Bears in the Backyard: Big Animals, Sprawling Suburbs, and the New Urban Jungle

by Edward R. Ricciuti

Overview

Fang and claw have jumped the white picket fence as encounters with cougars in Chicago, alligators in Florida, and bears virtually everywhere have become increasingly commonplace. Author Edward Ricciuti explores cutting-edge research into why it’s happening, how it impacts all of us, and how to deal with it on both societal and personal levels.

As cities and suburbs sprawl, and conservation efforts enable wildlife populations to recover, large wild animals are encroaching on human turf. These creatures might be thrilling to see, but they can bite, scratch, and even kill, and attacks on humans will only increase as we come face to face in the man-made landscape. Readers will learn how to protect against potential dangers even as they are being thoroughly entertained by hair-raising tales of real-life encounters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781581576795
Publisher:	Countryman Press, The
Publication date:	05/26/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Edward R. Ricciuti is a science journalist, naturalist, and former curator at the New York Zoological Society (now the Wildlife Conservation Society) who has covered wildlife issues around the world.

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Chapter 1 The Big Cat Is Back: Return of the Cougar 21

Chapter 2 Cougar Attacks and How to Survive Them 39

Chapter 3 Reap What You Sow: How the Environmental Movement and Urban Sprawl Triggered the Animal Invasion 55

Chapter 4 Coyote on the Cul-De-Sac: Coyotes in Cities and New Wolves in the Woods 73

Chapter 5 That's Not Big Bird at Your Feeder: An Abundance of Bruins 97

Chapter 6 Deadliest of All?: Dangerous Deer and Marauding Moose 117

Chapter 7 Gators on the Golf Course: Will Success Spoil the American Alligator? 147

Chapter 8 Alien Invasion: Will Global Warming Trigger a Plaque of Serpents? 169

Chapter 9 Prowling Poisoners: The Venomous Snakes Next Door 187

Chapter 10 Peaceful Coexistence: Searching for a Balance 215

Bibliography 235

Index 240