Book Description

This story is about Puddy, a young elephant in the Kruger National Park, whose herd is culled. He and his mother are spared and sold to a small game park. Five years later at the age of nine, he, accompanied by an otter named Tarak, a polecat, a dog and two eagles, returns to his original home to search for his father. He and five bull elephants prevent a cull from taking place after which he and Tarak set out to explore the park. They meet a Russian named Bosky who for the past 28 years has been digging the park full of holes in fruitless search for gold he believes was buried there during the Anglo South African war. Bosky, who is able to communicate with animals and lives amongst them fearlessly, decides to accompany them. Bosky rescues Puddy when he gets into trouble with game rangers. They are joined by an old zebra; they annoy a baboon; foil the plans of two poachers, and are confronted by a lion and his mate. Puddy goes to place his memory of which is afterwards insubstantial and elusive. Later, Burchell saves Bosky from being trampled by an enraged elephant that flung him to the ground. Then the three animals together save the severely injured Bosky's life again. The story ends where plans are being made for a journey to a land where mammoths once lived; a story that is nearly complete.