Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo Paperback – Illustrated, July 8, 2008

One of the best animal rescue books I've ever read. The account is of the devastation that took place in Bagdad at Saddam Hussein's famous zoo there, which housed some magnificent wild animals, many who perished there during the early days of the Iraq War. Some very special conservationists, led by a South African, put their lives on the line trying to rebuild the almost demolished zoo, nurse the wounded animals back to health, locate huge amounts of food for these large animals, create a source of watering, and protect those animals who were left there - from poachers and from the consequences of the neglect and wounds these animals received. This is a story of commitment, perseverance, bravery, ingenuity, teamwork, and most of all, a strong love of, and respect for the animals who were being kept at the Bagdad Zoo. Definitely worth the time to read if you have a heart for saving animals.

This book was totally eye opening. I'm an animal lover but I have to admit it never occurred to me that there was a zoo in Baghdag. The pure fear, starvation, total lack of water and abuse these animals endured were heart wrenching. Thank the Good Lord that the author, Lawrence Anthony, was able to get into Baghdad during a war. Anthony and his Iraq co-workers with total devotion and brutal strength worked to save the animals not already dead. This was such a great story. It opened my eyes to the ravages of war beyond just the suffering of people.

Heartfelt, passionate, and worth reading, this story turns its subjects, the animals, into characters themselves, and highlights the often overlooked civilian issues of a war: food, water, and care of animals. Although this book is worth reading, I found that it was a bit “clunky” in its writing styl, but, I would still recommend!

What a powerful book. I had read his other books about his life in Africa and gave this one a try because he wrote so well. It a shame what mankind does to our planet and animals. Please read this wonderful book and take care of the animals and help protect our planet..

I am a docent at our local zoo, and our book club chose this book for a monthly meeting. We are a diverse group who come together because of a common love of animals, and this book had something for everyone. It was made even more touching by the author's recent death and the response of the elephant herd he loved so much. War is a terrible thing, but it is even more horrendous when you consider the plight of animals held in unbelievably cruel conditions.....little food and almost no water. What Mr. Anthony and his colleagues did to rescue the captive animals makes for an intense and exciting read. The book is factual and well-written, putting a human and animal face on the miseries of war. It is a fitting requiem for a great man.

Imagine being a survivor in occupied Iraq after the US defeated Suddam Hussein's forces. There is no power, no running water, no infrastructure and there are shoot to kill orders for looters. Now imagine that you are one of the surviving animals in Alzawra Park, home to what is left of the Bagdad Zoo. You are unable to flee, defend or feed yourself. Who will come to your aid when the prospects are likely that you will be slaughtered to meet the food needs of the human inhabitants of the city. Enter Lawrence Anthony, owner of Zula Zula game reserve in South Africa. He remembered seeing, on CNN, the face of the last remaining lion in the Kabul Zoo in the aftermath of the Afghan Taliban war. He couldn't let the same fate fall upon the animals in the Bagdad Zoo. He talks his way into becoming one of the first civilians permitted entry into Iraq. He finds one former employee at the zoo, and they set about to save the remaining animals. With dogged determination and enlisting the help of the U.S. armed forces, he is succesful. Regardless of your politics, you are pulled into this riveting story of one man's efforts to save animals who through no fault of their own became some of the most defenseless victims of the war.

Anthony, a South African elephant conservationist, was appalled when he heard that the animals at the Kabul zoo were killed in the war in Afghanistan. When the war in Iraq started, he decided to go to Baghdad and help save the animals at the Baghdad zoo from the same fate. Anthony got a real education walking into a war zone and finding the zoo completely looted and all but 30 of the creatures dead or missing. Slowly, and with the help of brave Iraqi vets and zookeepers, concerned American soldiers, and one crazy taxi driver, Anthony helped lead the zoo's recovery into a safe place for the animals and a haven of normalcy for Baghdad families.If a story like this is competently told, it really can't miss, and this one hits the mark. Anthony has many interesting things to say, good stories, and the right combination of indignation and MASH-style humor.The last chapter bogs down in hopeless idealism about international cooperation (IMHO), but this book will be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in the topic or the experiences of an ordinary civilian trying to get something done in a war zone.Reviewer: Liz Clare, co-author of the historical novel To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark.