Conservationist honoured at Montclair library
"It is up to us make that change and to be the saviour of Earth and all species,"
A late internationally acclaimed South African author was honoured on Friday, 1 April at Montlands library in Montclair.
Lawrence Anthony’s latest book, The Last Rhinos was chosen as part of the One City, One Book programme.
Anthony was a highly-respected conservationist and co-founder of The Earth Organisation who books on his experiences in trying to save the giants in the animal kingdom. The Lawrence Anthony Earth Organisation is an independent, non-profit group which seeks to reverse the dwindling spiral of the plant and animal kingdoms and the environment through education and action.
On behalf of Anthony, close friend, fellow conservationist and executive director of the Earth organisation, Yvette Taylor, addressed the guests and presented a slideshow on rhinos and the work done by Earth Org. She highlighted the importance of not only saving rhinos but also preserving nature. She reveals the sad truth of poachers, referring to them as the disease of nature as they continue to callously wipe out species. “Poaching is the product of greed and poverty. A rhino horn can be sold for R6-million that is $80,000 per kg. Lawrence had dedicated and risked his life in saving these creatures. His book is based on the Northen White rhino which was close to extinction. This led him to travel to dark Africa where he met and negotiated with rebel group, Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA),” said Taylor. LRA played a major role in peace talks and Anthony, with great charm and passion, managed to convince them to write a protection of animals act in their peace treaty.
His previous books, Babylon’s Ark and The Elephant Whisperer received international recognition as he went into great detail about the plight of endangered species and his journey in protecting and saving the animals. Anthony was a world renowned conservationist and sadly, after his death in 2012, fans from across the world waited in bittersweet anticipation for his latest and final instalment ‘The Last Rhinos’. “This book is impermanent to the rhino issue and that is why we were chosen by this programme. It’s also a great opportunity to continue Anthony’s work. He was an amazing author and conservationist. A great animal lover and his passion gave him the gift to save species and to enlighten the world on our dying earth,” added Taylor.
Following Anthony’s untimely death, Earth Org has built a rhino orphanage. “If we don’t see ourselves in the bigger picture of survival, like the rhinos, we will be on the list of endangered species. It is up to make that change and to be the saviour of Earth and all species,” said Taylor. As the great elephant whisperer would say: “There is more to life than just yourself, your own family, and your own kind. Our inability to think beyond our own species, or to be able to co-habit with other life forms in what is patently a massive collaborative quest for survival, is surely a malady that pervades the human soul.”
