Zoos & wildlife parks

The Soul of a Lion

Reflections on a life lived with animals

by Willie Labuschagne

Description

The Soul of a Lion, an engaging memoir by Willie Labuschagne, is an exhilarating journey which begins with the young conservationist’s unique experiences with wild animals. From his groundbreaking research on the desert cheetah’s behaviour and ecology to becoming an internationally respected consultant on environmental and wildlife-related issues, he holds the reader’s attention with all the skill of the master storyteller. The numerous occasions when Willie faced potentially life-threatening situations with wild animals are vividly recounted, many of them wryly humorous while others evoke deep emotion. But not all animal encounters took place in the wild. A significant and poignant encounter that further inspired Willie’s approach to conservation occurred when, during his time as director of the Johannesburg Zoo, he and his family hand-raised a newborn lion cub that had been rejected by its mother. Willie shares his entertaining and often moving life experiences with warmth and understanding, whether it is sleeping under the stars with the bushmen of the Kgalagadi desert or observing the traditions of the Zulu Royal House. His travels in the African landscape in particular are an exciting panorama of many distinctive habitats, from the relentless desert of the Skeleton Coast in Namibia to the pristine beauty of the Tsitsikamma Forest and the breathtaking vastness of the African bushveld. He is forthright in his view of the critical position of the world we live in and the future it holds for mankind and believes that we are all part of a custodianship which should do everything in its power to protect our fragile environment.

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Author Biography

Willie Labuschagne is a devoted and internationally celebrated wildlife conservationist and holds a master’s degree in wildlife management. For more than five decades he has been actively involved in the conservation of threatened species for which he has received national and international recognition, culminating in numerous awards. In 2006 Willie took early retirement when he was headhunted by the late His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, to manage his private Department of Nature Conservation. Willie returned to South Africa permanently in 2015 and has since established a consultancy, Willie Labuschagne Wildlife Consultants, which specialises in zoo development. He now spends his time writing about his experiences and is also much in demand as a speaker.

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Tracey McDonald Publishers

TMP, established in 2013, is a leading indie publishing house based in South Africa. In the 11 years of business, they have published 123 titles. Under the TMP imprint they publish non-fiction titles, written by people from Africa, or about Africa.

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