Leaving a legacy
The Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization has continued and even multiplied his efforts
FROM tiny acorns, huge oak trees grow.
A son of the Zululand soil, Lawrence Anthony – eldest son of the Zululand Observer’s proud founder, Regina Anthony – has left a legacy that continues long after his sad passing in 2012.
There is a vast difference between leaving behind a memory (we all will do that) and leaving behind a legacy.
His personal commitment to this beautiful planet and all the people and creatures that inhabit it spawned a generation of conservationists.
Many became ‘hooked’ after reading his masterful best seller books: ‘Babylon’s Ark’, ‘The Elephant Whisperer’ and ‘The Last Rhino’.
These were as much about Lawrence as they were about the plight of animals in the Baghdad Zoo or elephants and rhinos on the brink of extinction at the hands of poaching syndicates.
Lawrence was fearless, often facing seemingly insurmountable odds and direct personal danger in his quest to get humans to see the bigger picture of a planet heading towards destruction.
He was prepared to confront crooked politicians and bloodthirsty warlords so as to get ‘justice’ for every creature on earth.
He never took ‘no’ for an answer and always believed there was a solution to every problem.
He went as far as getting a resolution to the United Nations to protect animals in times of war – much as the Geneva Convention protects humans.
It didn’t stop with the animal kingdom. He took up issues as divergent as the threat of wars over water scarcity, the importance of recycling and ways of dealing with oil spills.
A visionary with a strong-willed personality and bucket loads of powers of persuasion, Lawrence’s sphere of influence has increased rather than diminished since his demise.
The Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization has continued and even multiplied his efforts.
It is now a global entity, whose footprint is ever expanding thanks to those who have taken over the reins.
His name is now indelibly written across every continent, repeated in conversations in dozens of languages, and reflected on with respect wherever the gospel of conservation is preached.
