My heart resides in Africa with the wild animals forever! There is something to be said to see the animals in their natural and wild habitat!

Author Malty-Anthony runs a reserve in South Africa and shares with the readers many of the trials, adventures, struggles and opportunities that come her way as she works to care for these animals! The reserve began with a herd of elephants and over time she has worked to bring many more animals on the reserve and work to add land to acquire more animals!

This was fun to read for the little small details. For example, she has her rhino's regularly dehorned to save them from being poached for a minimal amount of ivory. It's required to have a certain amount of acres in order to have cheetahs on the reserve. Matriarchal elephant society is extremely important, you can't just cull elephants to decrease effects on the land without major repercussion. She talks of how they survived financially during covid.

The audiobook was so well read and performed by the narrator. You could hear the love and joy in her voice for the animals that I almost thought that perhaps it was the author who was narrating her book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this advance audiobook.

If you are a lover of animals and conservation you will definitely enjoy this book. Francoise Malby-Anthony owns a reserve in South Africa, Thula Thula, where she cares for a herd of elephants, rhinos, and a few more species. The story walks you through the challenges that she faces when animals get ill, poachers looming about the reserve, issues with government regulations and financial funding.

The audiobook was really great and left me wanting to visit!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an ALC in exchange for my review!

Wow, what a story! I have never heard of these folks before so it was neat to learn about all of the good work they do for the wildlife of Africa.

Lovely, feel good story of the most recent expansion of the Thula Thula reserve in SA.

This book tells the story of the expansion of the Thula Thula reserve in Zulu-land, South Africa. The author tells a series of stories- almost vignettes of her animals, the staff and highlights specific high and low points in the development and expansion of the park. The writing style is very easy on the ears (I had the audio book) and I was through the book in no time.
For me, the most fascinating part of the book was not the funny stories, or descriptions of dangerous animal procedures/situations, but the advent of the Covid 19 pandemic. This is the first book I’ve read that specifically addressed the pandemic and it felt a bit unusual to be reading about it, like I’ve read about the Spanish Flu! I admit that my mind had been with my overseas colleagues quite a bit during the pandemic, but I had not really considered these operations which are out in the Bush- not nationally sponsored, etc.It was fascinating to read how adjustments were made and the organization survived.
I believe this will be a popular book- It would make a nice gift for any elephant lover.
One note on the narrator, she was excellent! Just the right tone.

Elephants, rhinoceros, cheetahs, - endangered animals on a reserve in South Africa are loved, cared for, observed and known so well by the special staff and Franqoise. This is a story of endearment, sorrow, struggles and extreme joy.
Franqoise’s connection with the elephants are remarkable, not to mention the other wildlife she encounters. When faces with struggles, her wisdom , endurance and passion carry her through to give her animals a what they deserve- a good life!
Roshina Rotham had a fun, easy to follow storytelling style. I loved the African accent, appropriately used emotionally charged and sorrowful expressions. She held an excellent pace and her voice was calming and enjoyable. I look forward to more books by this narrator.
Overall, I absolutely adored this amazingly emotional book. The unique perspective brought forward allows you to see experience firsthand the understanding in the care, behavior, and emotions of each individual animal. Lovely story! Not to be missed!
I would recommend this book to YA on up. I am looking forward to more books in this genre and by this author.

Although this is the second book by Francoise Malby-Anthony, It is the first one I've read. Her first book There is an Elephant in My Kitchen brought her many fans. This book will probably double her adoring public. It is the lovely story of a French couple opening up a Reserve in Zululand where animals can couple and thrive, poachers are forbidden, and the public can come to spend a night or a week and meet the many species of animal friends that Françoise has. It was never clear to me if her husband dies in the first book or in the early part of this book. It is clear that she is the Boss. She has to make all the decisions, write to African authorities for licenses, and generally try to navigate a culture that, although she loves it, is very different than French culture.

There are stories of almost every animal that lives on the huge property that in 2022 is over 5500 hectares. The stories are told with such love that I found myself looking up her Reserve on the internet, seeing how expensive it is-it isn't, and does it look like a place I'd like to visit-yes.

The book begins a year before the pandemic starts and goes until 2022. People staying at the Reserve is a huge part of their income and the pandemic hit the Reserve hard. By the end of the book, I, the reader, was in awe of the strength of this Frenchwoman to keep this place going, the loyalty she inspires in others, and her love for Zululand and everything that resides there (not the poachers).

I am truly thinking of making a visit for my birthday. She has hooked me.

I enjoyed listening to what life is like on the Thula Thula Gane Reserve! There is a lot of serious issues of course, like having to get permits for animals and poaching but there were so many funny moments and I could actually picture myself in and among the animals, especially when the elephants would come to the back porch of Francoise like she wanted to come for tea, or the monkey that stole a cellphone..
There were some hard moments too, but real life, like having to Dehorn the rhinos so that poachers won’t kill them for their horns. And trying to survive during Covid when they couldn’t have visitors so they had no income and had to figure out how to support themselves.
There’s a great balance between education and inspiration and it made me move African Safari up a few notches up on my bucket list.
I loved listening to her tell her story in her own words.
Thanks to the publisher for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.

Just the African Safari adventure I had hoped for.

If you are an animal lover you will be wrapped up on the spell that is Thula Thula. A sanctuary for animals on the brink of extinction, cared for and protected by a few dedicated individuals who are making up for some of the wrongs of humankind.

This is an amazing memoir type novel showcasing several animals and people that make Thula Thula the awe filled patch of wild that it is.

I've already started saving to visit in real life! Inspiring and hear warming. Five star read in my books!

Narrated by the author this wonderful audiobook covers much more than just the elephants of the reserve, Thula Thula. I was also introduced to cheetahs, giraffes and a wonderful rhino named Tabo.
The writing and animals were all so captivating and really brought you right onto the game reserve.
Highly recomend!


An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for and honest review.

This was a beautiful story about the home that everyone has made Thula Thula, the African Game Reserve, that is dedicated to the rescue, protection and survival of endangered species. The trials and tribulations this family has gone through, including the pandemic, let alone regulatory challenges that a reserve is required to overcome, creates an awe of inspiration.

This group of people have dedicated their lives to this beautiful cause! This story is an inspiration to all for the protection animal needs against their largest danger and predator: humans. It's a sad truth that needs to be exposed to help reduce the threat that we pose against these beautiful creatures. So many animals are becoming endangered because of human actions.

Francoise and her team are such a group of remarkable people! A very heartwarming read!

🐘 Book Review 🐘

Book: The Elephants of Thule Thule
Author: Françoise Malby-Anthony
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
Release date: April 25, 2023 (Audio)

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Do you like watching animal documentaries? Do you love learning about big game? Do you want to get a better understanding of animals you are not likely to interact with on a personal level regularly? This is the book for you!!

This book was published September of 2022 but later this month it comes out in a audio version! Thanks to @netgalley and @panmacmillan I was able to listen to it before the release date.

I absolutely loved getting lost in the world of Thula Thula. I loved seeing how the big game of the reserve has so much personality and humor. I found myself smiling most of this book and enjoyed the experience! It felt as if I was there watching these beautiful animals myself! It was so interesting how the elephants behavior mimicked human behavior in so many different ways. The way they took care of their young was so similar to how we take care of our young.

My favorite part was when one of the elephants was playing with the blanket. It was so cute and funny. It shows how they also want to just have fun and like to laugh and make others laugh! My overall favorite animal was Tabo the rhino! When Tabo took Mona for a walk after Lisa died warmed and broke my heart. It showed how rhinos also experience loss and are there for each other. Even the elephants morned Franky’s death in their own way and visited where she passed like humans visit a grave site. These animals won over my heart and now I want to visit Thula Thula myself!

Absolutely beautiful listen! Need to add the physical book to my collection! ❤️

Side note: yes I lost one of my air pods! Haha

Once again thank you @netgalley and @panmacmillan for proving me with a advanced audio book copy to listen to and give a honest review!

The Elephants of Thula Thula is a fascinating book about about what it is like to live on a wildlife reserve in South Africa. The author, who owns and runs Thula Thula describes daily life living surrounded by elephants, rhinos, giraffes, snakes, monkeys, and all sorts of wildlife. Some of this is the joy of getting to know the animals and observe them in their natural habitat. Some is the worries caused by human interactions with wildlife - protection from poachers, dealing with regulations, and helping endangered species start new families. All all of this was made more complicated by the COVID pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. The author's passion for wildlife is evident in every chapter. I listened to and enjoyed the audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

i loved this book.. it was as if I was there in Africa seeing these animals on my own.
Great writing and great story.

This is the first book I've read/listened to about Thula Thula but it won't be my last. Author Malby-Anthony and narrator Roshina Ratnam bring to life the joys and challenges of managing a diverse reserve in Zululand. Listeners get to know some of the animals and the herds in which they live fairly intimately as we also get to experience the crises of poachers, government bureaucracy, and the Covid pandemic. At times the narrative becomes a bit self-serving and the title does not adequately describe the focus on the reserve's rhinos, which are just as fascinating and in some ways the "stars" of the book. But overall, this is a charming and fascinating book, well worth reading., I have been on a safari in Tanzania and visited several South African cities, but after listening to this book I am tempted to visit Thula Thula. Well done.

In the vein of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, Malby-Anthony is writing about her experiences with preservation of wildlife in Africa, specifically South Africa. The book talks about the problems they have had with government regulations, the ever common poacher problems and security, raising money, and issues brought on by Covid and the lack of travel.

Malby-Anthony has a positive and optimistic outlook on an initiative that is always fighting to stay afloat, combat poachers, and deal with government policies. Malby-Anthony’s love for the animals and desire to ensure the best possible outcomes for all animals is very clear. Her suggestions for considering your own actions and the effect it has on any animal you come into contact with is important on for us all to think about. It brought to mind the camels available to ride in Cairo, or the Dolphin swims in the Caribbean.

The issues of preservation and the need for assistance is a central aspect of this book and an ever-important consideration for our world going forward.

These sorts of books are important for us to read and be aware of what goes on in our world, the very reason I chose to read this one. However, in my opinion this book was a tribute to specific financial contributors to the Private Game Reserve, as well as a self congratulations to all the financial supports and those working on the game reserve who helped the neighbouring communities’ weather Covid. While these aspects are important to the preserve and I appreciate them, it come across as attempts to promote certain contributors.
As for the narration, Roshina Ratnam had a lovely voice and it was a pleasure to listen to her.

Would I recommend this book? YES, it is a book about conservation and the importance of people like Malby-Anthony. However, there would be a warning to ignore the advertising and self promotion aspects. I would also go back and read her last books An Elephant in My Kitchen, and her husband Lawrence Anthony’s book The Elelphant Whisperer. As far as visiting Thula Thula, yes!! I want to go there someday.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an arc of this audiobook. Below is my honest review. I apologize if misspell any names or locations, I read this via the audio narration.

This is the third book in the elephant whisperer series. You don’t have to read the others first, but if you enjoy this one then I highly recommend going back to read the first two!

This book centers on the trials and tribulations of running a game reserve, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are stories about rhinos, meerkats, giraffes, hippos, and the beloved elephant herd. The author discusses the difficulties of having enough space, having enough funds, preventing mining on their grounds, the closing and (no spoilers) hopefully reopening of a rehabilitation center, and more.

Elephants are my favorite animal, so I might be a little biased here and focus on the herd. I loved getting updates on how the herd is growing and changing. I found their reaction to the changes due to COVID fascinating. Especially their reaction when guests came back! And … with the growth of the reserve I was so curious to see if the elephants would use the underpass to explore the new grounds.

If you are an animal person, interested in animal conservation, or just a huge elephant lover…go, go, go and read this right now!

Thanks to Roshina Ratnam for a wonderful narration.

I read this book in a snowy land far away and it made me feel a sense of connection with all the wildlife and humans of Thula Thula. I knew of Françoise from the excellent The Elephant Whisperer, by Lawrence Anthony, Françoise’s late husband. I even knew Frankie the elephant. Reading about what happened after that book, and up until now, has been amazing. I know how hard it was to set up the Thula Thula sanctuary, and I imagined that nothing had been easy after Lawrence’s passing, but Françoise’s experiences are at once heartwarming and heartbreaking. Despite the title, this is about more than the elephants. The author talks about the rhinos, baboons, cheetahs and even her dogs. The challenges of running a sanctuary, the responsibility of having so many lives, not only human, in her hands, the poachers, the pandemic, even a coup that I heard nothing about, rival the most suspenseful thriller. I don’t know whether Roshina Ratnam really has a mildly French accent, but for a while I was convinced it was the author herself performing the audiobook. The narrator is so pleasant, friendly and convincing that it was like listening to Françoise herself tell her own story and that of her charges and colleagues. Whether in heaven or wherever good people go, Lawrence must be proud.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/# Macmillan Audio!

Thank you to MetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The Elephants of Thula Thula by Francoise Malby-Anthony transported me to the South Africa, if only in my mind. The love, compassion, work ethic, and passion Francoise has for wildlife.and nature, her Thula Thula team, her community, and the world jumped from the pages through these beautiful written words. The individual stories of animals, rangers, guests, and her own experiences helped me connect to this unique place and truly feel each description of events and emotions along with her. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy wildlife and the outdoors, or those who are inspired by individuals doing hard things for the betterment of others.

This is the story of the author’s game reserve in Africa and her twenty two years of caring for her beloved animals. She makes readers feel like they are right there on the reserve with her, enjoying the animals and the landscape. There is pain and anguish as she confronts both poachers and government read tape. Trust me, if an African safari isn’t in your budget, this is the next best thing