( CNN ) -- Lawrence Anthony is an all-action conservationist . The 60-year-old South African grew up in small towns in Malawi , Zimbabwe and Zambia and developed an affinity with nature from an early age . `` I grew up in the African bush and I formed an early relationship with the African bush which has stayed with me , '' he told CNN . `` As I 've grown older I 've watched the deterioration [ of the natural world ] , and it really concerns me . '' He took action to become a conservationist and created his own game reserve in South Africa 's KwaZulu-Natal region , but he 's also taken his passion across borders . Hiring a car from Kuwait he drove into Iraq during the war there in 2003 to rescue animals from Baghdad zoo . He admits it was more naivete rather than bravery , but once he had managed to get the zoo under some sort of control ( which had only around 30 animals left ) , he ventured out to save even more animals . `` Uday Hussein had lions that were rumored to be man-eaters , that he 'd fed them love rivals and things like that . The whole of Baghdad was talking about it back then . It was very difficult . It was n't the lions ' fault ; they 're just lions . I refused to let anyone harm them , and thankfully they are still alive today , '' he said . Returning to South Africa in 2004 he set up The Earth Organization and expanded his international conservation efforts . He prepared a document that was presented to the United Nations as a draft resolution to make all wildlife parks and conservation areas protected in times of war and their abuse classified as a war crime . In 2006 he reportedly met with the Ugandan rebel organization the Lord 's Resistance Army ( LRA ) in 2006 while they were involved in the bitter civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo . Anthony reportedly persuaded them to protect endangered species such as the northern white rhinoceros . `` They were very hospitable , '' Lawrence said . `` I found out that the rhino was the spiritual totem of the tribes that they came from and they thought there were hundreds and hundreds of rhinos , and there were n't . '' Creating relationships with people has been just as important as cultivating refuges for animals . After years of negotiation with the local chief of the land next to Anthony 's reserve , he was able to persuade the local community to convert their own land into conservation areas , so they too could benefit from eco-tourism . `` I do n't think I have a mission in life , '' he said . `` I just want to hold together the values that are important to us as human beings . The name of the game is to survive and we ca n't survive without the plant and animal kingdoms . ''
Conservationist has rescued animals from Iraq and negotiated with rebel armies . Comment: Set up `` The Earth Organization '' in 2004 to promote conservation efforts .