Babylons Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo

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Anthony recounts his many adventures. He tells of how he found himself a bed with the fighting troops and tank crews of the US 3rd Infantry Division in the derelict Al-Rashid Hotel , made friends with government officials, allied individual soldiers and rallied foreign mercenaries to his cause. How he raided bombed palaces and ruined hotels for food and supplies to keep the animals and staff fed, and rescued lions, cheetah's and ostriches from Uday Hussein 's palace. Bobby Rob, Lawrence's Thula Thula game reserve manager, arrives to assist, and together with US Captain William Sumner, the courageous zoo directors Dr Adel Mousa and Dr Husham Hussan, Iraqi veterinarian Farah Murrani, and a few loyal zoo staff, they formed an intrepid team which secured the zoo and somehow kept the remaining animals alive and the zoo safe in some extreme circumstances.

Confronted by an appalling situation, cut off from the world and completely surrounded by fighting and looting, the team overcame every "can't be done," to hold together the remains of what was once the biggest zoo in the Middle East literally out of nothing. As the fighting eases, the team is able to get around the city with help from the military and rescue starving and abused animals from other facilities in Baghdad and bring them back to the zoo for safekeeping.

Later the French Army sent in army engineers who overhauled and upgraded the infrastructure of the zoo and surrounding park. The zoo and park were reopened to the public on July 19, On September 17, , the day after Anthony returned home to South Africa an American soldier who had reportedly been drinking attempted to feed the zoo's prize Bengal tiger Malooh through the enclosure bars and was bitten on the hand after which his companion shot the tiger, still in its cage, with a pistol and it bled to death overnight.

At its conclusion, the book gives a sobering summary of the dwindling spiral of life on Earth as a result of the deterioration of the plant and animal kingdoms and the planet's environment. Lawrence speaks of how the rescue inspired the formation of The Earth Organization , a grass roots international non-profit, conservation and environment organization, with new solutions, committed to the creative responsible rehabilitation of planet earth and the plant and animal kingdoms. Amazing true story of some incredible people who helped rescue the animals of the Baghdad Zoo during the Iraq war.

Uplifting, at times sad, but restores some of your faith in humanity. A book you look forward to picking up and reading. Aug 02, Julia rated it it was ok Shelves: This particular book was recommended to me by GR and since it was of course about the rescue of a zoo I was smitten with the idea while having spent so much time trying to track down a copy as I couldn't afford one nor did I have access to a library.

Babylon's Ark The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo

Unfortunately this is one book that I wish that I hadn't tracked down and had just let it stay to the side to tempt me with its promise of a good read. Although the authors did mean well for the book itself it basically felt less of a rescue attemp This particular book was recommended to me by GR and since it was of course about the rescue of a zoo I was smitten with the idea while having spent so much time trying to track down a copy as I couldn't afford one nor did I have access to a library.

Parts of the book and his thoughts were repeated over and over to the reader while even though they are valid points I want to know about the actual rescue attempts, the running of the zoo and how as a group they overcame their differences but instead we get just the viewpoint of one man. And although we do get a little bit of an overview of the information mentioned above that I wanted it wasn't enough since it felt like it was just a bit of a taste of the more important considered moments that the Baghdad Zoo faced in its learning to re-stand on its own two feet.

Even though the reader gets to feel through the pages the Luna Park raid and the saving of the Arabian blueblood horses from the Abu Ghraib stables there is hints by the author that there were even more raids on other personal zoos and parks although no mention was made of those within the pages themselves. Otherwise even with the lack of information that is given to the reader about the actual full scope of the save of the zoo, the reader is given a chance to understand some of the more amazing Iraqi people who came to the front to help their people get their zoo back and also the hellish nature that not only did Saddam put his own people through but also the effects that they carried onto the animals that were considered below them.

Thus the book is a capture of gross neglect on all aspects and the struggle to bring back normalcy to a people who probably have no true idea of what that truly can mean. For those who are interested in battle stories this is a great book to get the reader in to see the war from a neutral civilian side but from an animal side there could have been more to write about. But if you choose to read the book then I would suggest ignoring and not reading the last chapter unless you want a scolding talk on how we should better the world and have more heart for those that live in it no matter what their designation in the kingdoms may be and that again the author hoped that he was able to prove that he was made of the finer stuff to make his own last stand for what he believes.

Aug 24, Kristi rated it it was amazing. Lawrence Anthony recounts his memories of naively throwing himself head first into the middle of the Iraq war to try and save a zoo with some frozen meat and a rental car. As smart as he was, he could have never prepared himself for the atrocities that bestow him when he reached the zoo.

After all, it was just on the line of battle between two fierce and ruthless competitors. And how hard could it be to save a silly zoo? Babylon's Ark is an exciting rollercoaster of a book, for readers who enjoy animals, humor, and adventure. Lawrence Anthony had me really questioning myself and my decisions.

Lawrence Anthony and Graham Spence are two of my favorite writers ever. I had already read their other books "The Elephant Whisperer" and "The Last Rhino," and each had my emotions running in different ways. I recommend this book to anyone who will listen to me talk about it. Apr 08, Fred rated it it was amazing Shelves: Since this book manages to tie together both parts of my careers at this point in life the military and Zoos it was bound to end up on my reading list at some point or another. It's also no wonder that I rated it as highly as I did, but that's not all biased.

It's very much a great story that is well written and reinforces valuable lessons about conservation, sustainability, and how military action impacts the lives of not just humans but animals in a war zone. Lawrence Anthony and I almost ov Since this book manages to tie together both parts of my careers at this point in life the military and Zoos it was bound to end up on my reading list at some point or another.

Lawrence Anthony and I almost overlapped in Iraq, but I did visit some of the locations that he talks about and probably drove by the Baghdad Zoo a hundred times without ever knowing it was there. Baghdad was not a nice place in time period and I can certainly sympathize with his safety concerns and the plight that he faced. I also thought the parts about Soldiers smuggling him weapons and other goods that he needed just to keep the animals safe and alive was interesting because I may have known.

Feb 02, Grace I rated it it was amazing Shelves: This soul wreaching book is an inspiring story of a man from South Africa who goes to a war filled city in Iraq to do the impossible an save a zoo that has been destroyed by bombs and looters. This story will bring you closer to the Earth than ever. Oct 12, Sue rated it it was amazing.

This is an amazing story and should be read by anyone who loves animals and the earth. Thank you so much Ryan for telling me about it. Apr 10, Johanna rated it really liked it Recommends it for: This one man's battle to save the remaining animals that were not stolen or killed in the zoo is an amazing documentation of courage, compassion, and determination. Lawrence Anthony has a big heart and an impressive amount of "liver," so to speak. So many people rely on the innate good nature of mankind to somehow overcome and make our own peace, yet as soon as the police and established enforcement were gone in Baghdad, theft and vandalism took over.

Left to our own devices, we are a sick sad species, bent on taking for ourselves at the expense of others. If you think your country would do anything less once the law was dispelled, you are mistaken. It makes me think of all the riots that have taken place in U. The inclination of the majority is to pillage and loot rather than organize and construct.


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It's no wonder the world is being increasingly destroyed. We are innately screwed up. This book also showed me the hopeful side of humanity though - those willing to take a stand and brave the odds to bring order and safety back. Those courageous Iraqis who worked so hard alongside Anthony were an inspiration and an honorable representation of the human race. The risks all of them took to help the helpless should be lauded by everyone as an act of the utmost heroism.

There is so much frustration in this book - difficult to read at times as you experience yourself the sinking hope and exhaustion those few stubborn men and women. But through it all they endure and ultimately succeed in their efforts. I liked this book because of the insight into both the lightness and the darkness of humanity, as well as tangibly real descriptions of situations that make it easy to imagine you're there. Anthony also keeps things interesting by interjecting little snippets of his own history and other people's experiences into the flow of things.

The ending turns into a big lecture on global warming and the destruction of the planet, but I guess that's to be expected. And really, even if you are reluctant to run after the green bandwagon, you cannot deny that our planet does need our help. If not the weather which it may very well be too difficult to change the life we are continuing to mow down and extinguish often permanently.

We may like to think that this world is too big for measly old us to make a dent in, but that same logic is what made the bison and passenger pigeons go from populations of millions to extinction or the verge of it for the bison.

Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the \t\t Baghdad Zoo

It is important also, however, not to forget that people should not be ignored as we try to improve things. Just like Lawrence has to make sure the Iraqi workers were fed first, we should not put such a priority on ecological improvements that the poor and desperately starving are trampled or further impoverished by those efforts. There has to be a balance of compassion. Thanks, Anthony Lawrence, for passing on your experience to the rest of us.

I hope everyone who reads your writings learns as much if not more than I did, and takes inspiration from your kind and peace-making attitude. Apr 18, Davehbo rated it liked it. OK I'm now through all the Anthony books. Elephant Whisperer was the best one for me. Most focused, more interesting stories. This book has a great first half. The story of getting into Baghdad and finding out how to treat the animals was very interesting. After that, a little repetitive for me. Apr 14, Sue rated it really liked it Shelves: After the topple of Saddam's regime, Lawrence Anthony learned of the cruel living conditions suffered by the animals of the Baghdad Zoo.

Anthony was able, by persistence, to get himself permission to enter Iraq on what was originally to be a fact finding mission to evaluate the conditions and determine what could be done. The conditions he found were far worse than he'd expected and the mission turned into an effort to save the lives of as many as possible. Initially operating on less than a sh After the topple of Saddam's regime, Lawrence Anthony learned of the cruel living conditions suffered by the animals of the Baghdad Zoo.

Initially operating on less than a shoestring budget, and more often the goodwill of American servicemen, he worked with the Iraqi zoo staff to restore the Zoo to a national treasure and turn control of the Zoo back over to the Iraqis. From his initial assessment that killing all the animals might be the most humane action to pride in what was accomplished in the thriving collection of animals, this has a feel good sense about it.

He spent six months living in a war zone with the trauma and fear, yet his focus was the welfare not only of the animals but the Iraqi zoo workers who risked their own lives to show up every day. The only downer for me was the last chapter in which he pontificates about what man is doing to the planet and how we need to wake up and change our ways. For me, it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book as I was reading it. Now I can step back and see it as his way of processing what he'd experienced. Jul 19, Linda rated it really liked it Shelves: When a friend recommended this book, it sounded like a book that I'd enjoy.

Indeed I did enjoy it, and learned more about what life was like in Iraq after the fall of Baghdad. The South African author went to Baghdad to save animals that were left in the destroyed Baghdad Zoo. What he found was hard to believe. His heroic effort to bring life back to the small percentage of animals that survived the war was amazing. I found myself horrified and fascinated at the same time. This was a good read, When a friend recommended this book, it sounded like a book that I'd enjoy.

This was a good read, that kept me going, wanting to find out how the zoo rescue progressed. In the last chapter Anthony tells of an organization he has founded, the Earth Organization, which will work to save our earth and the human race from extinction. He closes with these words: So much of our world has been brutally wrested from us; we now have to say enough. Perhaps if enough individuals find out what is actually going on for themselves and start doing something about it, then maybe we can stave off the fast-advancing crisis and create a beautiful, healthy, livable planet where all life flourishes and man is free to rise to greater heights.

Jul 25, Melle rated it really liked it Recommends it for: At first, I was not going to fall in love with the late Mr. Lawrence Anthony and his possibly paternalistic, white-savior attitude toward the Indigenous peoples and animals of South Africa and his cavalier, daring, devil-may-care attitude and Rhett-Butler-esque weakness for what-could-be-a-lost-cause in Iraq, but Simon Vance's always flawless reading had me a little bit smitten. This story is peppered with self-deprecating and painfully sharp humor, adoring and generous words of praise and res At first, I was not going to fall in love with the late Mr.

This story is peppered with self-deprecating and painfully sharp humor, adoring and generous words of praise and respect for each of the parties who helped Mr. Anthony save animals in war-torn Baghdad, and this sweetly endearing, indomitable spirit devoted to respect for animals but especially animals in a crisis. This book is a poor choice for commuter audio hello, tears , but it's an important story and very well-told and should be widely known.

More than that, this is an important book about conservation and environmentalism and about the interconnectedness of all life on this terrestrial ball. Easily, a four-and-a-half star book. Oct 13, Claudia rated it it was amazing Shelves: This one, written first, is equally compelling in a whole different way. Anthony heard about the Baghdad Zoo being threatened after the second Iraqi war, and decided to go That visit turned into an extended stay, turned into making relationships with American military leaders and soldiers, with mercenaries, with crooks and looters.

With Iraqi citizens who were as horrified with the treatment of the animals as Anthony was. This book is a chronicle of his struggles to rescue animals from nasty situation, from Saddam's own family compounds, and from his Arabian horse herd. Anthony meets folks along the way who show the best and the worst of the human heart, but in the end, he and his colleagues DID save some animals and raised awareness. The end of the book is a monologue reflecting on what we are doing to our fellow creatures, and to our world.

This world lost a passionate voice for conservation when he died recently. So glad I read this one and I know this story. A love story in the midst of war. Feb 28, Stephanie A. Fortunately, it is a mostly inspiring story, filled with good guys at every turn. It's written in an engaging style with no politicizing, the animals always at the forefront, and it's wonderful to see people who do care.

The worst part is reading about how brazen and damaging the looters are, literally taking anything that is not nailed down and even then at all times of day and night. I was about ready to shoot them myself. I cheered when they shut down a horrendous private menagerie full of neglect. While there are a few painful instances of recently-rescued animals being stolen, for the most part, all of the animals are saved from the brink of death and make a flourishing comeback.

The crowning jewel was when they found and secured some of Saddam's prized Arabian herd. Whom was he going to tell? Behind him, the skies were black with the greasy smoke from burning oil wells blazing red and orange in the distance. It must have the most expensive pollution in the world. At another village we passed a group of men gathered under a cluster of wizened palm trees.


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    4. Hookah pipes were bubbling on top of a box, and the group's transformation from soporific lethargy to instant alertness when they noticed me was unnerving. I felt exposed, alien. Whenever we entered larger towns we had to slow considerably to ease through the narrow, congested streets and I crouched on the floor, the gap between the dashboard and front seat squeezing me as tightly as a python. These were the most dangerous moments in the journeys. Gunmen were more likely to be lurking on these urban perimeters, and the mere glimpse of a Westerner could trigger a hailstorm of lead.

    Squashed, sweaty, and uncomfortable, with only a thin metallic skin protecting me, I knew how a sardine felt. Even the Kuwaitis were silent. Abdullah, a self-assured, well-built young man of about thirty-five who was keen to get to Baghdad to find lost family, was pensive and alert. His partner, who didn't speak a word of English, was quite the opposite; slightly built and unassuming, he sat in the back of the car in silence. They were originally both as keen as mustard to come with me to Baghdad; the war was over, after all, and it was a chance for a bit of an adventure and a few days off from their jobs.

    Now that we were actually here, misgivings were beginning to surface. The atmosphere in Iraq hung like a pall and had tempered their ardor somewhat. As it had mine. But the most harrowing few minutes of all were when we had to stop and refuel. We had brought spare gasoline with us, and running almost on empty, we pulled over beside a flat stretch of desert where no dunes could be sheltering gunmen.

    With a speed that would have rivaled a Formula 1 pit stop, we sloshed gasoline from twenty-five-liter jerricans into the tank, not overly caring how much spilled onto the steaming tarmac. Then I heard the Kuwaitis say something to each other, alarm in their voices. I looked behind; a crowd was gathering about one hundred yards away and starting to move toward us.

    They may have been curious onlookers or maybe inquisitive kids just hanging out. We didn't bother to find out. Quick as race-car drivers, we were back in the car and speeding off again. As we got closer to Baghdad, the landscape was no longer biblical. The area was littered with burnt-out tanks, shell holes, bombed bridges, and hastily abandoned air-defense systems discarded like junk.

    There were Iraqi missiles, twenty-five feet long and as thick as oak trees, some still on the backs of their launch vehicles, others dumped casually on the roadside as lethal litter. Scuds, I thought; they were certainly big enough. Also among the detritus of battle were scores of toppled statues and bullet-pitted portraits of Saddam Hussein--the calling cards of America's frontline warriors.

    Then to our absolute dismay we found we were hopelessly lost. The Iraqi army had removed all street signs to confuse the American advance, and we had no idea where we were or which way to go. We were forced to double back through areas we had been glad to see the back of, asking for directions in villages and navigating by the sun in the countryside until we found a large road. This had to be the main Kuwait-Baghdad road. We looked at one another hopefully.

    Abdullah slapped me on the back. The relief in the car was palpable. Eventually we reached the outer periphery of Baghdad. There we asked for directions to the zoo and a friendly Iraqi pointed ahead. We were entering the belly of the beast. Even though they had bombed strategic targets with surgical accuracy and few homes or apartments had been affected, the city was still a shambles.

    In the upmarket Al Mansur district, buildings such as the Department of Information and the internal security headquarters were hollowed-out shells, their shattered cores little more than piles of rubble. Chunks of concrete dangled from tangled steel reinforcing as though they were giant wind chimes.

    Burnt-out Iraqi tanks and trucks were like mangled monuments of science-fiction movies, stark testimony to the Americans' shatteringly superior technology. Millions of spent cartridges lay sprinkled across the streets, a carpet of confetti glinting so harshly in the desert sun that your eyes hurt. Every now and again random clatters of automatic-rifle shots sent civilians scurrying down the streets. This is for real, I thought, as I realized with horror what was happening. They are still fighting. I couldn't see where the shots were coming from, so we kept moving, heading toward Al Zawra Park in the center of town, home of the Baghdad Zoo.

    To our surprise, there was a fair amount of traffic on the road.

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    With all the traffic lights down, it was hard going as we swerved in and out, trying to get away from the shooting. Cars jumped intersections with reckless bravado. If one careered into another and could not be driven off, it was abandoned. The most important piece of motoring technology amid the anarchy was the horn. You sped through traffic intersections by honking as loudly as possible and praying that everyone else got out of the way.

    But as we crossed Al Jamhooriah Bridge, spanning the river Tigris, everything seemed to go suddenly quiet. After the raucous gauntlet of gunshots and traffic chaos, the only noise now was the hum of the hired Toyota--ominously out of place in the eerie stillness. We were the solitary car on the road, although gutted Iraqi trucks littered both sides of the double-lane highway as far as we could see. Some were still smoldering. From one side of the muddy river to the other, traffic had simply disappeared. We soon discovered why.

    Looming menacingly before us at the top of Yafa Street was a massive roadblock: Bradley tanks and machine guns spiked above sandbags and tightly coiled razor wire. Khaki-colored helmets peered above the barricades, commanding the street with absolute authority. The desert sun was pitiless, blasting down like a furnace.

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    Above the brooding bulk of the tanks, sand-colored camouflage nets twitched nervously in the heat, the only shade available for soldiers clad in full combat dress and ceramic bulletproof plates. I felt uneasy about driving any closer, so the two Kuwaitis and I decided to stop right there.

    We were about one hundred yards from the barricade when I slowly got out and approached the machine-gun nest gingerly, my hands stretched wide to show I was unarmed and a friend. It was as if something brittle was about to shatter. I couldn't understand it. I had seen the footage on TV of Saddam's statues falling like giant metal dominoes.

    I had heard the reports that his fedayeen were on the run. That the Iraqis were rejoicing in the streets. There was no rejoicing in this street. In fact, all I was aware of was a creepy sensation slithering up my skin like a snake. I kept walking, slowly, with arms stretched.

    The soldiers who had been watching my car as it came down the street were now monitoring my every move through high-powered binoculars. I tried to look as harmless as possible as I approached. Machine guns now poked out from the bagged fortress, their barrels focused on my chest. I stopped, stunned, feeling as though I had been punched. I had expected the Americans to be friendly. After all, I was here with their blessing. They must've heard my shout, and I certainly don't look like one of Saddam Hussein's fedayeen.

    I yelled out again that I was on a rescue mission for the zoo. This time there was no reply, just a sinister silence.