Elephant leave

‘World’s loneliest elephant’ allowed to leave zoo for better life. (The Guardian)

A small zoo in Pakistan, not known for its care of the captive wild animals, agrees to release an elephant back into the wild.  Sounds good, but it’s not quite an open-the-cage-and-let-the animal-run-free job. Kaavan, a cause célèbre for animal rights activists and dubbed the world’s loneliest elephant, lost his partner in 2012 and has slid downhill mentally and physically since then. The zoo, much criticised for its poor conditions – two lions died their recently – bowed to international pressure and agreed to release Kaavan and send him to a large animal sanctuary in Cambodia where he’ll be in the company of many other elephants. Elephants are highly social animals and need the company of their fellow creatures. Let’s hope Kaavan’s new life will banish his blues and bring him back to full health. But he still has a long way to go before his revival is complete. More –  

A sense of autumn.

Bare feet on a cold stone floor. Faded lavender with still a few blooms and the last few bees gathering dregs of pollen. Drenched grass in the early morning from autumn dew. A few white butterflies flitting around in the midday warm sun. Leaves floating down from the overhanging trees. It’s coming. Soon it’ll be upon us with all its dramatic colours and suddenly bare trees and ploughed fields. With such an odd world around us, I wonder what it will bring? Change – certainly. A better future – hopefully. Some sense – surely? Read more on smelly autumn. 

My new book, Otto and Frankie, is now available in paperback and e-book. It’s different from anything else I’ve written and took almost three years in the making. 

It’s about a dying man’s fight against injustice, his wife’s unusual affair, and the love from his long-lost daughter. I’m told it’s a compelling read.

E-book at promotional price: amazon.co.uk. amazon.com.Paperback: amazon.