Lifestyle Reporter.
‘Somehow, the elephants got into my soul, and it became my life’s work to see them safe and happy. There was no giving up on that vision, no matter how hard the road was at times.’
Pan Macmillan is proud to publish The Elephants of Thula Thula, A powerful, gripping story about an extraordinary herd of elephants, and the woman dedicated to keeping them safe.
When Lawrence Anthony died unexpectedly, instead of returning to her successful life in Paris, Francoise chose to stay and fight the odds to become the owner of Thula Thula and save the remarkable family of elephants whose adventures have since touched hearts around the world.
The herd’s feisty matriarch, Frankie, knows who’s in charge at Thula Thula, and it’s not Francoise. But when Frankie becomes ill, and the authorities threaten to remove or cull some of the herd if the reserve doesn’t expand, Françoise is in a race against time to save her beloved elephants…
The joys and challenges of a life dedicated to conservation are vividly described in this charming and moving book. Will Thula Thula survive the pandemic, an invasion from poachers and the threat from a mining company wanting access to its land? As Françoise faces her toughest years yet, she realizes once again that with their wisdom, resilience and communal bonds, the elephants have much to teach us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Françoise Malby-Anthony was born in the south of France, brought up in Paris, and has lived in South Africa since 1987. She founded the Thula Thula game reserve in 1998 with her late husband, the renowned conservationist and bestselling author Lawrence Anthony.
When Lawrence died in 2012, Françoise took over the running of the reserve and is equally passionate about conservation. She was the driving force behind setting up a wildlife rehabilitation centre at the reserve to care for orphaned animals.
She was recently awarded the “Chevalier de L’Ordre Nationale du Mérite” by France – one of the highest honours bestowed by the French Government.