Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther

by Craig Pittman Narrated by Mike Chamberlain

Overview

It wasn¿t so long ago when a lot of people thought the Florida panther was extinct. They were very nearly right. That the panther still exists at all is a miracle—the result of a desperate experiment that led to the most remarkable comeback in the history of the Endangered Species Act. And no one has told the whole story—until now.

With novelistic detail and an eye for the absurd, Craig Pittman recounts the extraordinary story of the people who brought the panther back from the brink of extinction, the ones who nearly pushed the species over the edge, and the cats that were caught in the middle. This being Florida, there¿s more than a little weirdness, too.

An engrossing narrative of wry humor, sharp writing, and exhaustive reportage, Cat Tale shows what it takes to bring one species back and what unexpected costs such a decision brings.

Editorial Reviews

MARCH 2020 - AudioFile

The author of this audiobook describes the near extinction of the Florida panther, a subspecies of the mountain cougar, caused by both individuals and groups who put the economic development of southern Florida before the well-being of Florida’s state animal. Narrator Mike Chamberlain adds authenticity and focus to the story of this debacle with his excellent pacing and rhythm. He keeps listeners involved in an excruciating tug-of-war that dragged on for years as the panthers disappeared one by one. But the good scientists in this story wouldn’t give up; they persisted and brought in young female mountain lions from Colorado in a last-ditch effort to save the species. Chamberlain’s skilled performance is a testament to the Florida panthers’ will to survive and resilience to adapt. E.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

10/28/2019

Asking how Florida panthers “manage to persist when the other big cats” of North America have seen their numbers sharply decline, journalist Pittman (Oh, Florida!) examines in his insightful volume how this population initially declined, and then came back. Having written about Florida panthers for the Tampa Bay Times for more than two decades, Pittman introduces some of the figures pivotal to saving them. These include West Texas native Roy McBride, an expert wildlife tracker once employed by ranchers to hunt large predators, who shifted focus mid-career to become a conservation advocate instead. Pittman skillfully captures small details suggesting character, such as how McBride’s “battered white Stetson” complements his “strong Western twang.” While celebrating conservation advocates, Pittman criticizes how real-estate developers eliminated acres of Florida wilderness, sometime without trying to “get permits before they started... because the fines they incurred cost them less than delaying,” destroying habitats where panthers used to roam freely. With clarity, insight, and heartfelt concern, Pittman effectively sheds light on conservation efforts in Florida for its official state animal. Agent: Andrew Stuart, Stuart Agency. (Jan.)

From the Publisher

"In this delightful blend of scientific writing and good old-fashioned muckraking, award-winning journalist Pittman pens the absorbing tale of how the Florida panther was brought back from near-extinction. ... The ups-and-downs in this tale of survival, coupled with the charisma of the panther, make Pittman's 'cat tale' hard to put down."
—Booklist (starred review)

“With a mixture of science, politics, personalities and the Endangered Species Act, Craig Pittman weaves an intriguing story, following the efforts to recover the Florida Panther from extinction. This captivating book builds a story around the science and touched on my own experiences with defending cougars and wolves. It drew me in with its humor, frustrated me with all the bureaucracy and forcefully presented a path for those who care to join and fight back before it’s too late.” —Jim Dutcher, coauthor of The Wisdom of Wolves

“Craig Pittman has a remarkable talent for telling stories set in the Sunshine State that never fail to fascinate and entertain. Sure, Cat Tale has plenty of laughs and Florida weirdness, but Pittman has written a truly inspirational story about the panther’s brush with extinction, and the human beings who were determined to save the species. You won’t be able to put Cat Tale down.” —Gilbert King, author of the Pulitzer prize-winning, Devil in the Grove

"A fun, informative, and engaging read, Cat Fight is the definitive book on one of America's least understood apex predators. The story of how Florida's panthers were saved from extinction is one that both deserves and needs to be told." —Dane Huckelbridge, author of No Beast So Fierce

“In this era of bleak environmental news, Craig Pittman's Cat Tale comes as a witty and passionate reminder that nature is robust—it wants to live!—and that we humans, with concerted effort, a wariness of cynicism and profiteering, and a certain ability to roll with frustration, can do a great deal to reverse the course we're on.” —Lauren Groff, author of Florida

“Expertly navigating the wild lands and political jungle of Florida, the preeminent environmental journalist Craig Pittman reaches out and grabs his reader like a panther. And you grab back. The story—sobering and stirring, mottled with irony and bits of humor—is too good to let go.” —Jack E. Davis, author of The Gulf

“A bright, intriguing story of people and panthers with strong appeal for readers interested in endangered species.” –Kirkus Reviews


"With clarity, insight, and heartfelt concern, Pittman effectively sheds light on conservation efforts in Florida for its official state animal."
—Publishers Weekly

“[A] fascinating, page-turning account…[this] ultimately hopeful, exploration of how the Florida panther recovered against the odds will appeal to those who enjoy reading about wildlife and endangered species.” –Library Journal

“Cat Tale is a prime study of excellence in environmental reporting and the ability to tell a compelling story to a wide audience.” –SE Journal


“A standout in the field of environmental writing…Cat Tale shows us Pittman at his best: passionate, earnest and sincere about our state, balancing his love for Florida with his need to tell us the truth about our failures.” –Creative Loafing


“[A] Remarkable work of longform reporting.” –The Revelator


“As in all good books, Cat Tale contains drama and an assortment of heroes and villains.” –Sarasota Magazine


“Environmental storylines that don’t end in gloom are their own kind of endangered species these days, which is just one of the pleasantly oddball aspects of Cat Tale. … It’s a punchy, riveting story.” —Garden & Gun


“Any fan of big cats will find in his pages an education, and a pleasure.” –Tampa Bay Times


"With clarity, insight and heartfelt concern, Pittman effectively sheds light on Florida’s conservation efforts for its official state animal." -Jacksonville Journal Courier

Library Journal

12/01/2019

Investigative environmental journalist Pittman (Tampa Bay Times; Oh, Florida!) shares the story of the recovery of the Florida panther. In this fascinating, page-turning account, Pittman interviews scientists, veterinarians, and panther experts who were involved in the effort to save the panther from extinction. The team used radio collars to study the panthers' habits with an eye towards increasing the population. A captive breeding plan failed due to the lack of genetic diversity in the panther population, and the efforts were imperiled by panther experts who presented skewed research results, politicians who pressured state and federal agencies to allow development in panther habitats in order to appease wealthy donors, and supervisors who green-lighted these projects against the recommendations of their own scientists. Eventually, biologists executed a plan that increased the panther population while adding new genetic material. VERDICT This sometimes disheartening, but ultimately hopeful, exploration of how the Florida panther recovered against the odds will appeal to those who enjoy reading about wildlife and endangered species.—Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove, IL

MARCH 2020 - AudioFile

The author of this audiobook describes the near extinction of the Florida panther, a subspecies of the mountain cougar, caused by both individuals and groups who put the economic development of southern Florida before the well-being of Florida’s state animal. Narrator Mike Chamberlain adds authenticity and focus to the story of this debacle with his excellent pacing and rhythm. He keeps listeners involved in an excruciating tug-of-war that dragged on for years as the panthers disappeared one by one. But the good scientists in this story wouldn’t give up; they persisted and brought in young female mountain lions from Colorado in a last-ditch effort to save the species. Chamberlain’s skilled performance is a testament to the Florida panthers’ will to survive and resilience to adapt. E.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2019-10-23
How Florida's panthers were saved from extinction.

Sleek and elusive, panthers once roamed across North America, and Native people considered them spiritual beings. By the mid-1990s, in South Florida, fewer than 30 of the wild, solitary animals survived, sustained by marshes and other habitats that withstood the onslaught of suburbs, shopping centers, and other human development. Pittman (Oh, Florida!: How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country, 2016, etc.) has been covering these predators—the state's official animal—for 20 years at the Tampa Bay Times, where he is an award-winning reporter. In this lively, funny, detailed account of the Florida panther's brush with oblivion and the madcap human efforts to rescue it, the author writes as an authority on both the animals and the uniquely Floridian men and women who have decided their fate. The humans are drawn out of Florida central casting. They include a wealthy playboy/scientist, a retired showman, a Santa Claus look-alike biochemist, and two former Detroit bootleggers. One biologist, known as "Dr. Panther," threw things off with flawed habitat research; a wildlife biologist's whistleblower suit corrected that. Veterinarian Melody Roelke's use of an electro-ejaculator to collect panther semen revealed the panthers' low genetic diversity. Drawing on dozens of interviews, Pittman weaves together stories of panther hunts, court cases, scientific rivalries, and political mischief to describe the activities of humans while panthers were being run over regularly in highway traffic. Experts argued over ways to help the cats; wildlife officials kept approving expanding development in prime panther habitat, such as the town of Ave Maria, brainchild of the founder of Domino's Pizza. Pittman clearly traces important events, from failed efforts at captive breeding to the introduction of eight female Texas cougars to reinvigorate the panther gene pool and mitigate inbreeding problems. As a result, the panther population has grown to more than 200 today.

A bright, intriguing story of people and panthers with strong appeal for readers interested in endangered species.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173935489
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	01/21/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,269,482

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