We are open today until 4:00 pm. Call 020 7590 0610

Mark Shand - in tribute

Article content

14 May 2014

Justine Hardy first met Mark Shand in India in 1997, just as his life was beginning to take on a new direction, one which would ultimately lead to the creation of the charity Elephant Family, dedicated to protecting Asian elephants and their habitat. Here, she pays tribute to the great British travel writer and conservationist, who tragically passed away suddenly on April 23, 2014 in New York.

‘When a star falls, the elephants cry' - it is part of an African expression.

One did fall, the adventurer, writer, and activist, Mark Shand, crashing out of his enormous aliveness on a New York sidewalk - very Mark, and not Mark at all. He was only ever going to go out with a bang, but it was not supposed to be this way, and certainly not this soon.

When very alive people die those around them are left utterly bereft. The very alive are not supposed to die. If they go, what chance do the rest of us have?

Mark leaves a gaping hole where there was once the vivid road show, moving around him and with him wherever he went. He arced across his own life, rushing through a brief brush with education, striding across rivers in spate, up the Himalayas, down Scottish glens, through drawing rooms and nightclubs, across any and every social boundary, jumping regularly into trouble along the way. He lit people up, and he also drove them mad, often with his wildness and blue language, sometimes with a staggering disdain. Yet there was always fierce loyalty to those he loved, even in his eternal pursuit of the next adventure. Mark did not do boredom. He did fun, and fun nearly did for him, until he met a girl, a very particular girl from beyond the serried ranks of beauties he had tumbled in and out of love with, one too huge to ignore, even for Mark, the hunter-gatherer of female loveliness.  

She was leaning against a tree, one leg nonchalantly crossed, apparently oblivious to Mark's wiles. It was the moment he had been building towards, and she was the one. Tara was malnourished, weak (hence the leaning), and entirely unaware that she, the captive elephant, had just captured the wild man, raised in East Sussex, and now at her feet in Orissa by way of London, Bali, Borneo and just about every other destination beloved of those bred bachelor boys of the 70s. Of course Mark's personal and social life are the stuff of thousands of column inches, spun out across the too few decades of his life, but this is about Mark, the man who decided to save the Asian Elephant.

He mounted Tara, and rode over 700 miles, absorbing India as he went, and falling for Tara as he learnt of and from her. From her back he found his way onto the bestseller list, and into the world of a very particular kind of gentleman travel writer and adventurer. But it was more than this-beyond the success of Travels on My Elephant, the books before and those that came after. In Tara Mark found a cause to champion, and with this he surged forward, founding 'elephant family' in 2002 under the patronage of Ayesha Devi, Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, and Sir Evelyn Rothschild. It closed the door on much of his life to that point, as he quit his job of being a tousled yet chic jewellery salesman with Cartier, and took on the mission of protecting the 50,000 Asian elephants that were still thought to be alive.

It was as though in protecting them he dug deeper into learning of himself, alpha male protecting the apex species, understanding why they turned on the humans who were cutting into their natural habitat. In grasping the rage of elephant herds as they rampaged to protect their pathways and grazing grounds, Mark came home, and found his way into an animal language that made more sense to him than any other.

'These are the apex species,' he said once, raising his voice above that oddly soothing clatter of rain on a tin roof, one hot season afternoon in Delhi. 'They made the earliest tracks across the earth.' He stopped to light another cigarette. 'They have to be protected.'

And that is what Mark Shand did. 

Related offers

Buddha statue next to waterway at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Charms of the Mekong with AmaWaterways

14-day luxury river cruise holiday from £3,710 pp incl. flights

Special
cruise offer

Save up to £750 pp off selected 2024 departure dates
Book by: 31 March 2024

Enjoy a luxury cruise along the Mekong River between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap with AmaWaterways, discovering culture-rich cities and hidden gems with plenty of local flavour.

A group of people enjoy riding a camel walking on a sand dune in Hunder, Ladakh, India

Ladakh: The Himalayan Kingdom

12-day tailor-made holiday from £3,195 pp incl. flights

Journey north from Delhi and experience the breathtaking splendour of the Himalayas. From the sand dunes of Hunder to the world's highest motorable road in Nubra Valley, this is a place of excitement and wonder.

Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

Grand & elegant hotel

This grand neoclassical landmark was heralded National Monument in 2015; this heritage hotel is a gem that spectacularly dominates the cityscape on the banks of the Singapore River.

Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Singapore

Grand Copthorne Waterfront

Contemporary hotel

This spectacular 30-storey hotel is excellently located along Singapore’s pretty waterfront, and overlooking the Singapore River, offering four excellent dining options and fresh, streamlined bedrooms.

Lobby and Bar, The Warehouse Hotel

The Warehouse Hotel, Singapore

Contemporary hotel

The boutique Warehouse Hotel was built in 1895 and has now been beautifully restored, with ultra-contemporary rooms and historic touches to create a true oasis in the city.

Capella Singapore

Capella, Sentosa Island

Contemporary hotel

Capella is a restored, colonial 19th-century bungalow that offers true 5-star luxury hidden in the leafy centre of Sentosa Island, blending contemporary design with authentic Asian details.

Why book with Wexas Travel?

At Wexas, we specialise in bespoke travel experiences. Our itineraries are just samples of what we can arrange, and can be changed depending on your precise needs, finances and ideas by our experienced destination specialists.

Contact one of our consultants on 020 7590 0610 to discuss how we can tailor your holiday.

Learn why Wexas is the leader in creating luxury holidays. What is tailor-made travel?

Expert advice & support

Visit us in our London office

Let our travel specialists curate the perfect holiday:

  • Inspirational ideas based on experience
  • Established for over 50 years
  • Tailor a holiday to your precise requirements
  • Personalised quotes and documentation

Every step of the way

Every step of the way

Our services are with you from start to finish:

  • Dedicated personal consultants
  • Free airport lounges on qualifying bookings
  • Care and guidance pre, post and during holiday
  • Full financial security: ABTA & ATOL protected