THE ASTONISHING STORY OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST ANIMAL RESCUES.
When the Iraq war began, conservationist Lawrence Anthony could think of only one thing: the fate of the Baghdad Zoo, caught in the crossfire at the heart of the city. Once Anthony entered Iraq he discovered that hostilities and uncontrolled looting had devastated the zoo and its animals. Working with members of the zoo staff and a few compassionate U.S. soldiers, he defended the zoo, bartered for food on war-torn streets, and scoured bombed palaces for desperately needed supplies. Babylon’s Ark chronicles Anthony’s hair-raising efforts to save a pride of Saddam’s lions, close a deplorable black-market zoo, run ostriches through shoot-to-kill checkpoints, and rescue the dictator’s personal herd of Thoroughbred Arabian horses.
A tale of the selfless courage and humanity of a few men and women living dangerously for all the right reasons, Babylon’s Ark is an inspiring and uplifting true-life adventure of individuals on both sides working together for the sake of magni?cent wildlife caught in a war zone.
Lawrence Anthony (born 1950, Johannesburg) and raised in rural Zambia and Malawi, is an international conservationist, explorer, and adventurer.
Anthony is the long standing head of conservation at the Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand South Africa and the Founder of The Earth Organization, an independent, international conservation and environmental group with a strong scientific orientation. He is an member of the esteemed Explorers Club of New York and a member the National Council of the South African Association for the Advancement of Science. [S2A3]
Anthony, has a reputation for bold conservation initiatives, including the rescue of the Baghdad zoo during the US lead Coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, and expeditions deep into the Congo jungle to meet leaders of the infamous Lord's Resistance Army rebel army, to try and protect endangered species.
An acknowledged African wildlife expert, Anthony's personal focus is the African elephant.
Details of his conservation activities have appeared regularly in the international media and featured in magazine's and journals such as Readers Digest, the Smithsonian, the Explorers Journal, Africa Geographic, Men's Journal, Shape magazine, Elle Magazine and others.
Anthony is married to Francoise and lives on the Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand. He has two sons and two grandsons.
Quote: "I have never understood the saying 'To think outside the box.' Why would anyone sit inside a box and think outside of it. Rather just get out of the box."
