Babylon's Ark
Encyclopedia
Babylon's Ark, The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo is a book written by South Africa
n conservationist
Lawrence Anthony
along with author
Graham Spence. The book tells of the rescue of the Baghdad zoo
, during the US lead Coalition invasion of Iraq.
and Kirkus Reviews
denoting "a book of remarkable merit."
The book Babylon’s Ark was first picked up on by Paraview Literary Agency and was then adopted, published and released by St. Martin's Press
of New York in early March 2007. Babylon's Ark was launched in the US by all major retail and online outlets including: Barnes & Noble
, Borders Group
, Walmart and was also listed by Amazon.com
in their top 12 recommended reads category.
American Library Association, http://www.ala.org/ala/booklist/booklist.htm Booklist "Editors Choice" - Adult Books for Young Adults.
, the biggest zoo in the Middle East
, left his Thula Thula
Game Reserve home in Zululand
South Africa for war blockaded Kuwait
.
Anthony somehow wrangled his way into becoming the first civilian
, media excepted, to gain military access to Iraq and then quite unbelievably, drove his hired car (from Kuwait) unarmed and unescorted, right into the violent heart of Baghdad
itself, truly the last place on Earth any unarmed foreigner would want to be.
On his arrival Anthony found that a battle had been fought in the surrounding park and that the zoo had been damaged and severely looted. Hundreds of animals and birds had died, escaped or had been stolen for food. Zoo veterinarian Dr Husham Hussan and two brave zoo staff, coming to work when they could, met him and the rescue commenced.
Anthony recounts his many adventures. He tells of how he found himself a bed with the fighting troops and tank crews of the US 3rd Infantry Division in the derelict Al-Rashid Hotel, made friends with Government officials, allied individual soldiers and rallied foreign mercenaries
to his cause. How he raided bombed palaces and ruined hotels for food and supplies to keep the animals and staff fed, and rescued Lions, Cheetah's and Ostriches from Uday Hussein
's palace.
Brendan Whittington-Jones, Lawrence's Thula Thula game reserve
manager, arrives to assist, and together with US Capt. William Sumner, the courageous Zoo Directors Dr Adel Mousa and Dr Husham Hussan, Iraqi veterinarian Farah Murrani, and a few loyal zoo staff, they formed an intrepid team which secured the zoo and somehow kept the remaining animals alive and the zoo safe in some extreme circumstances. Confronted by an appalling situation, cut off from the world and completely surrounded by fighting and looting, the team overcame every "can't be done," to hold together the remains of what was once the biggest zoo in the Middle East literally out of nothing. At various times they are assisted by other conservation organizations including AZA, Wildaid, Care for the Wild, and IFAW.
As the fighting eases, the team is able to get around the city with help from the military and rescue starving and abused animals from other facilities in Baghdad and bring them back to the zoo for safekeeping.
News of the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein
’s magnificent personal herd of thoroughbred Arabian horses, stolen during the invasion, arrives at the zoo and in an adventurous raid, led by Capt William Sumner and Capt Gavino Rivas with Whittington-Jones and Murrani assisting, seventeen horses are recovered and returned to the Iraqi people.
Later the US Army sent in Army engineers who overhauled and upgraded the infrastructure of the Zoo and surrounding Park. The zoo and park were reopened to the public on July 19, 2003.
On September 17 2003, the day after Anthony returned home to South Africa an American soldier who had reportedly been drinking attempted to feed the zoos prize Bengal Tiger
Malooh through the enclosure bars and was bitten on the hand after which his companion shot the Tiger still in its cage with a pistol and it bled to death overnight.
, a grass roots international non-profit, conservation
and environment
organization, with new solutions, committed to the creative responsible rehabilitation of Planet Earth and the plant and animal kingdoms.
Anthony's second book, The Elephant Whisperer
, which tells the story of his unique relationship with a traumatised herd of African elephant on the Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand South Africa , will be released in the UK and British Commonwealth on 5 June 2009 and in the United States and elsewhere in the fall of 2009.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
Lawrence Anthony
Lawrence Anthony
Lawrence Anthony and raised in rural Rhodesia , Zambia, and Malawi, is an international conservationist, environmentalist, explorer, and bestselling author....
along with author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Graham Spence. The book tells of the rescue of the Baghdad zoo
Baghdad zoo
The Baghdad Zoo is a zoo originally opened in 1971 and located in Baghdad, Iraq, in the al-Zawraa' Gardens area along with the Zawraa Amusement Park and Zawraa' Tower. Before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the zoo housed 650 animals...
, during the US lead Coalition invasion of Iraq.
Literary criticism
Prior to launch Babylon's Ark received starred literary reviews in the United States, from both BooklistBooklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
and Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
denoting "a book of remarkable merit."
The book Babylon’s Ark was first picked up on by Paraview Literary Agency and was then adopted, published and released by St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...
of New York in early March 2007. Babylon's Ark was launched in the US by all major retail and online outlets including: Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
, Borders Group
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
, Walmart and was also listed by Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
in their top 12 recommended reads category.
American Library Association, http://www.ala.org/ala/booklist/booklist.htm Booklist "Editors Choice" - Adult Books for Young Adults.
Plot summary
The book focusses on how in early 2003, during the American led invasion of Iraq, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, realizing there would be no one looking after the Baghdad zooBaghdad zoo
The Baghdad Zoo is a zoo originally opened in 1971 and located in Baghdad, Iraq, in the al-Zawraa' Gardens area along with the Zawraa Amusement Park and Zawraa' Tower. Before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the zoo housed 650 animals...
, the biggest zoo in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, left his Thula Thula
Thula Thula
Thula Thula Private Game Reserve is a private game reserve situated in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.Thula Thula means ‘peace and tranquility’ in Zulu.- History :...
Game Reserve home in Zululand
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
South Africa for war blockaded Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
.
Anthony somehow wrangled his way into becoming the first civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
, media excepted, to gain military access to Iraq and then quite unbelievably, drove his hired car (from Kuwait) unarmed and unescorted, right into the violent heart of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
itself, truly the last place on Earth any unarmed foreigner would want to be.
On his arrival Anthony found that a battle had been fought in the surrounding park and that the zoo had been damaged and severely looted. Hundreds of animals and birds had died, escaped or had been stolen for food. Zoo veterinarian Dr Husham Hussan and two brave zoo staff, coming to work when they could, met him and the rescue commenced.
Anthony recounts his many adventures. He tells of how he found himself a bed with the fighting troops and tank crews of the US 3rd Infantry Division in the derelict Al-Rashid Hotel, made friends with Government officials, allied individual soldiers and rallied foreign mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
to his cause. How he raided bombed palaces and ruined hotels for food and supplies to keep the animals and staff fed, and rescued Lions, Cheetah's and Ostriches from Uday Hussein
Uday Hussein
Uday Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti , was the eldest son of Saddam Hussein from his first wife, Sajida Talfah. He was the brother of Qusay Hussein. Uday was for several years seen as the heir apparent of his father; however, Uday lost his place in the line of succession due to his erratic behavior and...
's palace.
Brendan Whittington-Jones, Lawrence's Thula Thula game reserve
Game reserve
A game reserve is an area of land set aside for maintenance of wildlife for tourism or hunting purposes. Many game reserves are located in Africa. Most are open to the public, and tourists commonly take sightseeing safaris or hunt wild game....
manager, arrives to assist, and together with US Capt. William Sumner, the courageous Zoo Directors Dr Adel Mousa and Dr Husham Hussan, Iraqi veterinarian Farah Murrani, and a few loyal zoo staff, they formed an intrepid team which secured the zoo and somehow kept the remaining animals alive and the zoo safe in some extreme circumstances. Confronted by an appalling situation, cut off from the world and completely surrounded by fighting and looting, the team overcame every "can't be done," to hold together the remains of what was once the biggest zoo in the Middle East literally out of nothing. At various times they are assisted by other conservation organizations including AZA, Wildaid, Care for the Wild, and IFAW.
As the fighting eases, the team is able to get around the city with help from the military and rescue starving and abused animals from other facilities in Baghdad and bring them back to the zoo for safekeeping.
News of the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
’s magnificent personal herd of thoroughbred Arabian horses, stolen during the invasion, arrives at the zoo and in an adventurous raid, led by Capt William Sumner and Capt Gavino Rivas with Whittington-Jones and Murrani assisting, seventeen horses are recovered and returned to the Iraqi people.
Later the US Army sent in Army engineers who overhauled and upgraded the infrastructure of the Zoo and surrounding Park. The zoo and park were reopened to the public on July 19, 2003.
On September 17 2003, the day after Anthony returned home to South Africa an American soldier who had reportedly been drinking attempted to feed the zoos prize Bengal Tiger
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
Malooh through the enclosure bars and was bitten on the hand after which his companion shot the Tiger still in its cage with a pistol and it bled to death overnight.
Book Conclusion
At its conclusion, the book gives a sobering summary of the dwindling spiral of life on Earth as a result of the deterioration of the Plant and Animal kingdoms and the planet's environment. Lawrence speaks of how the rescue inspired the formation of The Earth OrganizationThe Earth Organization
The Earth Organization is an international non-governmental organization which describes itself as "independent, grass roots, international non-profit, conservation and environment organization, with new solutions, committed to the creative, responsible rehabilitation of Planet Earth and the plant...
, a grass roots international non-profit, conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
and environment
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
organization, with new solutions, committed to the creative responsible rehabilitation of Planet Earth and the plant and animal kingdoms.
Anthony's second book, The Elephant Whisperer
The Elephant Whisperer
The Elephant Whisperer published in April 2009 by Pan Macmillan in London and in July 2009 by Thomas Dunne/St Martin's Press in New York, is the second book written by South African author and conservationist Lawrence Anthony along with journalist Graham Spence. It follows Babylon's Ark, the...
, which tells the story of his unique relationship with a traumatised herd of African elephant on the Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand South Africa , will be released in the UK and British Commonwealth on 5 June 2009 and in the United States and elsewhere in the fall of 2009.
Film
The movie rights have been acquired by a major Hollywood production company.External links
- Publisher's title information from St. Martins Press