BOOK TITLE: THE ELEPHANTS OF THULA THULA AUTHOR: FRANCOISE MALBY-ANTHONY AVAILABLE AT: EXCLUSIVE BOOKS

In this delightful first-account read, Malby-Anthony, who co-founded the park with her late husband Lawrence Anthony, takes readers through their relationship with the elephants in the vicinity, particularly the feisty Frankie, a 40-something-year-old elephant who is described as an unpredictable matriarch elephant. The author narrates her encounters with Frankie; how in her best element she always stood tall and proud in all her glory, her illnesses, getting lost, until her untimely death.

The description of how the other elephants mournered Frankie was quite emotional. There is also a part where after her husband passed on, every year on the exact date of his passing, a herd of the elephants would come by their house to ‘stop by.’ It’s amazing how they could sense loss, grief and mourning: amazing, right?

Elephants are known to be territorial and cheeky, and sometimes violent, but they are also intuitive and spiritual, with a strong attachment to the human beings that they encounter on a regular basis.

This book is quite refreshing, written in a conversational manner and is a nice read for anyone who likes nature, animals and learning about tourism and wildlife.