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    The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness
    The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness
    The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness

    Written by Mark Owens and Delia Owens

    Narrated by Sean Runnette and Donna Postel

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    About this audiobook

    The authors of Secrets of the Sahara battle the elephant poachers of Zambia in this "exciting . . . part adventure story, part wildlife tale" (The Boston Globe).

    Intelligent, majestic, and loyal, with lifespans matching our own, elephants are among the greatest of the wonders gracing the African wilds. Yet, in the 1970s and 1980s, about a thousand of these captivating creatures were slaughtered in Zambia each year, killed for their valuable ivory tusks. When biologists Mark and Delia Owens, residing in Africa to study lions, found themselves in the middle of a poaching fray, they took the only side they morally could: that of the elephants.

    The Eye of the Elephant recounts the Owens's struggle to save these innocent animals from decimation, a journey not only to supply the natives with ways of supporting their villages, but also to cultivate support around the globe for the protection of elephants. Filled with daring exploits among disgruntled hunters, arduous labor on the African plains, and vivid depictions of various wildlife, this remarkable tale is at once an adventure story, a travelogue, a preservationist call to action, and a fascinating examination of both human and animal nature.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMar 19, 2019
    ISBN9781977345646
    Author

    Mark Owens

    When Mark and Delia Owens first went to Africa in 1974, they bought a thirdhand Land Rover, drove deep into the Kalahari Desert, and lived there for seven years. They are the authors of Cry of the Kalahari, an international bestseller and winner of the John Burroughs Medal, The Eye of the Elephant, and Secrets of the Savanna. After more than 30 years in Africa, they returned to the United States to carry on their conservation work.

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    Reviews for The Eye of the Elephant

    4/5

    47 ratings6 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Wonderful storytelling from a pair of snart, creative and passionate advocates for the rioghr of all senient beings and the critical importance of peaceful coexistence. Delia and Mark inspire me to learn more and do more for the planet.
    • 4/5
      Wow - I only just thought of this book today because I just saw someone mention Where the Crawdads Sing and saw her name. I remember really enjoying this book at the time. Not sure what I'd think of it today.
    • 5/5
      Another remarkable wonderful book and the adventures of preservation of not only elephants but other beautiful species in Africa .God bless all these people who dedicate their lives to this . While a lot of good things came from all the people who have been over there to prevent poaching , snares etc. there’s just so much greed in the almighty dollar seems to sneak through and win . I am so grateful for people who pursue their passions in the fight against decimation of all the beauty in Africa. Just think of where they would all be without the effort that has been given. Thank you again for such a great book it was awesome. Mark and Delia you’re just another set of angels out there and a list of many who have walked your path and done such good deeds for the people of Africa and the animals.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful book. Love elephants.
    • 5/5
      As the subtitle says, this was truly “An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness.” This story of Mark and Delia Owens’ efforts to save the elephants and other wildlife in a Zambian natural park was without a dull moment. In the first few chapters, Mark had gotten lost in the dessert and both authors had encountered a cobra and a pride of lions. The book continues with awe-inspiring encounters with wildlife and more frightening encounters with poachers.Despite the action-packed nature of the book, both authors found time to describe the natural beauty and majestic animals surrounding them. Their love for nature made these poetic descriptions incredibly moving. Each chapter in the book was written by either Mark or Delia and I suspect their editor deserves a ton of credit because their distinct personalities come through without ever disrupting the flow of their narrative.Even though the point of a book like this is to raise awareness of a problem, I really appreciated that they wrote the book at a point where most parts of the story have a happy ending. While it’s definitely important to alert people to the plight of endangered animals, you get too close to specific animals they describe to deal well with an unhappy ending. The struggle they face with corrupt officials is also incredibly frustrating, so it was nice to see that things were moving in the right direction at the end of the book.Alison at The Cheap Reader was just discussing the pros and cons of having a happy ending, and I mostly thought about this in terms of YA books, where I favor happy endings because I like to feel happy after reading a book. In the case of a book like this, I was still glad of a happy ending, but for a different reason. I hate for a book discussing a big problem I care about to end unresolved because I don’t feel like I can do anything about it. Unlike A Spring Without Bees which discusses a problem everyone can contribute to from their own bee-friendly, pesticide-free garden, poaching is not a problem I feel equipped to deal with. But I think part of the message of this book is that that’s not true – it is possible for very few people to have a huge impact. In that spirit, I’ve donated to The Owens Foundation already, to do my little bit for conservation, and I hope you’ll consider doing the same for them or for any other cause you care deeply about. Even as poor college students, we can spare a little :)
    • 5/5
      Loved this book. The sequel of the Cry of the Kalahari. Man's inhumanity to animals.