Shadows Over an African Heart

In Shadows Over an African Heart, newlyweds, Piet and Jessica van Rooyen adjust to married life. Meanwhile they continue to assist their friend, Hector Kaminjolo, newly hired ZimParks’ superintendent, in his quest to conserve Zimbabwe’s wildlife species. Hector disapproves of the government’s policy of separating young elephant calves from their families in the bush and shipping them overseas to spend uncertain lives in Chinese zoos. Unfortunately, he is powerless to stop it. New on the job, Hector is confronted by a sudden unexplained wildlife loss, including hundreds of elephants that are found dead near water holes in Hwange National Park. Soon afterwards, Hector and one of his rangers come across poachers removing tusks from these dead elephants. The poachers attack and take Hector hostage. His ranger escapes. The van Rooyens join in the effort to search for Hector and it sets off a terrifying series of events, in which Jessica is shot, wounded, and taken prisoner. Lives hang in the balance, and Piet's ultimate survival depends on a small herd of elephants that he and Jessica had earlier helped rescue.