Fantastic audio, incredible story. I love this author and all he has done to help so many wild animals. This tale is right up there with the best. ( )

Audiobook read by Simon Vance
4****

Subtitle: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo

Lawrence Anthony was a well-known conservationist and advocate for animals, running a game reserve (Thula Thula) in South Africa when images on CNN of the war in Baghdad caught his attention. He was horrified at the potential loss of wildlife at that war-ravaged city’s zoo, and knew he had to somehow go help. And so, against all odds, he did. This is the story of his work there.

It’s quite the adventure. From just getting into the war zone (the zoo being in the middle of the action), to dealing with the continued looting, to begging for supplies and then for security everything was a challenge and a half. He paid staff out of his own pockets, and scrounged food for them and their families so that the precious supplies at the zoo could be allocated to keeping the animals there alive. And then he discovered the many “private” zoos … from Sadam’s son, Uday, and other wealthy owners he rescued many mismanaged and starving animals. His was truly a labor of love, and one hopes that his efforts have continued to pay dividends in better treatment, more habitat-enhanced enclosures, and a renewed local pride in this marvelous resource for both education and amusement.

Simon Vance does a fine job narrating the audio. He’s narrated Anthony’s other books as well, and I really enjoy the way he reads them. ( )

4.25 stars

In 2003, during the war in Iraq, a few hundred animals were abandoned in their cages, unable to fend for themselves, in the Baghdad Zoo. When Lawrence Anthony, conservationist and owner of the Thula Thula animal sanctuary in South Africa saw this on tv, he knew he had to help. He worked as fast as he could to organize everything to be allowed in to Baghdad at this time. He was one of the only foreign civilians allowed in at this time, while war still went on around the city. The zoo had been looted, and most of the animals, by now, had been stolen, either for food or to sell on the black market. The ones that remained were not in good shape. This tells of Lawrence Anthony’s efforts to round others up and to help the remaining animals.

This one pulled me in from the start. Those poor animals. What a nightmare of a time, trying to fix everything up, get water and food for the animals (and the zoo staff who came back to help out – they needed food, too!), trying to keep looters from continually coming back, etc. With gunfire happening here and there all around. Really good book. ( )

I have read countless books about the more recent war in Iraq. My husband served a year at the Baghdad International Airport in 2004, so the book's synopsis intrigued me. Rescuing animals in the middle of a war has to be challenging. With such unique circumstances, the book has plenty of potential, but I found it to be more than fulfilling. I wanted to make an elaborate metaphor about how Anthony controls language and vocabulary like taming a wild animal, but I am not as talented a writer. The point being this book packs an amazing story into lush and rich writing. The harsh environment paired with majestic animals and an exemplary cause creates a magical journey that only a true literary fanatic can appreciate. I have not read any of Anthony's other books, but his writing style has won me over and I can't wait to read more! ( )

Incredible story about what was happening on the ground in Irag at the beginning of the Iraq war. ( )