Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo by Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence
The astonishing story of the soldiers, conservationists, and ordinary Iraqis who united to save the animals of the Baghdad Zoo When the Iraq war began, conservationist Lawrence Anthony could think of only one thing: the fate of the Baghdad Zoo, caught in the crossfire at the heart of the city. Once Anthony entered Iraq he discovered that hostilities and uncontrolled looting had devastated the zoo and its animals. Working with members of the zoo staff and a few compassionate U.S. soldiers, he defended the zoo, bartered for food on war-torn streets, and scoured bombed palaces for desperately needed supplies. Babylon's Ark chronicles Anthony's hair-raising efforts to save a pride of Saddam's lions, close a deplorable black-market zoo, run ostriches through shoot-to-kill checkpoints, and rescue the dictator's personal herd of Thoroughbred Arabian horses. A tale of the selfless courage and humanity of a few men and women living dangerously for all the right reasons, Babylon's Ark is an inspiring and uplifting true-life adventure of individuals on both sides working together for the sake of magnificent wildlife caught in a war zone. Editorial Reviews A truly remarkable book. -Booklist (starred review) A wartime story with a joyful ending. -Kirkus Reviews (starred) [Anthony] should be lauded for his initiative, generosity, and doggedness in getting the zoo back on its feet with very little outside support. -San Francisco Chronicle The rare Iraq war book that could conceivably be called uplifting. -Entertainment Weekly Anthony deserves tremendous credit for his fearlessness and perseverance in rescuing countless animals against all odds. -The Explorers Journal - From the Publisher Anthony, a South African conservationist and recipient of the U.N.'s Earth Day award, details how, through a series of complex maneuvers, he entered Iraq after the American invasion and led the fight to save what was left of the Baghdad Zoo. Most of the animals were killed by war and looting; the remainder were starved and in filthy cages, with no staff to care for them. Anthony describes how he, along with the zoo's former deputy director and several brave workers, risked daily danger to save the bears, lions, tigers, monkeys and birds. Anthony fended off looters with a gun obtained from a sympathetic U.S. soldier, spent his own funds for equipment and bartered the use of a satellite phone for food and other essentials. Anthony vividly recounts the rescue of other animals, including the inhabitants of the appalling Luna Park Zoo and Saddam's prize Arabian horses, saved from the hands of black marketeers. The author takes no position on the invasion. His goal is for his mission, so dramatically recounted with journalist Spence's help, to set an example of conservation and respect for animal life. 8 pages of color photos. (Mar. 12) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - Publishers Weekly Terrific tale about how Iraqis, a South African conservationist and American soldiers saved the animals of the Baghdad Zoo. In April 2003, in the opening days of the Iraq War, the Baghdad Zoo was bombed, its animals released or taken. Watching the war unfold on television, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony became determined to travel to Baghdad and save what animals he could. Upon arrival, Anthony discovered Dr. Husham Hussan, the zoo's vet, daily risking his life in an effort to feed and hydrate the few remaining creatures, including a Bengal tiger, a blind brown bear, several lions, a lynx and a few boars. Baboons, monkeys and various birds, all of whom had escaped their damaged cages, freely wandered the zoo grounds. With the zoo's water pumps broken, the two men ferried water to the parched animals bucketful by bucketful from a nearby canal, an all-day job in 115-degree heat. Although still engaged in combat, American soldiers offered to help, giving the animals their MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), and liberating crucial supplies, ranging from cleaning solvents to generators to food for the zoo staff. In addition to saving the zoo's animals, Anthony and his team rescued lions from one of Saddam's son's love nests, closed down a black-market exotic-animal ring and rounded up some of Saddam's prized Arabian horses. Happily, the zoo's future was secured when coalition forces offered to rebuild the zoo and the surrounding Al Zawra Park as a symbol of goodwill toward the Iraqi people. A wartime story with a joyful ending. - Kirkus Reviews Listeners will be impressed by Anthony's unwavering commitment to the animals of the world, especially those trapped in areas plagued by the violence of humans. The renowned South African conservationist traveled to the Baghdad Zoo during the war in Iraq to try to nurse the animals back to health and transport them to safety, despite the threats of combat-related danger and widespread looting. Simon Vance's capable narration communicates the great degree of risk and uncertainty of Anthony's mission in a war zone where tensions were running high. Vance's measured tempo and varied tone reflect the drama of the complex situation facing this dedicated conservationist, zoo employees, and U.S. soldiers committed to helping the animals. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine - APRIL 2015 - AudioFile
Publication Details
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Binding: Paperback
Published by: St. Martin's Publishing Group: , 2008
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ISBN: 9780312382155 | 0312382154
272 pages.
Book Condition: Good
Cover worn. Text tanned
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