The Lion Cub's Secret

Here’s an exciting wildlife based adventure set in South Africa and part of the popular White Giraffe series. Orphan Martine and her grandmother rescue Tau a tiny lion cub from a local market where he is being used as a photographic prop in the back of someone’s car. Martine takes Tau back to her grandmother’s wildlife reserve – where despite his sharp teeth and claws they begin to develop a deep bond. His appearance is a mystery as there are no lions in their part of the country but with the help of his microchip he is traced back to the Marula Wilderness Lodge, a five star reserve many miles away. The Reserve send over Eddie, now a helicopter pilot, but with a shady background apparently linked to lion hunters, to collect the cub and the children – Martine and best friend, Ben. At the Reserve Martine and Ben make new friends, but who can they trust when lions are seen as a valuable source of income by so many adults. Tau takes a turn for the worse and there is a race against time to save him, where Martine’s bond proves invaluable. Slowly the mystery of Tau’s origins are unravelled and there is also a tense sub plot in which a local valley and beauty spot is under threat from all kinds of developers – can it be saved for the local people and wildlife? Will Tau and the other lions ever be truly safe? A pacy, action-led plot with a slight mystical element makes for a very satisfying read for all children but particularly for those with an interest in animals and animal conservation.

As a natural part of the story we are introduced to the concept of lion farms, where lions are bred for hunting or their bones and get a flavour of what it is like to live in South Africa with the use of local words like sangoma – a traditional healer. Lauren St John was born in Zimbabwe and is clearly personally invested in protecting wildlife, being the patron of well-known wildlife charities like the Born Free Foundation, which she uses to bring a sense of realism and immediacy about the plight of wildlife and lions in particular. There are estimated to be only about 23,000 left in the wild in Africa. There are extra pages at the end with facts on lions and an author’s note with more information about animal conservation for readers to follow up and act on.