Path of the Puma: The Remarkable Resilience of the Mountain Lion
"These cats are like emissaries from the raw landscapes out West, probing the rest of the nation, showing us where patches of wildness remain, and bring a fuller dimension of wildness to them. It's as if they're testing to find out just what folks have in mind when they say they want to preserve natural settings. How natural? How toothy?" -- From the Foreword
During a time when most wild animals are experiencing decline in the face of development and climate change, the intrepid mountain lion -- also known as a puma, a cougar, and by many other names - has experienced reinvigoration as well as expansion of territory. What makes this cat, the fourth carnivore in the food chain -- just ahead of humans - so resilient and resourceful? And what can conservationists and wild life managers learn from them about the web of biodiversity that is in desperate need of protection? Their story is fascinating for the lessons it can afford the protection of all species in times of dire challenge and decline.
With hands-on experience in both the Rocky Mountains and the wilds of Patagonia in South America, wildlife manager Jim Williams tracks the path of the puma, and in doing so, challenges readers to consider humans' role in this journey as well as what commitment to nature and conservation means in this day and age.
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Written in accurate yet easy-to-understand scientific language, Williams's heartfelt and comprehensive offering will appeal not only to wildlife biologists, but to nature lovers everywhere. -- Publishers Weekly
Starred Review
"The author's passion and his firsthand knowledge of his subject make the narrative highly readable. . . . A handsome book that is well-balanced, instructive, and authoritative." -- Kirkus Reviews
There's a success story to be told, but it's one with a mixed outcome, he notes. "America's vast public lands, and Patagonia's newly conserved parks, are a bulwark against the crush of humanity," writes Williams. "But the trajectory--despite the recent success and expansion of Puma concolor --is toward more people and less wild nature. Predators will continue to prey on livestock. Ungulates will continue to compete for grass. Mountain lions will continue to prey on pets. Subdivisions will continue to consume habitat. Hunters will continue to compete with carnivores. Game managers will continue to be pressured by hunters." -- National Parks Traveler
"Suggested Episode: Path of the Puma is a great place to start and will give you a sense of the great lion of North and South America and the people who care deeply about its survival." -- UpRoxx.com (about author interview on Meateater's podcast)
"...the main purpose of Path of the Puma, according to Williams, is to 'inspire people about wild things and wild places.' To that end, the book is an absolute page-turning success." "Peppered with gorgeous wildlife photography, the book is equal parts high-stakes adventure story, personal memoir, and, of course, mountain lions. . . . Like the big cats at the heart of it, Path of the Puma is a truly exceptional and important creation." -- Santa Barbara Independent
