Babylon's Ark Book Report

Babylon's Ark, published in 2007, is a wartime account of the rescue of the Baghdad Zoo. It was written by Lawrence Anthony, a South African conversationalist, and Graham Spence. The book depicts the struggle to save a critically damaged zoo and the animals within its walls. It is written in first-person point-of-view and narrated by Anthony himself. Lawrence Anthony was living comfortably on his nature reserve in South Africa when the reports of the destruction of Baghdad appeared on his television. Among the firefights and crumbling infrastructure sat the largest zoo in the Middle East: the Baghdad Zoo. His compassion drove him to try to save the zoo's residents, setting him on a journey that proved to be more than he anticipated. After contacting multiple conservation agencies, Anthony managed to be named as an “ambassador” for animal affairs in Baghdad. This was not listed on any official reports until halfway through the mission, but he was given military-grade clearance to enter the war zone. A couple lengthy flights and long airport lines later, he had arrived in the United States Army Air Facility in Kuwait. Accompanied by two Kuwaiti escorts, he then packed up his

Recognizing this as a big problem, Anthony set out to make the world aware of the conservation efforts being conducted in Baghdad. Soon, donations began coming in from all corners of the world, making it possible for reconstruction of the zoo's infrastructure to begin. Anthony's team were officially appointed as the leaders of a military-run aid division which intended to rescue all animals affected by the war. With the support of the army and the donations from the public, the team was able to hire new crew members. As they expanded their members and the fighting began to cease, they were able to conduct larger missions, rescuing animals from other facilities in