The Eye of the Elephant

An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness

By: Mark Owens, Delia Owens

Narrated by: Donna Postel, Sean Runnette

Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©1992 Delia and Mark Owens (P)2019 Tantor

Talk about dedication!

These two make a good team ! They sure took some chances ! Brave or passionate! Which ever they didn’t give up! I hope they are retired and happy somewhere ! They earned it!

So important!

Wow. This story was beautifully told. From the opening sentence, I was drawn in. The authors told such an important story with necessary transparency. The heartbreaking story of the wildlife in Africa needs to be shared.

Hard to listen

If I had read the description more carefully, I would have realized this is not a "feel good about animals" book. The truth is tough sometime.

Narrators were monotonous

An true, and accurate, way to get into the day to day of antipoaching, conservation, and Africa itself.

The transformation of Zambia through a HUGE journey using the locals help, government backing, and actively fighting poachers. Pilot's flying, guns shooting, lions in their camp, constant dead elephants, poachers arrests, it could be an action movie! great read!

The main guy, Mark, doesn't have a nice voice. His S's whistle and it gets annoying. Although he's half the narrative (his wife narrates the other half), it's not the worst thing.

Loved this book!

If you love animals and learning about other cultures you will love this book too.

Blair

I enjoyed both of these books. My wife is from Africa and we have been there but would like to be able to spend time in the bush like these folk did.

Brilliant narration makes all the difference

Thank you Donna Postel for such a pleasurable listen. Her narration put to life the vivid description of the authors as if I was indeed watching a movie.

Fascinating events and noble cause written in an appealing format.

Powerful!!

The fight, sacrifice and love that Mark and Delia showed in this amazing story will leave you sometimes heartbroken and other times completely fulfilled! Their commitment to these great creatures and their home is above and beyond anything I've ever read about. I found myself totally captivated by the majestic beings as described and will never look at elephants in the same light again!

Fantastic

I was captivated all along the way, I remember stories of poaching when I was a kid (age6-12) at the time of these recorded events and it enthralls me to hear how someone was there fighting the good fight.

Amazing

This book allows you to have a peek inside the difficult process & adventure of creating anti poaching enforcement inside Africa’s National Parks which has led to tourism. What an amazing couple. Their gift to the world goes unrecognized, but for these books telling the story. Thank you for sharing this life with all of us.