Silent Footsteps

Book excerpt: When an elephant saved Sally Henderson's life in Botswana, it was to change her irrevocably. A passion to conserve this majestic species was ignited, and in 1990 she left Australia to join an elephant research project in the wilds of Zimbabwe.What follows is a remarkable journey into the world of Africa's elephants, and a deeply personal memoir of one woman's awakening and the choices she makes to follow her calling.Sally paints a rare and unforgettable portrait of a herd and its matriarchs, and the perils they face in an unforgiving landscape further torn apart by civil strife. But it is the daily pleasures of being in their mighty presence that gives her story its countless wonders.Beautifully written, Silent Footsteps is a love letter to the spirit of Africa and a jubilant portrayal of the lives of elephants.