Return to the Wild: The story of a captive otter and his journey to freedom

by Danelle Murray, Brendan Murray

Return to the Wild is an inspirational story of a rescued otter that was raised in captivity and a family’s dedication to setting him free. His release comes with many challenges, not the least of which is that it is soon discovered that Lazarus, a Cape Clawless Otter, is afraid of water and they must find a way to help him overcome this. Conservationist couple Brendan and Danelle assuredly tackle their task, despite the doom-laden prophecies of critics, and succeed in teaching Lazzy to swim, hunt and survive on his own. The authors take the reader on a personal and heart-warming journey of discovery that finally leads to his freedom.

219 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2021

About the author

Danelle Murray is a conservationist and non-fiction writer and author. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Sciences and Social services, with specialization in the professional context through the University of South Africa (UNISA). This is an applied Psychology Degree. She is the co-founder of Owl Rescue Centre, a non-profit organisation concerned with the protection of all owl species in Southern Africa. She is the Communications Director of the organisation, but also has hands-on involvement in the conservation projects and rehabilitation processes of the owls. Numerous articles of hers, on the topic of owls, have been published in various magazines and newspapers.

Danelle's work in conservation has earned her international acclaim. Danelle is a member of the IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature) and SSC (Species Survival Commission) Otter Specialist Group.

She feels that her most important role in life is to be a good mother to her two beautiful children, Spencer and Rebecca.

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO enjoyed this book! Learnt so much about Otters through Lazzy and he captured my heart completely. It must have been so hard to let him go! Keep up the wonderful work you are doing.

[Vanessa Gouws · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page you're in love with Lazzy! Love the work these people do! We need more humans like this! Awesome book!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful story of Lazarus’ return to the wild. An easy yet thoughtful read where you get a glimpse into this little creature’s life as well as learn more about the team behind his rehabilitation and the rescues of many other wild animals and birds in South Africa. Well written, and highly recommend for any age from anywhere in the world.

[Cathie Rooyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read of a great family doing marvelous things for both animals and humans.
We get educated and see the behind the scenes of what animal rescue truly entails.
What a wonderful otter.
Thanks

[Emma Smart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story, well written and easy to read. I loved it!

[Lucy Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Its a must read for anyone who loves wildlife. These guys are so passionate about what they do and this shines through on every page. Real Heroes. There is so much to lean from from all creatures, it makes one realise how insignificant we are.

[Karen Van Wyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. I have followed The Owl Rescue Centre for ages and followed Lazzie's story on Social Media and the book was just brilliant. An amazing insight into what goes into the rehabilitation process, so well written and an amazing story. Lazzie is one lucky little Otter to have had these two amazing wildlife conservationists in his corner.
I read the book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. All I can say is "Well Done". I LOVED IT.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real life story of Lazzy the otter, which makes you want to explore the world of otters in the wild. The realistic writing and sencerity of how the story was told makes you fall in love with the story and Lazzy. An amazing book.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely short book on the charismatic Lazarus, a rescued Cape clawless otter on a learning curve to return to live in the wild. The book was short on detail with the main author, Danelle, going off on dreamy tangents about her children, conservation, the state of the planet and, oddly, a personal feud that had been going on for some time. In a book just over 100 pages long, this seemed to take up valuable space where I was hoping to learn more about the Cape Clawless otter. Nevertheless, by the end I did get a sense of the intelligence, curiosity and compassion of this cheeky mustelid and although there was much anthropomorphising, the author acknowledged this and doubled down on it based on her own close observations. Equally, for a couple and family so busy working on owl rehabilitation (another pleasant tangent) I couldn't quite fathom how they had 6 hours every day to spend with one animal. However, this was also addressed alongside the general value of their conservation work which was balanced as important but limited in the bigger scheme of things. I suppose then, a book like this forms part of that wider picture, encouraging others to love the natural world through sharing these personal stories. It was narrated with warmth and told by experts at reintroducing wild animals to where they belong. The writing was far from lyrical but it was refreshingly honest and what a lovely family of both animal and people they've created for themselves and shared with us. Long live Lazzy!

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

I followed the story of Lazarus on Facebook intermittently and was overjoyed to see his story in a book. It made for beautiful reading, but also an honest look into the Murray family's struggles against the uninformed and stubborn members of society who don't ( or won't) understand what they're trying to do.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting and delightful read. Whilst learning about Lazzy's story Danelle also shares with us some of her and Brendan's story. And gives us an insight into the challenges of conservation work, and the struggle to bring humans back to a connection with animals and nature.

[Michelle TheOtter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

This was enjoyable but I think Brendan’s take on Ring of Bright Water is disingenuous as it was based on a true story and the otter, Mijbil, wasn’t bought from a pet shop. It would have been nice if he’d have explained that.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book which was full of a lot of interesting information and I loved how Lazzy was able to find his way back to the wild and what a sweet creature!

Trigger warnings: loss of habitat, global warming, death of some creatures

[Celesté · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s taken me forever to finish reading this book… and it’s taken me longer to find words to describe my feelings about this book. The more I progressed, the more spellbounding the story became, the more I didn’t want the book to end. I even wrote about it in my journal. Just wow.

This is the first book of many that took a place next to my favourite book: Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story by Daphné Sheldrick

I wouldn’t run, I would fly to the bookstore for more Murray animal rehabilitation tales.

Lazzy’s story is truly exceptional. I really love that the book tells from different perspectives at times. Danelle, with her story-telling ability, and Brendon, with his touch of humour, offer their unique voices in teaching a beloved 4 year old captive-raised Cape Clawless Otter how to live wild and free.

As a self-proclaimed environmentalist, writer, vegetarian, and introvert, I wholly relate to Danelle and appreciate the intimate look into her being. I adore how she pours herself onto the pages and shares anecdotes of their parenthood as well.

Now I understand why I feel drawn to follow their conservation journey.

Even while many folks casted doubt on a successful rehabilitation of this kind, the Murrays kept going. They’ve gained profound experience rehabilitating all sorts of animals. And that’s where the confidence came from. They are clearly highly enthusiastic conservationists with the determination of, dare I say, an otter. But, what reinforces this heartfelt story is that even after all the years of experience, they still remain humble. Danelle wrote it best,

“There is victory in the trying alone.”