The Soul of the Rhino: A Nepali Adventure with Kings and Elephant Drivers, Billionaires and Bureaucrats, Shamans and Scientists, and the Indian Rhinoceros [Paperback]

Hemanta Mishra (Author), Jim Ottaway Jr. (Editor), Jim Fowler (Foreword), Bruce Babbitt (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

This new release is a spirited yet humble account of one man's scientific career and personal journey to save the endangered rhinoceros in his native Nepal.
For more info go to souloftherhino.com

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mishra, formerly director of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation in Nepal, began his career as a wildlife officer for Nepal�s Ministry of Forests in 1967, tracking rhinos through the forest of Chitwan and helping complete the ministry�s first rhino census. Determined to find ways to minimize the conflicts between humans and wildlife, particularly rhinos, Mishra studied at the University of Edinburgh and at America�s Yellowstone National Park before working with representatives of King Mahendra to establish Nepal�s national park system and implement programs that would help eliminate poaching and increase the rhino population; �wildlife tourism,� for instance, not only increased awareness of animals, but helped relieve local poverty, a leading motivation behind poaching. Mishra�s account of his 30-year campaign to save the rhino in Nepal include stories of exotic Hindu-Buddhist rituals, royal hunts in the jungle and his relationship with the amazingly charismatic perissodactyls, which all contrast well with detailed accounts of political and diplomatic maneuvering. Mishra�s tone is unavoidably melancholy describing the rhino�s uncertain fate�especially the re-emergence of poaching�but the account of his worthy struggle is enchanting, even mesmerizing, throughout.
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Review

"The Soul of the Rhino is unusual, fascinating and important. It provides not only a rare insight into the personality and behavior of the highly endangered and little known Asian rhino, but an equally absorbing picture of the people who share its habitat. Hemanta Mishra is a native of Nepal and he shares his struggle to reconcile western conservation science, learned when he studied in America, with the cultural beliefs of his people; he attempts to combine hard facts with the mystical values of eastern philosophy. The Soul of the Rhino is also a commentary on the way in which wildlife management can be helped or tragically hindered by revolution, politics and the commitment, or lack of it, of those in power. Most important, it will surely inspire other young people in Asia to follow in his footsteps. I hope you will buy and read this book." --Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder - the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace

"Hemanta Mishra helped to establish Nepal’s famous Chitwan National Park, and he has with great dedication fought for three decades to assure the survival of its rare Indian rhino.  From the unique perspective of a Nepali dealing with conservation battles in his own country, he describes his contacts with everyone from poacher and foreigner to bureaucrat, royalty and rhino.  I enjoyed The Soul of the Rhino immensely for its potent conservation message, as well as its insights into a culture and the soul of the author." --George B. Schaller, Wildlife Conservation Society

“It is the first book of its kind that proves that nature conservation in Asia does not only depend upon good Western science.  But like politics in America, it is an art – an art of the possible – an art that puts human needs and culture in the forefront of environmental conservation.” --Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"This book is much more than a story about rhinos. It is an account of the traditions, customs, and rituals of the people who live in the southern Terai region of Nepal known as Chitwan. It is also a story about how one man embarked on a cause to save this sacred national symbol from the effects of rampant habitat destruction and illegal poaching." --Leon J. Weil, former U.S. ambassador to Nepal (1984-1987)

 

"For anyone interested in wildlife, the Himalayan region, Hindu and Buddhist culture, this book is a delight. . . . Many well-meaning, dedicated conservation supporters have written enthusiastically about environmental, species and cultural conservation -- but Mishra has not only ‘talked the talk,' he has really ‘walked the walk,’ as the reader will learn." --Kenneth Nebenzahl, director of the American Himalayan Foundation, member of the WWF-US Council, and life trustee of the University of Chicago

 

"[Mishra's] a gutsy, committed man and a charming writer--and the rhinos could have no faster friend." --National Geographic Adventure

 

"A mix of Western science and Eastern mythology, 'Soul' could be called 'Zen and the Art of Rhinoceros Maintenance.'" --Bill Heller, New York Post

 

"The Soul of the Rhino is a fascinating look at the heart of a conservationist—and what it takes to save an iconic species." --Smithsonian Zoogoer

 

 

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; Reprint edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599218003
• ISBN-13: 978-1599218007
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,418,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Torn, April 10, 2009

By 

John Galluzzo (Weymouth, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Soul of the Rhino: A Nepali Adventure with Kings and Elephant Drivers, Billionaires and Bureaucrats, Shamans and Scientists and the Indian Rhinoceros (Hardcover)

Americans have a hard enough time understanding one eastern religion, never mind two entertwined into one, like the combination of Buddhism and Hiduism followed in Nepal. A large part of understanding what happens in this book is wrapping one's head around a very different culture from our own.

The author has spent a life in attempting to save rhinos and their habitats in his native country. He gained a western education, and, as such, was deeply conflicted when ordered by his king to take part in an ancient tradition - helping the king to kill a rhino. His story leads to an unexpected result, the discovery of his own soul inside one of the majestic beasts.

The book ends with Nepal in turmoil, and the future of the one-horned rhino in sincere doubt. It's the kind of ending that sends the reader straight to the internet for the latest political news, to find out whether or not the situation has been resolved.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The subtitle is not hype; this book mesmerizes, January 20, 2008

By 

Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Soul of the Rhino: A Nepali Adventure with Kings and Elephant Drivers, Billionaires and Bureaucrats, Shamans and Scientists and the Indian Rhinoceros (Hardcover)

I was skeptical about the title of this book, but enchanted with the picture on the cover. In my hands, there was absolutely no marketing hype. This book will capture your heart with Hemanta Mishra's clarity, humanity and commitment.

Mishra has worked in Asia on a number of conservation projects for over 30 years. This book tells the story of efforts to save the greater one-horned Asian rhino from extinction. He calls it "a mystical beast legendary for its power, its sexual energy, its unpredictable temperament, and its prodigious strength." He describes the political violence in Nepal beginning with the massacre of the king's family in 2001 by the eldest son and ending with the Maoist insurgency.

Kings play a key role in the conservation efforts. The murder of the recent king led to its now uncertain future. In the Tarpan ceremony a Nepalese king must hunt and kill a male rhino and offer the beast's blood in a prayer for peace and prosperity.

Mishra's book puts humanity into the Smithsonian's summary of the status of these rhinos: "Greater one-horned Asian rhinoceroses once ranged from Pakistan across northern India to Nepal, Bhutan, and the border with Myanmar (Burma), and perhaps ranged even further, into southern China. Today, they are confined to a few small, protected populations totaling about 2,000 animals. Most live in several parks in India and in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park."

Hemanta Mishra worked in the Nepalese wildlife office in the early 1970s and ran the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation. He was awarded the J. Paul Getty Prize for Natural Protection in 1987 for "for his ground breaking biotic studies on Mt. Everest, his development of Nepal's park systems, and his work on implementation of "Operation Tiger," the largest conservation project in Asia."

I agree completely with "Scientific American": "Mishra, a Nepalese wildlife biologist trained in the West, is not a professional writer, but his intelligence and wit make this a mesmerizing account that intertwines politics, conservation and tensions between the traditions of East and West."

You can hear Mishra discuss his book and his conservation efforts on Leonard Lopat Show on the WNYC website. You'll hear his voice for a long time after you read his book.

Robert C. Ross 2007 2008

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Asian Wildlife Conservation and Storytelling Succeed, April 29, 2009

By 

B. Parks "Zoo Educator" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Soul of the Rhino: A Nepali Adventure with Kings and Elephant Drivers, Billionaires and Bureaucrats, Shamans and Scientists and the Indian Rhinoceros (Hardcover)

I am a zoo professional working on conservation issues in Asia and have long heard about this author and his work, but had not read the book yet. It exceeded my expectations and was a very enjoyable read as well as informative and enlightening. I would encourage anyone in the field of wildlife conservation to pick this up. The author and Nepal's successes in Chitwan are models for other regions.