With a group of friends we are in the process of planning a wilderness tour to Africa. One of the ladies mentioned that she had read The Elephant Whisperer and that had made her really interested. So I picked up the book.

Promptly, it put the bug in me too.

The author, Lawrence Anthony, is an animal conservationist. He bought a game reserve in Zululand in South Africa, named Thula Thula. There are no wild elephants left in that part of Africa. When he received a call about a small herd of elephants that had turned rogue and needed a home, he could not refuse. If he hadn’t accepted, the elephants would have been put down.

He took them in, not knowing how difficult it would be to host a herd of wild elephants and all the challenges that come with it. In the years that followed, he created a unique personal bond with the herd, and particularly with Nana, the matriarch.

Reading the book, I realized I had no idea what wild elephants were like, how dangerous they were, and how challenging it was to coexist with them. It definitely helped me prepare myself mentally for a trip into the bush, and I will have a completely different appreciation of the giant animals than I would have had before. I am now looking forward to the trip, which won’t be until about May 2026.

The Elephant Whisperer is a must-read book for anyone interested in animal preservation and protection, game reserves, animal intelligence, nature, and Africa.