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Timeless: A girl whose best friend is a white giraffe goes to the aid of an elusive leopard
The Last Leopard (White Giraffe series)
What you need to know before your trail
Martine lives with her grandmother on a game reserve in South Africa. Her best friend is a white giraffe named Jemmy who she spends a lot of her time with. She does have a good human friend too however – Ben from school – and so when Martine’s grandmother explains that her friend who lives on the Black Eagle resort in Zimbabwe has broken her leg and so needs help, the three of them set off to the Matobo Hills.
When they get there however, they realise that the Black Eagle is in real danger. People want to buy the land it is on and there is a mystery concerning some elusive treasure supposedly buried on the grounds.
However the real mystery concerns an elusive leopard that roams the hillside and who is being hunted by poachers…
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
From their game reserve near Cape Town South Africa and following a rather perilous journey near the islands off the coast of Mozambique, Martine and friend Ben now venture to Zimbabwe where they end up trying to help an elusive leopard from being hunted.
They head off to the Black Eagle resort in the Matobo Hills, a remote yet stunningly beautiful area of Zimbabwe.
“She hadn’t been able to think about the Matobo Hills in quite the same way since she had found out that they were riddle with shrines created by the early Mashona tribesmen.”
The beauty of the Zimbabwean wilderness and the sight of all its colourful creatures is a rich tapestry of wildlife and local legend. This leopard, called Khan is in danger from poachers and was based on a real leopard which the author mentions as being threatened and protected by the real Bally Vaughan Bird and Game Santuary in Harare. He was also 75 kgs and had been a target for hunters who wanted a ‘kill’. Imagine if there was only one leopard left in the world? How vital it would be to keep him safe?
The wildlife in the area and the importance of protecting animals and nature is a strong theme in the book. The silence of the place, the sheer scale of the land, the trees, the dusty tracks are enchanting and captivating. The witchdoctors who practice their healing and spiritual properties are a vital part of the culture and every day life.
A stunning backdrop to a real life tragedy of animals in danger.
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Twitter: @laurenstjohn
Web: laurenstjohn.com
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