United States
£ GBP
Originally published in 2012.
In 1993, game ranger Graham Cooke had the opportunity to parent two six-week-old leopard cubs. Establishing himself and his charges in a small, tented camp in the South African bush, Graham set about his task of habituating the cubs to the dangers of the wild, in preparation for their eventual release.
But first he had to gain the young leopards' trust. Boycat, the slightly bigger male cub, proved to be an easy-going character, and after initial reservations he soon settled in. However, his sister, Poepface, was less easily swayed. Her complex character and strong reservations persisted, despite Graham's efforts to win her trust. Eventually, Poepface relented, and so began a love story; a powerful bond.
When, a year later, Graham prepared the cubs for their release into the remote South Luangwa Valley, he knew it was the beginning of the end. Joining the cubs on daily walks to familiarise them with their new home, Graham knew that soon it would be time to let go.
Set in both in the bushveld of South Africa and the wilderness that is the South Luangwa Valley, My Life with Leopards is a story interwoven with love, loss, danger and heartbreak.
Fransje van Riel was born in The Netherlands and lived there and in the UK before settling in South Africa. Now living in Cape Town, she supports several animal-related projects, and her other books include Life with Darwin and Other Baboons. My Life with Leopards is her third book.
"Set in the spectacular wilderness of the South African lowveld and later in Zambia's Luangwa Valley – both vividly portrayed – this is as poignant a tale of unrequited love as you are ever likely to read. And, like the best animal stories, it tugs at the heartstrings without ever descending into anthropomorphism."
– Brian Jackman, BBC Wildlife Magazine
"A must-read for any wildlife enthusiast."
– Adel Groenewald
"This compelling story is a "must read" for anyone who loves nature and the challenges of helping two young leopards get back to their wild world. Well written, entertaining and emotional; to be enjoyed."
– Richard Leakey
"No other book I know takes you so deeply into the secret world of the leopard."
– BBC Wildlife
"Animal lovers will delight in the antics of these kitties while pondering the ethical dilemmas that the situation naturally brings up. While I loved each cat's personality endearing, what I found fascinating was the aspect of "Empty nest syndrome" that plagued Cooke as the leopards' release date drew nearer."
– Jeimy Gonzalez – Educator
"I very much enjoyed this book. Being let into Graham's world was an amazing experience. I loved the raw power of it."
– Angela Campbell – Reviewer
"No other book I know takes you so deeply into the secret world of the leopard."
– Brian Jackman, award-winning journalist and author of The Marsh Lions, the Big Cat Diary, Roaring at the Dawn and other books on wildlife.
"Reading this graceful book was like camping out in the African wilds. I felt fully alive, and always wanting to turn the page."
– Jonathan Balcombe, author of Pleasurable Kingdom, and The Exultant Ark
"vividly told, beautifully written with lovely descriptions"
– Andre Eva Bosch, author and journalist
"After reading it I can't think of it as a book I found it to be so much more than that. I absolutely love the book in its entirety, but for me what will really stay in my mind is chapter 14 till the end of the book. I don't think I have ever been so moved by something so much since I read Born Free as a kid. I felt and lived every minute with them on the river back and deeply felt the loss and the hope he must have felt. You wrote it in such a simple and yet beautiful way that I could not help but feel I was there. Plus to ask of such a young guy to go through all that emotion while still growing into an adult himself, just blows me away. But the last cheaters really did it for me and I strangely loved the roller coaster ride of emotion I was sent on. I am so happy I found the time to read the last part all the way through and by the time I did I wanted to come to SA and give both you and Graham a big silent hug.
Thank you so much for a beautiful journey :)"
– JM Hull, UK
"Anyone who has read Joy Adamson's books will rekindle some of that awe of experiencing life in the company of our big cats. Graham Cooke's tale is no less engaging, as written as a first-person account by Fransje van Riel. We enter the world of the somewhat whimsically named Boycat and Poepface, a brother-and-sister pair of leopard cubs, and follow their antics from the bush camp in Londolozi to the Zambian wilderness and their eventual release.
From the start it is clear that over a year Cooke formed a very close bond with his charges, and it's this emotional entanglement that makes the story all the more heart-rending. Humans and leopards live in two very different worlds, and this is something Cooke understands. Nature is red in tooth and claw, and the cubs must learn to survive in a very dangerous world, or die.
Author Van Riel does a sterling job of evoking the sights and sounds of the African bush with lush descriptions, and brings readers directly into Cooke's world. Some memorable moments include Cooke's description of the hat game he used to play with Boycat or the chaos the cubs caused during filming in a Maasai homestead. But not once do we forget how dangerous the African bush is. Cooke's brushes with danger involving lions, buffalo and crocodiles serve as stern reminders that the untamed areas are exactly as the name suggests – a wilderness, where man had better tread softly.
With this fact in mind, readers had best beware that any real-life account involving wild animals is bound to reflect nature's harsh existence. What is abundantly clear is that Cooke gave his all to make a great personal sacrifice of a year of his life, and faced death in the process, to see to these big cats' eventual release. This is not a story about conservation, but rather a snapshot frozen in time, illustrating a brief moment when two very different worlds touched. And I'll admit that the ending brought a tear to my eye."
– Nerine Dorman, author and editor
