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

An “exciting” true account of battling the elephant poachers of Zambia by the author of Where the Crawdads Sing and her fellow biologist (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. From the authors of Secrets of the Savanna, The Eye of the Elephant is “part adventure story, part wildlife tale,” recounting 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 (The Boston Globe). 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.

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 1,000 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' 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.

“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’ 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.

"Delia and Mark Owens, authors of the best~selling Cry Of The Kalahari, return to Botswana and the Kalahari Desert in the midst of a controversy to turn the fragile park into ranchlands. They scarcely begin their new project when they are forced to leave the country as undesirable aliens. Their search for a new research site leads them to the North Luangwa Valley, where they hope to study wild elephants. They quickly learn that they must compete with poachers who are slaughtering the elephants for ivory. To their dismay, local Zambians, even the park scouts, participate in the poaching to secure meat for their families. The Owenses establish a permanent camp and mount a war against the poachers. Their efforts are divided between harassing the poachers with their airplane and establishing new industries to help the villagers become more self~sufficient. Their efforts earn for them the wrath of the poachers, and they are targeted for death. The stress of their continuing struggle causes the Owenses to separate temporarily as Delia sets up her own camp along the river. The Owenses become acquainted with several small bands of elephants only to watch them join the nearly one thousand elephants slaughtered each year in North Luangwa. Despite their efforts, official corruption and local resistance make their attempts to save the elephants seem hopeless. The Owenses offer a job to any poacher who turns in his weapon. Incredibly, some of them do. The day finally comes when elephants can come to the river to drink in safety. Mark and Delia know they must leave. With a new research permit from Botswana officials, they return to their study of the Kalahari."