Karen Paolillo was born in the UK and raised by a mother who ran a small zoo at Woburn Abbey. Her father was a vet and she grew up with an assortment of domestic and exotic animals. Since her time in Zimbabwe founding the Turgwe Hippo Trust she has become known as the ‘hippo expert’, being called on by BBC Wildlife Magazine whenever they need a hippo question answered. She has also been featured in a National Geographic TV serial and has been featured on several TV shows including 50/50 in South Africa.

  • Hippos, a Mongoose and Me

    In this sequel to the popular A Hippo Love Story, author Karen Paolillo takes us deeper into her courageous but perilous life among Africa’s wildlife.

    Hippos, a Mongoose and Me is a collection of vivid stories reflecting the decades that Karen has lived and worked in the wilds of southeast Zimbabwe. The tales encompass a wide variety of animals and experiences, including Karen’s extraordinary affinity with hippos, life with her beloved mongoose, characterful baboons and rescued birds, close encounters with lions and an injured buffalo, and her heart-stopping flight from an enraged elephant. To add to the drama,
    Karen and her husband Jean-Roger must face off against the drumbeat of political subterfuge and poaching of wildlife, sometimes at great personal risk.

    Inspiring, surprising and sometimes sad, this heartfelt anthology is testament to the courage and resilience of its intrepid author.

    R300.00