re-read my awe and admiration for this incredibly dedicated man refuses to diminish. Lawrence Anthony is both who I strive to be, and who I could never imagine myself being. He chooses to risk everything for the sake of the lives of a few creatures who are unable to protect, and fight for themselves. Well, at least, they’re not able to fight against the gunfire that flew past them on what must have been a daily basis.

Whilst this story is about saving the Baghdad Zoo from ruin, and the rescue mission that sparked international interest, it is also about the people who made this possible. From the two brave men from Kuwait who travelled across the border to assist Lawrence to the Iraqis who journeyed daily across the ‘Red Zone’ to then spend unforgiving hours lugging buckets of water under the hot, desert sun. These men and women risked everything to take care of their fellow creatures. Yet, it wasn’t just the locals, members of the militia often helped to assist the up and coming zoo. From the unnamed soldier who gave away a brand new generator, to the mercenaries that continuously protected Lawrence and his people against looters – Babylon’s Ark is not only a story about saving a zoo, but also about the bravery and gumption of people in the face of almost impossible odds.

<- Born FreeThe Elephant Whisperer ->

Image source: Book Depository

An African Love Story by Daphne Sheldrick

Book Review, , ,

Overview

an-african-love-story

Title: An African Love Story
Author: Daphne Sheldrick
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Conservation, Non-fiction, True stories
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin books
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Water, more precious than gold, had to be rationed, every drop carted from base.
Challenge: 2017 Bookworm Bitches Catch-Up Challenge

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Synopsis

Daphne Sheldrick, whose family arrived in Africa from Scotland in the 1820s, is the first person ever to have successfully hand-reared newborn elephants. Her deep empathy and understanding, her years of observing Kenya’s rich variety of wildlife, and her pioneering work in perfecting the right husbandry and milk formula have saved countless elephants, rhinos, and other baby animals from certain death.

In this heartwarming and poignant memoir, Daphne shares her amazing relationships with a host of orphans, including her first love, Bushy, a liquid-eyed antelope; Rickey-Tickey-Tavey, the little dwarf mongoose; Gregory Peck, the busy buffalo weaver bird; Huppety, the mischievous zebra; and the majestic elephant Eleanor, with whom Daphne has shared more than forty years of great friendship.

But this is also a magical and heartbreaking human love story between Daphne and David Sheldrick, the famous Tsavo Park warden. It was their deep and passionate love, David’s extraordinary insight into all aspects of nature, and the tragedy of his early death that inspired Daphne’s vast array of achievements, most notably the founding of the world-renowned David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Orphans’ Nursery in Nairobi National Park, where Daphne continues to live and work to this day.

Encompassing not only David and Daphne’s tireless campaign for an end to poaching and for conserving Kenya’s wildlife, but also their ability to engage with the human side of animals and their rearing of the orphans expressly so they can return to the wild, Love, Life, and Elephants is alive with compassion and humor, providing a rare insight into the life of one of the world’s most remarkable women.

Thoughts

There are not enough words in the English language to describe how inspiring and touching this story was. At least to someone who is animal obsessed as I am… Daphne’s life was filled with tragedies and triumphs, mirroring the lives of some of her orphaned charges, and the reflective and honest way in which she looks back at these moments in her life is sweet and endearing, yet eye-opening to the plight of elephants.

Admittedly, I am a large fan of books around conservation efforts, but, where many of them focus on the sometimes incredibly negative impacts of the difficulty in this, the entirety of An African Love Story was positive. Even when talking about the immense slaughters that were carried out in Tsavo National Park, Sheldrick managed to still promote the love she felt for both her family and the land around her. It helped to beautifully offset such a tragic point in the Parks’ history, a horrifying act that is still being carried out today. Introducing us to her orphaned elephants, the many successes and even failures that passed through her hands helped to give a face to such a potent issue in the conservation world. The pictures throughout her story helped to further the emotional connection that all but those of the hardest heart will melt for.

That’s not to say that the only orphans featured in this story are the victims of the ivory trade – buffaloes, mongooses, antelope and warthogs all make their own special appearances on the page and in Sheldrick’s heart. Each of these short tales of mischievous and mayhem help to instil a love for Kenya and it’s animals that left a yearning in my heart to travel to this astonishing countryside.

<- Among the Pigeons ReviewBorn Free Review ->
Image source: Penguin

Fortress Conservation by Dan Brockington

Book Review, , , , , , ,

Overview

Fortress Conservation

Title: Fortress Conservation: The Preservation of the Mkomazi Game Reserve, Tanzania
Author: Dan Brockington
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Anthropology, True stories, Science, Non-fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: Ethnographic text
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: Number of species.

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Synopsis

Dan Brockington challenges the broad vision of Africa’s environment, history and society which drives conservation policies across the continent. He argues that his vision has been harmful, unjust and unnecessary in its effects on people at the Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania.

Do cattle destroy a wilderness?
Many ecologists question whether herds degrade the environment. They ask whether a wilderness has to be devoid of people. They voice the concern for the rights of the people excluded from the Reserve by politicians and judges.

Are the interests of people to give way to wildlife?
Exclusion policies are the norm of conservation. African governments gain easily collectable revenues from tourism. Western governments and donors form alliances with the African governments to sustain this vision.

Were the Maasai in Mkomazi long ago?
Conservation policy is based on a fallacious interpretation of the Reserve’s history and environment. The evictions have been economically damaging.

Do the foreign Trusts provide valid rehabilitation projects?
The Hollywood film about the work at Mkomazi “To Walk with Lions’ is used for fund-raising. Hello! reports on London parties. Books, films, television and magazines feed the search for a long-held dream of Africa. They gloss over what has happened to the people and their herds who have been moved out.

Thoughts

I found Fortress Conservation to be a good read. It gave a fascinating insight into conservation practices throughout Africa and the idea of ‘fortress conservation’. It was amazingly useful for my BA Hons thesis – focusing on conservation in Australia. The idea that fortress conservation is a ‘white man’s practice’ was fascinating to me. Although I did find some of his writing a little too academic and dry in places (hence the lower rating). I would recommend this book to others interested in conservation though.

This book raised a lot of complex issues – it wasn’t just about conserving the natural world, Brockington also investigated the cultural and social significance of this. Add in aspects of the conservation on colonialism, and I walked away from this book with a LOT of thoughts running through my head.

Not the book for everyone, but definitely worth a read if you have any interest in Africa, conservation or just the issues of the modern political and social climate.

<- More non-fiction reviews More anthropology book reviews ->
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Are the Oceans Becoming Quieter?

Book Review, , , ,

Originally published by ReefWatch SA on 31 March 2016.

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpheidae

Original research article: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/283/1826/20153046

If you love marine life (which you obviously do since you’re getting the Reef Watcher), then you’ve heard about ocean acidification. Actually, I think that just about everybody has heard about it. And every time we turn around, scientists have discovered a new problem associated with it. Or at least that’s how it seems because it turns out that ocean acidification is now silencing our oceans. Who knew?

To make more sense of this phenomenon, you probably need to know what sounds we’re talking about. And weirdly enough, you’ve probably all heard them – you just haven’t realised what you are listening to. It’s shrimp. Snapping shrimp to be exact. This video explains it really well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCW789vj7t4&feature=youtu.be

Basically, it’s the crackling sound that people sometimes hear near and within the ocean – that’s snapping shrimp. They are one of the loudest invertebrates in the ocean and create the ‘snapping’ or crackling sound by closing their claws very fast. This creates an air bubble that can release a sound of up to 210 dB! That’s the equivalent of an earthquake with a Richter scale of 2.0 and is louder than a rocket launch! And at 194 dB, sound waves become shock waves! They normally use this phenomenal talent to catch prey or scare off predators. But this sound is important in another way – baby fish also use this sound to navigate the sea.

Not only will snapping shrimp be in more danger if they don’t ‘snap’ frequently, but it could also have larger effects on the ecosystem. If baby fish can’t navigate through the oceans, then they are far more likely to become someone else’s lunch. Sound is the most reliable way to navigate in the water since light and smells can become distorted in the currents. Sound also travels thousands of kilometres, unlike water, which travels a few metres.

How is a rising CO2 level in the water changing the sound I hear you ask? Well, three researchers from Adelaide University, Mr. Tullio Rossi, Associate Professor Ivan Nagelkerken and Professor Sean Connell, studied the snapping shrimp surrounding volcanic vents in three locations off the coast of New Zealand. These vents are natural sources of CO2 and give us a fairly important insight into the effects that ocean acidification could have. The CO2 levels around these areas are equivalent to what scientists have predicted will be observed in 2100.

It was found that snapping shrimp made a smaller and less frequent noise when they were in locations with more CO2. No physical differences were found in these shrimps, meaning that something about this level of carbon dioxide within the water affects their behaviour. In other words, more carbon dioxide means less noise. If the world keeps warming as it has, this will turn our happy, clappy reefs into silent, directionless areas.

Not an outcome anybody wants.

Blue Urbanism by Timothy Beatley

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Blue UrbanismTitle: Blue Urbanism: Exploring Connections Between Cities and Oceans
Author: Timothy Beatley
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Science, Conservation, Non-fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Island Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Looking down from above gives the sense that it is just another farm field or market garden.

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Synopsis

Blue Urbanism offers a comprehensive look at the challenges, solutions, and great potential for urban areas to integrate ocean health into their policy and planning goals. Equal parts inspiration and practical advice, it explores the question: What would it mean to live in cities designed to foster feelings of connectedness to the ocean?

Thoughts

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and was inspired by it. I love reading conservation and science based books, but I wasn’t really certain about the premise of ‘Blue Urbanism’. However, from the first paragraph, I was completely hooked. I read it from cover to cover in two hours (at the detriment to the things I should have been doing, like study and housework…)

Beatley broke down the chapters wonderfully. They were distinctly different, but wove into one another so that you could follow his argument and point. The preface also helped to place his point in context and let you know what you were getting yourself into. It’s always nice when you can read a preface (or blurb) and say “yes, this is the book for me”.

Each chapter not only outlines Beatley’s argument, it also provides some great examples of areas across the world that are using his ideas. In chapter seven, when he is discussing the idea of citizen science in marine conservation, he discusses the Dolphin Watch program in Perth. I found this incredibly helpful. Not only are you being inspired by new ways to protect our gorgeous oceans, you also get examples of ways that this is already happening. It’s a healthy dose of optimism in an otherwise complex and very serious issue.

I really enjoyed the pace of this book and the ways in which it inspired me. I find with some science or conservation based books, they are a little dry and inaccessible to people who don’t have a writhing passion for its topic. Luckily, I generally have that desire, so it doesn’t bother me. But I would rarely recommend these books to my friends and family – they get bored a little too easily. I would easily recommend Blue Urbanism. Beatley covers the issues well, without harping on. He also shows the reader how serious the consequences can be if we don’t start employing Blue Urbanism in our coastal cities; but it’s not all doom and gloom. He has a healthy dose of hopefulness for the future and in being so sanguine about our potential, he inspires you to get off your butt and do something.

This is definitely one of the better science based books I’ve read in a long time and is definitely worth sinking your teeth into. Especially if you live near the coast.

<- More science book reviews More conservation book reviews ->
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