What can be more enticing then an opportunity to cuddle and nap with a baby Cheetah? How about feeding a baby Giraffe, or playing with orphaned Baboons? When Barbara Bennett thought about writing a book about her experiences as a volunteer at Harnas Wildlife rescue in Namibia Africa, she soon realized that a more important and interesting story was about the woman who founded it—Marieta van der Merwe. She, along with her family run Harnas; a dream which began when Marieta and her husband Nick rescued their first animal; a baby Vervet Monkey. As more animals were brought to them, they began selling off their inherited property, and putting all their funds into feeding and caring for the animals and expanding the Wildlife Foundation which now includes outreach to the local Bushman and their families.

These stories are about life and death, the beauty of nature and the sometimes ugliness of man. To those who volunteer there it touches something deep in their hearts and souls, and they leave changed. Harnas is not without its controversies, there are those that think that it is better to kill an animal that won’t be able to be released into the wild. Harnas is not zoo, only around 25% are able to be released, because so many of the animals were either too injured or had birth defects, and many were raised as pets by unknowledgeable owners until they got to big to handle. As of the publication of this book, Marieta is working towards creating an environment on more land that will help re-introduce more animals into a wild, but controlled, environment safe from poachers.

I read this book as an Advanced Readers Edition, which didn’t have pictures so I looked up their website www.harnas.org. Go there to see pictures, learn about volunteering or just visiting. I highly recommend Soul of a Lion; it is a great book for all ages. I got this book through the Amazon Vine program ( )

"Soul of the Lion" can be described as part memoir and part biography. The author B.Bennett describes her own experience as a volunteer at the African Wildlife Sanctuary "Harnas". After spending a few weeks of working for this organization the author decides to share her own experience as well as shed some light on the founding Van Der Merwe family. It's a very entertaining read and very touching to see the level of committment to wildlife which Harnas is known for. Bennett shares some wonderful anecdotes about the animals that were rescued and the people who take care of them. A must read for anyone who loves nature and animals. ( )

Buddha said, “May all that have life be delivered from suffering.”

Published by National Geographic, “Heart of a Lion” reveals the care given to injured, orphaned or otherwise challenged animals in the Harnas Wildlife foundation in Namibia, Africa. A contrast to “Gorillas in the Mist” and “The Cry of the Kalahari” where the animals were sought out in their natural habitat and studied, this book paints a discerning, enjoyable, but not romanticized picture of the plethora of species and individual personalities of the protectorates.

The strength of this refuge is Marieta van der Merwe, proprietor, or more appropriately called “protector” overseeing the feeding, medical and rehabilitative care of a plethora of 400 unwanted, mistreated or misunderstood animals. Merwe bottle-feeds a baby baboon while conducting planning meetings with her staff of volunteers, family and Bush people. Her personal tragedies, losing her mother at age 12, Congo fever later in life, and the death of a loved one in an airplane crash, are interwoven into the narrative.

The heroes, however, are the animals, inhabiting naturalized enclosures with comforting habitats away from prying eyes of the public: Elsa, the lion cub who napped on the family couch, Grace, a baby baboon fed with an eyedropper, and Gumbi, the hyena, filmed for “Animal Planet’ who considers ostrich eggs a delicacy. Marieta’s garden is a frolicking playground for baby leopard, Missy Jo and Houdini, the baby baboon.

If author Bennett’s writing style rambles a bit, perhaps that is simply reflective of the constant distractions and challenges of unexpected victims arriving at the refuge’s doorstep. Compassion and dedication to preserving the lives of those who can’t protect themselves is the key here.

I learned some interesting facts as I read: Harnas, the foundation’s name was the term for protective armor worn by medieval knights. Actress Angela Jolie, Harnas’s official patron, has been photographed with a 23-year old cheetah living on campus. Lastly, a portion of the proceeds from your purchase of this book benefits the animals nurtured at the Wildlife Foundation. Visit www.harnas.org for information on how to volunteer, adopt, visit or provide support.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
www.hollyweiss.com ( )