Babylon's Ark
The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo
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4.5 • 6 Ratings
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- £8.99
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- £8.99
Publisher Description
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Anthony, a South African conservationist and recipient of the U.N.'s\t\t Earth Day award, details how, through a series of complex maneuvers, he entered\t\t Iraq after the American invasion and led the fight to save what was left of the\t\t Baghdad Zoo. Most of the animals were killed by war and looting; the remainder\t\t were starved and in filthy cages, with no staff to care for them. Anthony\t\t describes how he, along with the zoo's former deputy director and several brave\t\t workers, risked daily danger to save the bears, lions, tigers, monkeys and\t\t birds. Anthony fended off looters with a gun obtained from a sympathetic U.S.\t\t soldier, spent his own funds for equipment and bartered the use of a satellite\t\t phone for food and other essentials. Anthony vividly recounts the rescue of\t\t other animals, including the inhabitants of the appalling Luna Park Zoo and\t\t Saddam's prize Arabian horses, saved from the hands of black marketeers. The\t\t author takes no position on the invasion. His goal is for his mission, so\t\t dramatically recounted with journalist Spence's help, to set an example of\t\t conservation and respect for animal life. 8 pages of color photos.\t\t
Customer Reviews
Sad tales but a truly great read.
A great book which gives terrific insight and account into what was going on in Baghdad Zoo and the plight of those truly wonderful animals.
It was hard to read at times as it’s clear reading the accounts those animals were suffering greatly through no fault of their own. The struggles the teams faced trying to help rebuild the zoo was hugely commendable.
Sad tales, but a must read.