Elephant Mountain | The Remarkable True Story About Elephants, Fate, and Echoes from the Past

When Debbie Ethell discovers an elephant skull in a bone museum, she has no idea it will lead her into one of the most extraordinary untold stories in elephant history. What begins as a curiosity about a tragic love story buried deep in the history of the Oregon Zoo elephants soon becomes a chilling mystery, one involving secrets, cover-ups, and unanswered questions that changed the fate of captive elephants worldwide. Woven alongside this investigation is a breathtaking story of wild elephants in Kenya whose courage and heroism will leave you believing that elephants are capable of far more than you ever imagined. Elephant Mountain is a winding journey through darkness and wonder … and it will leave you full of hope.

Book cover for Elephant Mountain nonfiction animal book by Debbie Ethell featuring a watercolor of elephants walking in a line below a mountain in the Pacific Northwest.
Author Debbie Ethell standing on top of Elephant Mountain.

A Real Place. A Real Story.

The story of Elephant Mountain spans nearly a century of elephant history, from the earliest days of the Oregon Zoo elephants to the sweeping savannas of Kenya, weaving together mystery, wild beauty, and one woman’s extraordinary journey toward truth. A standout among nonfiction animal books, it is the kind of story that stays with you long after the final page, and leaves you seeing elephants—and the world they live in—completely differently.

What People Are Saying…

Readers have called Elephant Mountain unforgettable—a book that moves you deeply, surprises you completely, and lingers long after the final page. From the emotion that leaps off the page to the triumph woven through every chapter, this is the kind of story that finds you exactly where you are.

Quote from BookLife Prize 2020 praising the exemplary prose of The Will of Heaven by Debbie Ethell.
-Kirsten Milliken
Quote from BookLife Prize 2020 praising the exemplary prose of The Will of Heaven by Debbie Ethell.
-Sarah Berringer
Quote from BookLife Prize 2020 praising the exemplary prose of The Will of Heaven by Debbie Ethell.
-Pete Zseleczky
Quote from BookLife Prize 2020 praising the exemplary prose of The Will of Heaven by Debbie Ethell.
-Juanita Esperanrto
Quote from BookLife Prize 2020 praising the exemplary prose of The Will of Heaven by Debbie Ethell.
-Cari Z.
Quote from BookLife Prize 2020 praising the exemplary prose of The Will of Heaven by Debbie Ethell.
-S R Wagner
Quote from BookLife Prize 2020 praising the exemplary prose of The Will of Heaven by Debbie Ethell.
-Phil E.
Quote from BookLife Prize 2020 praising the exemplary prose of The Will of Heaven by Debbie Ethell.
-Phil E.

THE RESEARCH BEHIND THE MYSTERY

Every secret in this book came from somewhere … here is where.

explore the research and sources

Purchase Options

*All formats are available everywhere books are sold.

BOOKS

Prefer an actual book? Elephant Mountain is one of those elephant books for adults that feels equally at home on a nightstand or a bookshelf. Get your paperback or hardcover at Barnes & Noble, Powell’s Books, Amazon…or any bookstore.

barnes & noble
powell’s books
amazon
3-D book cover of The Will of Heaven: An Inspiring True Story About Elephants, Alcoholism, and Hope, white cover with watercolor painting of girl with long blonde hair reaching out to an elephant, author Debbie Ethell.

EBOOK

Looking for a digital copy? This elephant story book is just one click away. Get your ebook copy of Elephant Mountain on Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kindle…or any major retailer.

Apple books
barnes & noble
kindle
3-D book cover of The Will of Heaven: An Inspiring True Story About Elephants, Alcoholism, and Hope, white cover with watercolor painting of girl with long blonde hair reaching out to an elephant, author Debbie Ethell.

AUDIO BOOK

Love to listen on the go? Among elephant audiobooks, Elephant Mountain stands out for one special reason…it’s narrated by the author herself. It spent over six months ranked among the Top 25 Best Audiobooks on Audible. Download your copy at Audible, Barnes & Noble…or anywhere audiobooks are sold.

Audible
Barnes & Noble
3-D book cover of The Will of Heaven: An Inspiring True Story About Elephants, Alcoholism, and Hope, white cover with watercolor painting of girl with long blonde hair reaching out to an elephant, author Debbie Ethell.

Discover Elephant Mountain in Pictures

Debbie kneeling in the woods next to a large metal circus performing ball that Buddha once trained on, covered in circus-colored sandpaper. Debbie has her hair pulled back and is wearing a plumb scarf with a black rain jacket.
A circus ball Buddha was trained on found in the woods on Elephant Mountain
Black and white, side-profile image of Debbie in uniform on the mound in the middle of a softball game holding the ball in her mitt as she is in a tense conversation with her catcher Deana who is in full gear wearing a mask.
In a tense game with my catcher, Deana
Pennie with shoulder length reddish hair standing next to Debbie smiling for the camera. They are holding a scene clapper standing in front of a glistening silver streamer stage. Pennie is wearing a white dress and Debbie is wearing a bright purple feather boa.
With Pennie
A darkish gray colored elephant skull propped up on a wooden cart in the "secret museum." It is the skull of Buddha the elephant. There are two large holes in the forehead: one is bullet wound and one is from a massive infection.
Buddha’s skull
Carl Mowry and Cliff Bozarth, two of the original elephant keepers, in the woods on Elephant Mountain. Carl is wearing a baseball cap, wearing a red flannel and jeans holding a cane while Cliff has white hair and a white bead wearing dark-tinted glasses, a red sweatshirt with a dark rain jacket and light blue jeans.
Two of the original elephant keepers: Carl Mowry (L) and Cliff Bozarth (R)
Dave with his arm wrapped around Debbie both smiling for the camera. Dave is wearing a pirate-like scarf around his head, several strings of red beads, a colorful sash around his waist, and white poofed black pants tucked into his boots while Debbie is dressed like a peasant wearing a scarf on her head, a white long-sleeved ruffle shirt, a corset belt and a long gray skirt.
Dave and I at Pennie’s famous “Secret Garden Party”
Leslie in her hospital bed hooked up to oxygen, wearing a knit cap and in a hospital gown hugging tightly to Tina who is bent down hugging her and both are smiling for the camera.
Tina and Leslie’s final goodbye
A close up of Debbie Ethell holding a microphone at a podium with a Rotary Club banner displayed behind her. She is speaking and using her hands. She is wearing a long black sweater and her blonde hair is down.
Speaking at a Rotary Club
A close up of the wooden sculpture embedded in Morgan Berry's fireplace in his home on Elephant Moutain. It shows a full-grown elephant Belle with her trunk twisted over her head and two white tusks with a baby Packy at her rear with his trunk laid across her back and also with two smaller tusks carved out of a reddish-colored wood and embedded in a gray-colored slate hearth.
A wood carving of Belle and Packy embedded in Morgan Berry’s original fireplace
Pennie resting her head on Debbie's shoulder as both are smiling warmly for the camera.
With Pennie, reunited after ten years apart
Debbie and Hugh smiling for the camera. Hugh has his arm wrapped around Debbie's shoulders, is wearing a blue T-shirt and stands about two-feet taller than Debbie. She has her hair pulled back into a bun, wearing a black ruffle shirt with a crossbody bag.
Hugh, my first real friend in sobriety
Leo and Debbie smiling at the camera. Leo has his arm wrapped around Debbie's shoulders, is slightly taller with short hair, glasses, and white teeth. Debbie is wearing a blue summer dress with sunglasses on her head.
Leo celebrating two years sober. RIP, dear friend.
Debbie with original elephant keeper on Elephan Mountain, Carl Mowry both smiling for the camera. Carl is wearing a dark blue baseball hat with a red flannel and a gray beard while Debbie is wearing a puffy black vest and long sleeve shirt.
Carl Mowry, an original elephant keeper
Debbie seated on a stage in the middle of a panel of five people including Carol Buckley of the elephant sanctuary ERNA and Adam Roberts of Born Free. Each person has a microphone placed in front and Debbie is speaking as a large audience listens sitting at circular tables spead across a large hotel ballroom. There is a poster behind them that reads "International Elephant Conference and Film Festival."
On a panel with Adam Roberts (BornFree) and Carol Buckley (ERNA), at the International Elephant Conference, 2018
An image of someone holding a long piece of fabric with large metal buckles at both ends. It is Buddha's original harness he wore to log forests moments after it was unearthed in the original elephant barn on Elephant Mountain.
Discovering Buddha’s harness
Debbie standing confidently with a huge smile in front of a podium in front of a stage that says "Columbia Sportswear Company" after her presentation. She is holding a projector remote in her hand, wearing a stylish long white sleeveless sweater dress with black stripes along the sides, and a long-sleeve black shirt underneath with a dark green linen scarf.
Presenting at Columbia Sportswear’s headquarters
Debbie standing in front of Morgan Berry's original fireplace in his home. The wooden carving of Belle and Packy is pictured above her head. She is wearing all balck and holding a copy of the original Life Magazine that introduced Morgan and Packy to the world.
Standing in front of Morgan’s original fireplace
A large round block of cement wtih an iron metal loop sitting in the grass.
Elephant chain anchor
Close up of several odd-shaped bones laying on a mossy floor. Some are white and some are brown and aged.
Bones unearthed from the mossy floor of the elephant barn
With Leslie
Pennie resting her head on Dave's shoulder at a party. She is holding a drink wearing a sleeveless black and white dress while Dave is smiling huge wearing a white linen button-down shirt. There is the outline of a film set behind them.
Pennie and Dave
A large grass lawn with four distinct pear trees lining the far edge.
Four pear trees that lined the original elephant performance ring on Elephant Mountain
Outdoors on a sunny day Esther, Debbie, Gina on Elephant Mountain smiling for the camera.
My favorite research partners: Esther and Gina, on Elephant Mountain
A view from above showing three standing cement walls with a missing ceiling and space where the door should be. The floor is covered in moss and several large bones can be seen stacked in the middle of the room.
The last remaining structure: an original elephant barn now scattered with bones
Ashely, Debbie and Pennie in costume at the Dandie Warhol's New Year's Eve party in 2020. Ashely has pixie eyes and is holding a cut-out mustache in front of her face. Debbie is in mid-sentence talking to Pennie wearing sunglasses and a pink, shoulder-length wig and a Campbell's Tomato Soup dress, and Pennie is wearing a black and white card cut-out dress kissing toward the camera. They are all standing with their arms wrapped around each other in front of a silver metallic backdrop.
A friend, myself, and Pennie at the Dandy Warhol’s New Year’s Eve bash in 2020
An iron metal loop embedded into a cement wall that used to hold the elephants kept there.
An iron loop that once held elephant chains in the original elephant barn
John Kent Harrison and Debbie Ethell smiling brightly in a party atmosphere. John is wearing a black shirt, stands about a foot taller than Debbie while she is wearing a sleeveless taupe and navy blue patterned dress.
With John Kent Harrison (renowned film director) at Pennie’s birthday party
A view of the valley below showing an island, a large ship going down a river and forests in the foreground and beyond. It is the view from Morgan's house on Elephant Mountain.
The view from the top of Elephant Mountain
Getting a tour inside the original elephant barn
Debbie standing below a marquee of a theater that says "Debbie Ethell Elephant Talks" on the marquee above.
The first night of Elephant Talks at the Lake Oswego Theater
Debbie standing on a large stage surrounded by two projector screens on either side. The room is full of about 100 people sitting at circular tables listening to her speak.
Early morning Rotary Club presentation