
The Elephants of Thula Thula
Elephant Whisperer, Book 3
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Roshina Ratnam
About this listen
"Roshina Ratnam gives a lively performance of Françoise Malby-Anthony's stories of the joys and trials of sustaining the land of the Thula Thula conservancy in South Africa...engrossing and performed with enthusiasm."—AudioFile Magazine
Françoise Malby-Anthony's The Elephants of Thula Thula is a powerful, gripping story about an extraordinary herd of elephants and the woman dedicated to keeping them safe.
‘Somehow, the elephants got into my soul, and it became my life’s work to see them safe and happy. There was no giving up on that vision, no matter how hard the road was at times.’
Françoise Malby-Anthony is the owner of a game reserve in South Africa with a remarkable family of elephants whose adventures have touched hearts around the world. The herd’s feisty matriarch Frankie knows who’s in charge at Thula Thula, and it’s not Francoise. But when Frankie becomes ill, and the authorities threaten to remove or cull some of the herd if the reserve doesn’t expand, Françoise is in a race against time to save her beloved elephants . . .
The joys and challenges of a life dedicated to conservation are vividly described in The Elephants of Thula Thula. The search is on to get a girlfriend for orphaned rhino Thabo—and then, as his behaviour becomes increasingly boisterous, a big brother to teach him manners. Françoise realizes a dream with the arrival of Savannah the cheetah—an endangered species not seen in the area since the 1940s—and finds herself rescuing meerkats kept as pets. But will Thula Thula survive the pandemic, an invasion from poachers and the threat from a mining company wanting access to its land?
As Françoise faces her toughest years yet, she realizes once again that with their wisdom, resilience and communal bonds, the elephants have much to teach us.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
©2023 Françoise Malby-Anthony (P)2023 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Last Rhinos
- My Battle to Save One of the World's Greatest Creatures
- By: Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lawrence Anthony learned that the northern white rhino, living in the war-ravaged Congo, was on the very brink of extinction, he knew he had to act. If the world lost the sub-species, it would be the largest land mammal since the woolly mammoth to go extinct. In The Last Rhinos, Anthony recounts his attempts to save these remarkable animals. The demand for rhino horns in the Far East has turned poaching into a dangerous black market that threatens the lives of not just these rare beasts, but also the rangers who protect them.
-
-
What a tribute
- By Elizabeth on 02-26-14
By: Lawrence Anthony, and others
-
Babylon's Ark
- The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo
- By: Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the Iraq war began, conservationist Lawrence Anthony could think of only one thing: the fate of the Baghdad Zoo, caught in the crossfire at the heart of the city. Once Anthony entered Iraq, he discovered that hostilities and uncontrolled looting had devastated the zoo and its animals. Working with members of the zoo staff and a few compassionate U.S. soldiers, Anthony defended the zoo, bartered for food on war-torn streets, and scoured bombed palaces for desperately needed supplies.
-
-
Engrossing, inspiring, and a little meandering
- By Skipper on 06-22-15
By: Lawrence Anthony, and others
-
The Memory of an Elephant
- By: Alex Lasker
- Narrated by: Scott Fleming
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Memory of an Elephant is an epic saga told by an aging African elephant as he makes a last, perilous journey to find the humans who rescued him as an orphan some fifty years ago. Interwoven with his narrative are the tumultuous lives of the family who raised and then lost him.
-
-
Compelling and moving!
- By TRENT on 11-03-22
By: Alex Lasker
-
Love, Life, and Elephants
- An African Love Story
- By: Daphne Sheldrick
- Narrated by: Virginia McKenna
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daphne Sheldrick, whose family arrived in Africa from Scotland in the 1820s, is the first person ever to have successfully hand-reared newborn elephants. Her deep empathy and understanding, her years of observing Kenya’s rich variety of wildlife, and her pioneering work in perfecting the right husbandry and milk formula have saved countless elephants, rhinos, and other baby animals from certain death.
-
-
Bummer of a book.
- By Kali on 08-03-13
By: Daphne Sheldrick
-
Modoc
- The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived
- By: Ralph Helfer
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised together in a small German circus town, a boy and an elephant formed a bond that would last their entire lives, and would be tested time and again: through a near-fatal shipwreck in the Indian Ocean, an apprenticeship with the legendary Mahout elephant trainers in the Indian teak forests, and their eventual rise to circus stardom in 1940s New York City. As the African Sun-Times put it, Modoc is "heartwarming...probably the greatest love story ever told".
-
-
Fiction -- Not True as claimed
- By Exercise Gal on 04-04-20
By: Ralph Helfer
-
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
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
I want to go there
- By Katherin on 05-11-19
By: Mark Owens, and others
-
The Last Rhinos
- My Battle to Save One of the World's Greatest Creatures
- By: Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lawrence Anthony learned that the northern white rhino, living in the war-ravaged Congo, was on the very brink of extinction, he knew he had to act. If the world lost the sub-species, it would be the largest land mammal since the woolly mammoth to go extinct. In The Last Rhinos, Anthony recounts his attempts to save these remarkable animals. The demand for rhino horns in the Far East has turned poaching into a dangerous black market that threatens the lives of not just these rare beasts, but also the rangers who protect them.
-
-
What a tribute
- By Elizabeth on 02-26-14
By: Lawrence Anthony, and others
-
Babylon's Ark
- The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo
- By: Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the Iraq war began, conservationist Lawrence Anthony could think of only one thing: the fate of the Baghdad Zoo, caught in the crossfire at the heart of the city. Once Anthony entered Iraq, he discovered that hostilities and uncontrolled looting had devastated the zoo and its animals. Working with members of the zoo staff and a few compassionate U.S. soldiers, Anthony defended the zoo, bartered for food on war-torn streets, and scoured bombed palaces for desperately needed supplies.
-
-
Engrossing, inspiring, and a little meandering
- By Skipper on 06-22-15
By: Lawrence Anthony, and others
-
The Memory of an Elephant
- By: Alex Lasker
- Narrated by: Scott Fleming
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Memory of an Elephant is an epic saga told by an aging African elephant as he makes a last, perilous journey to find the humans who rescued him as an orphan some fifty years ago. Interwoven with his narrative are the tumultuous lives of the family who raised and then lost him.
-
-
Compelling and moving!
- By TRENT on 11-03-22
By: Alex Lasker
-
Love, Life, and Elephants
- An African Love Story
- By: Daphne Sheldrick
- Narrated by: Virginia McKenna
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daphne Sheldrick, whose family arrived in Africa from Scotland in the 1820s, is the first person ever to have successfully hand-reared newborn elephants. Her deep empathy and understanding, her years of observing Kenya’s rich variety of wildlife, and her pioneering work in perfecting the right husbandry and milk formula have saved countless elephants, rhinos, and other baby animals from certain death.
-
-
Bummer of a book.
- By Kali on 08-03-13
By: Daphne Sheldrick
-
Modoc
- The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived
- By: Ralph Helfer
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised together in a small German circus town, a boy and an elephant formed a bond that would last their entire lives, and would be tested time and again: through a near-fatal shipwreck in the Indian Ocean, an apprenticeship with the legendary Mahout elephant trainers in the Indian teak forests, and their eventual rise to circus stardom in 1940s New York City. As the African Sun-Times put it, Modoc is "heartwarming...probably the greatest love story ever told".
-
-
Fiction -- Not True as claimed
- By Exercise Gal on 04-04-20
By: Ralph Helfer
-
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
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
I want to go there
- By Katherin on 05-11-19
By: Mark Owens, and others
-
Secrets of the Savanna
- Twenty-Three Years in the African Wilderness Unraveling the Mysteries of Elephants and People
- By: Mark Owens, Delia Owens
- Narrated by: Donna Postel, Sean Runnette
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this riveting real-life adventure, Mark and Delia Owens tell the dramatic story of their last years in Africa, fighting to save elephants, villagers, and - in the end - themselves. The award-winning zoologists and pioneering conservationists describe their work in the remote and ruggedly beautiful Luangwa Valley, in northeastern Zambia. There they studied the mysteries of the elephant population’s recovery after poaching, discovering remarkable similarities between humans and elephants.
-
-
A vivid view of the savanna in Africa, culture and wildlife!
- By Kd on 09-12-20
By: Mark Owens, and others
-
The Covenant of Water
- By: Abraham Verghese
- Narrated by: Abraham Verghese
- Length: 31 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time.
-
-
Story Telling At Its Best
- By Regina on 05-06-23
By: Abraham Verghese
-
Funny Farm
- My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals
- By: Laurie Zaleski
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Laurie Zaleski never aspired to run an animal rescue; that was her mother Annie’s dream. But from girlhood, Laurie was determined to make the dream come true. Thirty years later as a successful businesswoman, she did it, buying a 15-acre farm deep in the Pinelands of South Jersey. She was planning to relocate Annie and her caravan of ragtag rescues - horses and goats, dogs and cats, chickens and pigs - when Annie died, just two weeks before moving day. In her heartbreak, Laurie resolved to make her mother’s dream her own.
-
-
Heartwarming
- By Petfan on 04-13-22
By: Laurie Zaleski
-
Cathedral of the Wild
- An African Journey Home
- By: Boyd Varty
- Narrated by: Boyd Varty
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Boyd Varty had an unconventional upbringing. He grew up on Londolozi Game Reserve in South Africa, a place where man and nature strive for balance, where perils exist alongside wonders. Founded more than 80 years ago as a hunting ground, Londolozi was transformed into a nature reserve beginning in 1973 by Varty’s father and uncle, visionaries of the restoration movement. But it wasn’t just a sanctuary for the animals; it was also a place for ravaged land to flourish again and for the human spirit to be restored.
-
-
One of my favorite audiobooks
- By Kindle Customer on 03-19-17
By: Boyd Varty
-
Cry of the Kalahari
- By: Mark Owens, Delia Owens
- Narrated by: Donna Postel, Sean Runnette
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of the Owens' travel and life in the Kalahari Desert. Here they met and studied unique animals and were confronted with danger from drought, fire, storms, and the animals they loved. This best-selling book is for both travelers and animal lovers.
-
-
Classic Book & Very Highly Recommended
- By Tropical Gal on 05-12-19
By: Mark Owens, and others
-
Whatever You Do, Don't Run
- True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide
- By: Peter Allison
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whatever You Do, Don't Run is a hilarious collection of true tales from top safari guide Peter Allison. In a place where the wrong behavior could get you eaten, Allison has survived face-to-face encounters with big cats, angry elephants, and the world's most unpredictable animals: herds of untamed tourists and foolhardy guides whose outrageous antics sometimes make them even more dangerous than a pride of hungry lions!
-
-
Drivers May Laugh Too Hard to Drive!
- By D. in Dallas on 09-21-12
By: Peter Allison
-
Elephant Company
- The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II
- By: Vicki Constantine Croke
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the onset of World War II, Williams formed Elephant Company and was instrumental in defeating the Japanese in Burma and saving refugees, including on his own "Hannibal Trek." Billy Williams became a media sensation during the war, telling reporters that the elephants did more for him than he was ever able to do for them, but his story has since been forgotten.
-
-
Story of Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery
- By Patrick on 04-15-15
-
Soul of an Octopus
- A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
- By: Sy Montgomery
- Narrated by: Sy Montgomery
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sy Montgomery's popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, "Deep Intellect", about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death, went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then Sy has practiced true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters.
-
-
Eight legs and so much more!
- By Kirstin on 07-02-15
By: Sy Montgomery
-
Elephants
- Birth, Life, and Death in the World of the Giants
- By: Hannah Mumby
- Narrated by: Gemma Lawrence
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From early childhood, Dr. Hannah Mumby has loved wildlife, especially elephants. Her first wild elephant sighting at 24 changed the course of her life. Since then, she has devoted herself to studying these incredible animals and educating humanity about them. Hannah's field work has taken her around the world, where she has studied many elephant groups, including both orphaned elephants and the solitary elephant males. These remarkable animals have so much to teach us, Mumby argues, and Elephants takes listeners into their world as never before.
-
-
talks more about herself than elephants.
- By ERIC DUPREE on 09-11-21
By: Hannah Mumby
-
My Life with the Chimpanzees
- By: Jane Goodall
- Narrated by: Jane Goodall
- Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the time she was a girl, Jane Goodall dreamed of a life spent working with animals. Finally she had her wish. When she was 26 years old, she ventured into the forests of Africa to observe chimpanzees in the wild. On her expeditions she braved the dangers with leopards and lions in the African bush. And she got to know an amazing group of wild chimpanzees - intelligent animals whose lives, in work and play and family relationships, bear a surprising resemblance to our own.
-
-
Love Jane, message & superbly crafted soundscapes!
- By Deb Tyler on 06-25-20
By: Jane Goodall
-
The Last Giants
- The Rise and Fall of the African Elephant
- By: Levison Wood
- Narrated by: Levison Wood
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since he was young, Levison Wood has been fascinated by elephants and their fight for survival. Whilst trekking the Nile he saw these beasts up close, and in The Last Giants, he finally satisfies his desire to learn more about the majestic African elephant. In The Last Giants, he teams up with local trackers to gain insight into how this iconic species survives, camps out in the wild, meets the people and tribes living on the migration's path, and joins the park rangers whose job it is to protect these land goliaths.
-
-
EXCELLENT
- By JK on 06-03-24
By: Levison Wood
-
Walking with Gorillas
- The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet
- By: Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
- Narrated by: Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her enchanting memoir, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian, tells the remarkable story from her animal-loving childhood to her career protecting endangered mountain gorillas and other wild animals. In the face of discrimination and a male dominated world, one woman’s passion and determination to build a brighter future for the local wildlife and human community offers inspiration and insights into what is truly possible for our planet when we come together.
-
-
Great and Inspiring!
- By Jeffrey A Cook on 12-17-23
Critic reviews
“A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Malby-Anthony blends the beauty of the African bush with the nuts and bolts of running a game preserve in this welcome continuation of the story of Thula Thula.”—Booklist
What listeners say about The Elephants of Thula Thula
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Linda Hong
- 10-09-23
Elephants of Thula Thula
Absolutely love this book. I feel as if I am part of Thula Thula. Well written. Hope there will be more.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- B. Baxter
- 01-17-24
Another lovely book about an amazing place
I became hooked on Thula Thula reading Lawrence Anthony's book, The Elephant Whisperer. This second book by his Widow, François Malby-Anthony, isn't quite as good as her first, An Elephant in My Kitchen, being more a series of mini-stories about the animals at Thula Thula than an overarching arc of a memoire. Stiill, for anyone in love with animals and this particular spot, it's a worthwhile continuation of the joys and challenges involved in running this reserve, especially during the pandemic. Well read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LDGOLO
- 06-20-23
A great sequel that updates the reader
What a wonderful book. I love the narration and the detail and descriptive writing that helps you feel as if you are at Thula Thula. It was a great sequel that updates the lives of the animals from the two previous books. Hope we find out what happens for the rhinos and cheetahs in another book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CVBullen
- 09-14-24
The dedication and love of all the Thula Thula family
This is the third book about the creation of the Thula Thula wildlife preserve and all of them have been wonderful. This last book covers a very difficult time of keeping the preserve going in the face of COVID 19 lockdowns and other challenges. The work of all of the humans to protect these fantastic animals is inspiring. Everyone should read these books.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kellee Repko
- 01-26-25
Everyday Life in Southern Africa
The ups and downs of living on a game reserve. A unique lifestyle. How the author endured COVID.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Unhappy with the product
- 05-28-23
Amazing stories
I greatly appreciate hearing all of the stories about Thula Thula from the perspective of Francoise Malby-Anthony! Her work is so important to conservationists worldwide. As for the reviewer who commented that she had not included some of his favorite stories, he was clearly ignorant that this book is one in a series about Thula Thula. The first in the series was The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony. The next two books are The Elephant in my Kitchen and The Elephants of Thula Thula by Francoise Malby-Anthony. She occasionally goes back in time to recount some backstory, but her books mostly pick up from when Lawrence’s book ends. All people who are interested in conservation or in love with the African bush should read this book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ann Wilkins
- 05-17-23
what a beautiful story
I didn't want it to end.I wanted the story to last forever.i am in love.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Janette Jacksi York
- 04-28-23
Soooo Goood!!!
A must read!!! Plain and simple!! I just finished and am going to listen to it again, as in next!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Steve Adams
- 05-15-24
For the Elephant lover
Francoise has become quite the advocate for South African wild life. She has taken the baton from her late husband Lawrence Anthony and run with it to be a voice for wild life. It’s a great book. I would strongly recommend it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- B. Dillon
- 05-08-23
Wonderful!
another great story about Thula Thula! I would absolutely love to go there and see the animals!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful