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In the Book Bar: Review, THE ELEPHANT WHISPERER, by Lawrence Anthony

I listened to this book on audio, and about halfway through I started crying and couldn’t stop until end. And then I cried even more because it was over. Not because it was sad, although there are parts that are bittersweet, but just because it was so beautiful. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about a book!

Written by South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, and co-written by Graham Spence, THE ELEPHANT WHISPERER tells the true story of Anthony’s adoption of a herd of wild elephants who were so unruly, the prior owner vowed to put them down if he didn’t take them. The herd’s matriarch just wouldn’t stay put in the reserve, and she was continuously finding ways to help the group escape. Right after Anthony agrees to take them on his Thula Thula reserve in Zululand, he learns that the leader of the herd and her daughter have been killed. Saddened and angry, he vows to do the best he can with the others.

The herd’s new leader is Nana, a matriarch who takes after the former leader and continuously devises ways to help her clan escape from Thula Thula. The lengths these elephants will go to cross boundaries shows their vast intelligence. But Anthony must keep them put, lest they be shot by other reserve owners who don’t want wild elephants running about on their property. In order to do so, he must make friends with Nana.

And he does. The way she comes to trust him is depicted so endearingly. She listens to him, considers what he tells her: that this is now her home, and it’s a good home. And she stops trying to break through the wire fences. She explores Anthony with her trunk – and he bravely lets her – then kind of pets him with it, soon letting him touch her, letting her delicate little baby get close to him, and then leading the baby to explore him as well. Her troupe follows her example, coming to trust Anthony too, including Frankie, the kind of second-in-command of the herd, and the hardest to win over.

These elephants are so brilliant, so beautiful, so beyond amazing. You feel like you become friends with all of them, and you learn so much about elephant society in general, and about South Africa, its politics, and its immense beauty, by the way Anthony masterfully weaves the narrative of the land in with that of the herd.

My favorite – and Anthony’s as well (well, besides mother Nana!) – was Mnumzane, the oldest male of the herd, who grows to tower over everyone.  Poor Mnumzane,  he is the son and brother of the two killed elephants, and, as a male who’s reached puberty, Nana and Frankie ostracize him from the herd. This is natural, you learn, as elephant society is a matriarchy. So when males reach puberty, they are kicked out of the clan by the dominant matriarch, then go find their kind of “bachelor society,” which is dominated by a wise and older patriarch, who teaches them how to be a man, so to speak. The tragedy of Mnumzane, and of apartheid Africa, is that he can’t go find his bachelor buddies and his wise patriarch because of the way the land is divided. Thula Thula is too currently small to have more elephants; this is the only herd he can have. Mnumzane has a heartbreaking tale, and, for me, he was the emotional epicenter of the book.

But all of the elephants have their own stories: Thula, the granddaughter of Nana, who is born with a foot deformity and must be taken from her devoted mother, Nandi (Nana’s daughter) to be treated. Hers is a heartbreaking tale as well. And E.T., a young elephant orphaned by poachers, whom Anthony later takes in. She never fully trusts humans – for good reason – but she immediately comes to love the herd and finds her place within it in hours. And then there’s Max, Anthony’s beloved and very loyal bull terrier. What a protector. What a companion. I fell head over heels in love with Max!

This is the most wonderful book. Another reason I cried so at the end was that Anthony talks about how the end of apartheid has meant much of the land will be returned to the rightful owners. He and a new owner of an adjoining reserve will join forces and eradicate their boundaries between them so that more elephants can join Thula Thula. Anthony notes that he’s already received numerous offers of a patriarch, of the kind Mnumzane so needed. So, for all the sad things that happen, the book ends of a tear-inducingly hopeful note.

Tragically, Anthony died of a heart attack in 2012, about three years after the book was published. I found articles on the internet showing that the herd he had so loved somehow knew of his death, and came to visit the main house, to pay their respects. You can’t resist loving elephants – their immense intelligence, their sixth-senses, their ability to forgive and love and trust and remember.

You must read this if you’re any kind of animal lover 🙂 I can’t wait to visit Thula Thula. Someday very soon!

 

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In the Book Bar: Review, A WOLF CALLED ROMEO by Nick Jans

Such an endearing book that now ranks up there as one of my all-time favorite wildlife books. If you haven’t read this book yet and you like wolves, wildlife, Alaska, or even dogs, it’s a must-read!

Published in 2014, A Wolf Called Romeo tells the true story of a large black wolf who lived on the wooded outskirts of Juneau, Alaska from 2003 through 2009 and, amazingly, befriended many of the local dogs. He also became friendly with their humans, but according to Jans, a former hunter now writer and photographer of wildlife, Romeo seemed much more interested in their dogs. He showed up one day, along a big lake in the Mendenhall Glacier and bounced up to Dakotah, Jans’s blonde lab, stopping, then making a play bow to her. Everyone who has a dog knows what that is 🙂 The two regarded each other, then engaged in typical dog play. Later, Romeo chased and caught a ball.

At first, of course, Jans and the others were scared – it’s a huge wild wolf, after all. But Romeo never showed any aggressiveness to dog or human, only wanting to play or just tag along on a walk.

Over time, Jans and the other locals grew close to Romeo, missing him and worrying about him when he didn’t show up to play. They surmised that he was the partner of a female black wolf who’d been killed by a taxi, and had fathered the cubs she was carrying. Hence, the name.

Yet Romeo remained wild. It didn’t seem that he’d been fed by any of the locals. Jans found traces of wild animals – like porcupine quills – in Romeo’s scats, and his stools indicated he was feeding well on deer and other animals that a wolf would normally eat.

To be sure, some did worry about danger, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife considered re-locating Romeo further into the forest, but they never did. There were too many who grew to love him.

One thing so remarkable about the book is Jans’s ability to weave facts about wolves seamlessly into Romeo’s narrative. Wolves travel in packs and they mate for life – which was part of the sadness of Romeo’s story. Of course they are dogs’ wild ancestors. So, it makes sense that dogs are so loyal, since we basically take away their ability to mate for life when we spay and neuter them. They then become our mates for life 🙂

This is a truly fascinating book. Jans is such a brilliant writer, the language is beautiful, pensive, and he brings you so fully into his world you grow to love Romeo along with him and the others.  I’ve never been to Alaska, but am now dying to go. In the epilogue Jans talks about the planned installation of a memorial to Romeo in the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. I’m going to Yellowstone this year to wolf-watch, but I’m hoping for a trip to Juneau next year!

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In the Book Bar: Review of MERCY FOR ANIMALS by Nathan Runkle

Wow. I’ll be honest; this book is not easy for animal lovers to read. But it’s SO important, you simply must.

MERCY FOR ANIMALS is a memoir – partly of Nathan Runkle, the founder, and partly of the organization of the same name and the movement in farm animal protection that it fostered.

This is the first book I’ve read about factory farming. I’ve heard of the horrors of it, but this is the first time they were presented so clearly and so thoroughly to me.

Runkle begins by talking about the farm where he grew up, which was in a small town in Ohio, actually pretty close to where my mom grew up. So I wasn’t unfamiliar with it. His small family farm, operated by his parents, is where he learned to love animals so. It reminded me of those in which country veterinarian James Herriot tends to animals, in his ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL books. Those farmers care greatly about their animals – they have become friends, who are also responsible for the profitability of their business. These farmers wouldn’t think of hurting their animals, and they immediately call the doctor when something’s wrong. This is the idyllic life I would love to believe still exists. Okay, not so much the eventual slaughter, but at least the treatment of the dairy cows and the egg-laying hens, and of the pigs during their lives.

Sadly, horribly, when factory farming took over, that system disappeared, only to be replaced with one where the owners of these huge football-field-sized operations allow their workers to treat animals as inanimate objects at best, objects of animosity and even hatred at worst.

The book provides background on several of the organization’s early investigators, who bravely (because I know I could NEVER have gone through what they did) conducted all-out Upton Sinclair-esque examinations of the farms. Dairy farms, pig farms, and chicken and turkey houses are all included. What the investigators saw and documented – via a hidden camera – and eventually presented to law enforcement and the media, are laid out. It’s painful to think about, or write about. Animals are beaten to death regularly, sometimes because they’re ill from lying in manure and cramped conditions, sometimes because they’re not needed (male chicks in egg farms, calves in dairy farms where the female cows need to be kept continuously pregnant to produce milk, etc.), and sometimes for no real reason – or because badly treated workers need to take out their frustration on someone. I don’t want to go on, but suffice it to say, this is an immensely educational, eye-opening book that everyone who wants to know where their food comes should read.

Its last chapters end on a positive note: clean meat. I didn’t know anything about this either, but big-time investors like Bill Gates and Richard Branson are backing young, brilliant, forward-thinking scientists who are striving to create actual meat – not vegetarian alternatives but real meat – from stem cells. With the world population increasing at the rate it is, there’s no way we’ll have enough land to continue to farm animals this way into the future. So clean meat will not only prevent the killing of approximately 10 billion animals per year, but is crucial to sustaining the planet.

I am so thankful to Runkle for exposing this all to me, and to Changing Hands bookstore for hosting his reading (which is where I learned of the book and met him). As I said above, it’s a difficult book to read, but incredibly important and necessary for anyone who wants to know what is going on in our world.

 

 

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“We Are Not the Only Species Who Grieves”

 

(Originally published 7/22/2017 but I am re-pubbing since I loved this reading so much, and since this wonderful author has inspired me to tour Yellowstone National Park this upcoming spring.)

Last night I went to a talk at Changing Hands bookstore given by Terry Tempest Williams discussing her latest book, The Hour of Land. She told a story about her visit to Yellowstone National Park that I thought was beautiful and fitting for this blog.

She and her husband wanted to catch a glimpse of white wolves, so they found a little lookout over a canyon bed, where they saw a bison carcass being eaten by several coyotes and birds. Their guide told them that yesterday the bison had given birth to a stillborn calf and hungry wolves had attacked her during this vulnerable moment. They continued watching as suddenly the coyotes’ hackles rose and the birds quickly fluttered away, followed by the coyotes. They then saw a majestic white wolf, who came down from the hill, licking his lips. He ate more of the carcass. The next day, they returned in hopes of seeing the wolves again. Instead, they saw that the carcass had been completely eaten. Only the skeleton remained. Soon, a trail of bison appeared. They walked in a line toward the bison’s bones, then walked in a circle around her, their pacing identical, their bodies evenly spaced apart. They made a circle three times, then stopped and lowered their heads toward her bones. After a moment, they raised their heads and walked, again in a line, their bodies evenly spaced, up the hill, leaving only one small buffalo, who stayed with the mother.

She let us envision it for a moment, then said, (I’m paraphrasing) “We are not the only species who loves, who feels, who thinks, who grieves.” Yes, something anyone who’s a close observer of animals knows very well.

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THE NAVAJO AND THE ANIMAL PEOPLE

Yesterday we had an outdoors memorial for my friend who passed away, during which a hawk flew overhead. One friend got very excited, saying predatory birds are a good sign according to Navajo custom. I later looked it up and found hawks symbolize a connection to the spirit world. I’ve become interested in Native American religions and their respect toward animals, so when I was at the Heard Museum last night for a member event, I bought this book, The Navajo and the Animal People, by Steve Pavlik. See the hawk in the bottom right corner of the cover 🙂 I will always remember my friend whenever I see one of these beautiful birds.

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Review: BLACK CATS TELL ALL, by Layla Morgan Wilde

This fun, colorful book edited by Layla Morgan Wilde seeks to dismantle the myth that black cats are creatures to be feared. And it does! Not that said myth is not ridiculous to begin with – are we still living in the Medieval Age? Yet it is a sad truth that black cats are the least often adopted at shelters, so the general public must still harbor some kind of unconscious antiquated superstition.

Well, we don’t get those people, but this book is a beautiful testament to the fact that black cats are wonderful little people, just like all cats 🙂 We found the book, by the way, at our very favorite local cat lounge, La Gattara, in Tempe, AZ. It’s a compilation of stories of black cats from all over the world. Ms. Wilde ran a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the project and many of the stories included are from contributors and others she met on the internet. Hence, there’s a real variety of stories. There are long-haired Persians like Merlin the Exotic from Australia, short-haired Sophie the Model from New Jersey, Penelope the Kitten from California, Notchik from Russia (a story translated from Russian), Juro & Django from Belgium, etc. etc. etc. The cats’ favorite hobbies, treats, toys, quotes and social media outlets are listed by their humans, along with lots and lots and LOTS of colorful photos. Some humans wrote stories of overcoming life difficulties through the aid of their cat, of rescuing a cat, of being rescued by a cat, some wrote poems. It’s really a unique book, absolutely puuurrrrfect for the coffee table of every cat lover!

Witty Kitty’s sister Rhea poses above with the book, and she gives it five delicious bonito flakes!

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Review: CRAIG AND FRED, by Craig Grossi

I loved this book! I saw it in my local library when I went there to get a novel for a book club. I haven’t read many military books, but how could anyone resist this cover! (BTW: since it’s a dog book, sister Sofia poses with it, and I love how she looks all serious and at-attention :))

CRAIG & FRED is the true story of a Marine – and Purple Heart recipient, Craig – who became very attached to a stray during his service in Afghanistan and managed to adopt the dog, Fred, and transport him back to his home in Virginia. You know the story has a happy ending because of all the pictures of Fred happy in the U.S. but it’s still riveting watching how it all unfolds.

Craig meets Fred when he finds him rummaging through garbage on the compound the troop has set up in Sangin, Afghanistan. Despite the dog’s being hungry and homeless in a country devastated by war and the murderous land mines the Taliban has hidden all throughout the desert, Fred is trusting and sociable instead of scared and defensive, as one might expect. Fred is taken in by the troop, and he immediately becomes best buds with Craig, though he is liked by pretty much everyone. He likes being around the guys so much, he sometimes follows them out on their missions, which can be a problem. At one point, the troop is scouting the desert in the middle of the night – they go out during the darkest hours so as not to be spotted by Taliban – when Fred sees some movement. He barks, and the men discover there are two people out planting mines. Fortunately, Fred’s barking does not alert Taliban and put the men in danger, but Fred is now deemed too risky and is kept at the compound. Oftentimes dogs who become too much of a risk are, horribly, euthanized by the military. So that is always a fear Craig carries with him while Fred is still in Afghanistan. This, combined with the fact that dogs are not allowed at Leatherneck, a base Craig stays at between deployments, provides much of the conflict for the book. But Fred is so endearing to everyone that people either help Craig smuggle him in or pretend not to notice.

As I said, I don’t read many military books and I learned so much about what it’s like to live in a compound, defuse bombs, and be attacked. One late combat scene does not end without casualties and it is after Craig returns that he realizes he is suffering from PTSD from it. That’s when Fred really helps him. It’s hard for Craig to talk to anyone about what happened and Fred helps simply by being there. When people casually ask about his dog, Craig tells them he got Fred in Afghanistan, and that opens into a conversation about his military service. I never realized how hard it is for veterans to talk about their experiences once they’re back home. I’ve had culture shock after returning home from study abroad and after reading this book I realized their experience is that times about 1000. By the way, the end of the book contains memorials to the fallen men, which I thought was wonderful.

Part of the book is also about a road journey across the U.S. that Craig and Fred take with Craig’s friend, Josh, also a veteran. I loved this part of the book as well because it’s kind of a journey of self discovery in that Craig has to figure out what he wants to do with his life now that he’s finished with combat and unsure whether a desk job will suit him. In his own way Fred is influential in that as well.

An excellent story – and you will fall in love with Craig and Fred, even if you’re a cat 🙂 Witty Kitty gives this one five bonito flakes!

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Review: LOVE AT FIRST BARK, by Julie Klam

Witty Kitty loved this short, sweet memoir she happened to find at a special sale at her favorite bookstore, Changing Hands. It’s by the very funny Julie Klam, about what her experiences rescuing dogs has taught her about herself.

There are several wonderful stories here about the endearingly-portrayed dogs Klam has found homes for throughout the years. She opens with one about Morris, a sweet pit bull she and her husband, Paul, find tied to a tree outside a museum, all day. When it was clear no one was coming to get him, they embark on a sadly funny race against time to get the dog checked in to a rescue Klam has found, which it ends up, can’t take him right away anyway. She and Paul know they can’t keep him because of the three little dogs they already have, but, happily, a friend who’s seen her constant flow of social media posts about the Morris, comes through. Their frantic struggle to find Morris a home brings her and Paul closer together and reminds each what is so amazingly special about the other.

The book ends with my favorite story: about Klam’s experience with a group of people in New Orleans right after Katrina, rescuing dogs left homeless by the flood. There’s one dog in particular, a yellow puppy, who has his head stuck in a jar. Very sad how it got to be that way, by the way. Another frightening but funny race ensues to try to capture and free the little dog, which it turns out takes a village to do. She learns a great deal about the lengths she will go to – literally risking her life – to help these severely distressed animals.

I was also very intrigued by Klam’s story of checking her two terriers, Fiorello and Wisteria – were there ever such cutely hilarious dog names? – to a boot camp known as Kamp Kanine, so the two will learn, among other things, how not to rip their human’s arm out of her shoulder socket during walks. My little terrier (pictured above with the book) so desperately needs this camp. We really hope there is one in the Phoenix area.

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Review: LIVING THE FARM SANCTUARY LIFE, by Gene Baur

Our sister Sofia reading Living the Farm Sanctuary Life by Gene Baur with Gene Stone, which we found at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ.

We loved this book! It’s a nice, big, glossy coffee table book by the founder of the Farm Sanctuary in Woodstock, NY, Gene Baur. It’s a combination of little vignettes illustrating what it’s like to live at the sanctuary, where your friends consist of cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, sheep, and ducks, stories about some of the animals and how they came to live there, lovely photos of the animal residents and the people who come to visit, facts about the health benefits – both mental and physical – of eating a plant-based diet, and really wonderful vegan recipes! Witty Kitty can’t wait to try some of these – particularly the Wild Mushroom and Spinach Roulade, the Osso Vita (using parsley root instead of deer bone), and the Lobster Mushroom Tostada Tower. Not to even mention the desserts: Salted Caramel Chocolate Bliss Bites, need I say more!

The book also gives you tidbits on how to find some good cheese and dairy replacements. Witty kitty loves cheese, so knowing some quality artisan cheese companies are out there – like Kite Hill, Dr-Cow, and Miyoko’s Kitchen – is very helpful! They also give you some good sources of protein, such as beans, and tempeh, which WK has heard a lot about and must try.

But the best thing about this book is the happy little stories about some of the animals who live there, such as Opie, the calf who was born on a freezing NY morning in a dairy farm still wet from birth, who nearly died. The dairy farmer was just going to let him die when he was found by a member of Farm Sanctuary, who, despite the veterinarian’s warnings that he wouldn’t live, took him in anyway. After keeping 24-hour watch on him, his body temperature improved and Opie began eating well, mooing happily, and frolicking with the other cows. He grew to be a gentle giant, weighing nearly 3000 pounds, and a favorite of cows and human visitors alike, living for 18 years.

Another story features a hog farmer who became fond of a runt he managed to nurse to good health. His friendship with the little pig grew so that, after ten years, he could no longer bring himself to continue to raise pigs for slaughter. He ended up becoming a vegetarian.

And those are only a couple of the stories. There’s also a section on how to dress stylishly and vegan! Sweet, informative, fun book with lots of colorful pics!