Jungle Peace

by William Beebe

“It is possible to enter a jungle and become acutely aware of poison fang and rending claw – much as a pacifist considers the high adventure of righteous war. But it is infinitely more wonderful and altogether satisfying to slip quietly and receptively into the life of the jungle, to accept all things as worthy and reasonable; to sense the beauty, the joy, the majestic serenity of the age old fraternity of nature, into whose sanctuary man’s entrance is unnoticed, his absence unregretted.”

In 1918, naturalist explorer and gifted writer, William Beebe escapes from the violence of World War 1 into the dangerous jungle. Beebe’s scientific work begins on a steamship carrying him to British Guinea. The adventure continues with Army Ants on the attack, an attempted capture of a huge snake, and the saving of an opossum mother. There is also fascinating interaction with Hindu immigrants working the plantations, the study of a rare bird that never leaves home, and the building of a new road by convicted prisoners breaking into the deepest part of the jungle. William Beebe is one of the founders of the field of ecology and an early advocate for conservation. When he wrote “Jungle Peace” he was Curator of Birds at the New York Zoological Park. Some years later, he was the first biologist to observe deep-sea life in the original underwater Bathysphere. “After WWI, William Beebe headed for islands and other remote areas, such as St. Thomas and British Guiana, to study nature. From the start, narrator Andre Stojka captures the hints of stress that the war veteran must have felt, along with his sense of wonder at the sights and experiences he encountered. The account is effectively punctuated with music and sound effects. Beebe’s descriptions of the movements of leafcutter and army ants are fascinating, even more so as read by Stojka.” – Audiofile Magazine

Read by Andre Stojka

Andre Stojka, known for his rich characterizations and his creative interpretation of the written word, has been a major voice over actor for over 30 years. His voice is heard in motion pictures, television, radio, videos, commercials and recorded books. Some of his best known voices are the voice of Owl in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh movies and videos, the voice of Ernie Keebler the Keebler Cookie Elf, The King in Disney’s Cinderella videos, and Starlight in the Rainbow Bright television series.