This is a review of an advanced copy of "Elephant Speak: A Devoted Keeper’s Life Among the Herd” by Melissa Crandall for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

This book is a biography of Roger Henneous, who spent 30 years working at the Oregon Zoo and during almost all of that time he ran the Elephant House and oversaw the maintenance of the Asian elephant herd.

The book starts with an extremely detailed family tree of more than 35 elephants that have resided at the zoo over the years and a one-page map of the Elephant Barn as it was for many decades.

The book then delves into the history of both Henneous’ career and also the life of all the elephants at the Oregon Zoo. The author takes great pains to declare that some outdated elephant management procedures of the era do not occur in the modern age of zoo-keeping.

The book is very readable, with a brisk style to the writing that keeps readers entertained and enthralled. It is fascinating to read about all of the adventures that took place at the zoo, with an elephant keeper’s job essentially being months upon months of back-breaking work, with the occasional moment of ‘abject terror.’

The incredible breeding record of the Oregon Zoo’s elephants is highlighted, along with the astonishing number of elephants kept there over the years. On a regular basis there would be elephants coming and going, with most years seeing around 10-12 elephants at the zoo at any one time.

At times, I was brought to tears because of the love this man had for the elephants. Overall, the reviewer recommends this book as an extremely positive read and rates the book with five out of five stars. ( )

A story of a man who spent most of his life taking care of elephants at the Oregon Zoo. In addition to talking about the overall care of the elephants and the individual elephant personalities, this book covers advancements that were made in the care of captive elephants and makes a case for why breeding elephants in captivity helps preserve the species. The author does touch on some of the ethical arguments around captive elephants but seemed to gloss over selling young elephants away from their herd to circuses and other entertainers. Overall a touching story of the bond between the keeper and the elephants.

Can't wait to visit the Oregon Zoo, in Portland, to see all results of the work done by Roger Henneous and his team and the ongoing caring staff. Roger made a huge contribution to Zookeeping technology and procedures that has expanded across the world. I didn't want the book to end, as the stories were so interesting and thought provoking. ( )

In 1962 the first baby elephant born in the Western Hemisphere in forty four years was born at the Washington Park (now Oregon) Zoo in Portland.

Roger Henneous stood in line with thousands of other visitors to see it.

“Perched on his toes, Roger caught his first surprising glimpse of the infant and was instantly smitten. With his baggy skin and wooly reddish hair, Packy looked more like a miniature mammoth than an elephant. He toddled around Belle’s legs as aunts Rosy, Tuy Hoa, and Pet looked on with obvious delight and reached to touch him with their trunks each time he passed. Every so often, he squealed like a leaky balloon and lifted his mouth to suckle briefly from the incredibly human-looking mammaries located behind Belle's front legs.” P 42

He was smitten. Little did he know how much his life would be changed.

In 1967 he applied for a zookeeper’s job, eventually becoming an elephant keeper and moved to head elephant keeper.

His career spanned thirty years; beginning when elephants were seen as performers for human enjoyment to the evolution of respecting them as the magnificent wild creatures they are. He devised ways of handling them safely and enriching their environment.

I enjoyed this – not just as the biography of a zookeeper but for everything I learned about elephants.

“This was infrasound, the silent speech of elephants; a wave frequency too low for humans to hear, but which can be perceived by sensitive individuals. An elephant can adjust the volume and rate of this communication by opening and closing their mouth, moving their ears, changing the position of their body, and raising or lowering their head. Infrasound can travel for up to twenty miles and pass through trees, rocks, and buildings, enabling elephants to communicate even when they can’t see one another.”
P 76

Recommended for those with an interest in elephants, animals in general and the Portland Oregon Park Zoo. ( )

I received a copy of this book via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

I love reading about interesting people and animals. How could I not love elephant speak?

Melissa Crandall first met elephant keeper, Roger Henneous while she was a volunteer at Oregon Zoo towards the end of his career. The story is based on interviews she conducted with him after his retirement. During the interviews he recounts his life story. Crandall turned these interviews into and an absorbing, emotional and engaging story.

Put simply Elephant speak is the biographical story of elephant keeper Roger Henneous and the elephants at Oregon Zoo. But it is much more. I rarely shed tears when reading but with Elephant Speak there were parts when I openly wept – for sadness and joy.

Roger was born in Iowa. Being raised on a farm he learned early in his life about the importance of animal care.

He was down to earth but insecure with no real goals in life but whatever job he did it was with diligence no matter how boring.

His marriage to RoseMerrie seemed to be a turning point. When Roger applied for a job at the Oregon Zoo, giving him an opportunity to leave a boring job, she supported him completely encouraging him to follow his dreams.

His first job at the zoo in 1967 was as a rover working in a variety of locations and jobs. He thrived on the arduous work and the variety of tasks always demonstrating his compassion for the animals and strong work ethic. In a short time, he was allocated to work with the elephants and takes on the position of head keeper following the retirement of his boss and mentor.

His decision to retire in 1997 from the job he loved came only after a series of devastating losses in both his two-legged and four-legged families, and the pain he went through on the way to that parting is told with sensitivity and compassion.

But Roger is not the only star of the story. He shares the centre stage with his beloved elephants.

We are introduced to the individual personalities of the elephants and the reciprocated love for Roger. Their intelligence, moods, love for the keepers, playfulness, curiosity, and cheeky sense of humour are described so well we develop a respect and love for each of them.

Also included is an elephant family tree.

This is not just a bio or an animal story. It highlights the plight of elephants worldwide and today’s conservation efforts to protect them and describes how zoos have gone from a place of entertainment for the public to institutes of conservation and preservation where the animals, not the public, are the priority. ( )