An elephant is killed, on average, every 15 to 20 minutes. Let that sink in a little. These gentle, magnificent creatures are a species in crisis. The authors of The Last Elephants, Don Pinnock and Colin Bell, hope their book will fulfil two wishes … that at CITES 2019 elephants will be upgraded to Appendix I (forbidding trade of elephants or their parts across international borders) and that those countries that receive and use legal and poached ivory (mainly China, Vietnam, Laos and Japan) will ban and police its trade and use. In the book, the story of our continent’s elephants and the dangers they face is told through the eyes of more than 40 researchers, conservationists, poets, activists and rangers. With a foreword by HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, the book is also a tribute to the people who work for the welfare of elephants, particularly those who risk their lives for them, often for little or no pay. Exceptional photographs, an exceptional book. Penguin, R490
