Hemanta Mishra 
Soul of the Rhino 

Ugly yet enchanting, terrifying yet delicate, the Indian Rhinoceros is a magnificent animal. It is also in danger of being killed off for good. The Soul of the Rhino is a spirited account of one man s journey to protect the animal in the foothills of the Himalayas. Hemanta Mishra was fresh out of university when he embarked on his conservation work in the 1970s. Over the years, he got help from an ornery but steadfast elephant driver, the Nepalese royal family and like-minded scientists. He also did outstanding work–creating nature reserves, arm-wrestling politicians and raising awareness. But Mishra hasn t won his battle to save the rhino. As he shows vividly, armed insurgence, political violence and poaching are driving this endangered species to complete extinction. Filled with candour and bittersweet humour, The Soul of the Rhino is the first book of its kind to delve into the labyrinths of South Asian wildlife conservation and one man s endurance in the face of it all.