The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous

by Paula Wild

Overview

Winner of the Foreword Reviews 2013 Book of the Year Awards (Non-Fiction, Nature)

The Cougar is a skillful blend of natural history, scientific research, First Nations stories, and first-person accounts. With her in-depth research, Paula Wild explores the relationship between mountain lions and humans and provides the most up-to-date information on cougar awareness and defense tactics for those living, working, or traveling in cougar country.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771620024
Publisher:	Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd.
Publication date:	03/25/2014
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Paula Wild is the author of several books, including One River, Two Cultures and Sointula: Island Utopia, winner of a B.C. Historical Federation Certificate of Merit. She has also written for periodicals including Beautiful British Columbia, Reader’s Digest, and Canada’s History Magazine. She lives in Courtenay, British Columbia.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Paw Prints in the Snow 11

Chapter 2 Lord of the Forest 20

Chapter 3 Mythical Icon to Mortal Enemy 33

Chapter 4 From Predator to Prey 42

Chapter 5 A Change in Attitude 64

Chapter 6 Captive Cougars 80

Chapter 7 Unexpected Encounters 109

Chapter 8 The Predator 127

Chapter 9 Keeping Safe in Cougar Country 149

Chapter 10 Children, Dogs & Cougars 182

Chapter 11 Cougar Attack Hot Spots 197

Chapter 12 Tracking the Elusive Puma 221

Chapter 13 Sharing the Landscape 241

Chapter 14 Wild & Beautiful 267

Appendix: Cougar Safety Checklist 273

Selected Sources 275

Acknowledgements 282

Index 284

Editorial Reviews

06/09/2014
In this engaging study, B.C.-based author Wild (One River, Two Cultures) details the complex relationship between humans and the big cats that serve as "compelling icons of everything humans fear and admire." Part natural history/part wildlife guide aimed at general audiences, Wild's book details how cougar-human interactions changed over time to reflect the cat's shifting role from respected "lord of the forest" to reviled varmint to revered wilderness symbol. Cougars were symbols of "physical and spiritual strength" to indigenous peoples, but these animals suffered the onslaught of western expansion in the 19th century. The need to protect homesteads spurred cougar bounty hunting by the likes of Vancouver Island eccentric "Cougar Annie" Rae-Arthur and others. By the turn-of-the-century, sport hunters like U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt also targeted cougars as stealthy quarry, but a greater understanding of predators' ecological importance changed human attitudes towards mountain lions in the mid-20th century and led to the conservation efforts that continue today. Wild concludes with helpful tips on living safely in cougar country and urges a greater understanding of these predators in order to create a more harmonious human-feline coexistence. With rich photos and lively prose, Wild's informative book should be of interest to wildlife specialists and general readers alike. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"In this engaging study, B.C.-based author Wild (One River, Two Cultures) details the complex relationship between humans and the big cats that serve as "compelling icons of everything humans fear and admire." Part natural history/part wildlife guide aimed at general audiences, Wild's book details how cougar-human interactions changed over time to reflect the cat's shifting role from respected "lord of the forest" to reviled varmint to revered wilderness symbol....Wild concludes with helpful tips on living safely in cougar country and urges a greater understanding of these predators in order to create a more harmonious human-feline coexistence. With rich photos and lively prose, Wild's informative book should be of interest to wildlife specialists and general readers alike."
-Publishers Weekly, June 9, 2014

"Paula Wild has brilliantly distilled everything you may or may not have wanted to know about mountain lions plus things you may never have thought to question about the big cats into a page-turning journey of discovery. The book covers cougar biology, nature, history and behavior, as well as encounters and attacks. Wild has crystalized her observations and research into useful, yes, essential information for anyone who may encounter a cougar. Her goal of informing people for their safety as well as for the well-being of this infamous predator, has been my primary goal as well. But her analysis provides the reader a great shortcut to what is most meaningful and important."
-cougarinfo.org, August 2014

"...Wild's gen­ial nar­ra­tion cre­ates as fine a work of pop­u­lar nat­ural his­tory as the American moun­tain lion has ever received. Here in one book is everything a curi­ous reader might want to know about this remark­able animal. It should be required read­ing for every hiker, rancher, and suburb-dweller, espe­cially the ones who don’t ima­gine they could meet a lion just after lunch on Trailhead 2."
-Open Letters Monthly, an Arts and Literature Review, July 2014

"Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Cougar: Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous is a fascinating, fact-filled book about cougars, big cats also known as "pumas" or "mountain lions". From myths about cougars, to cougars in captivity, to the natural role of the cougar in wild ecology, and perhaps most crucial of all, how to defend oneself in case of a cougar attack, The Cougar is a "must-read" for anyone who wants to know about this captivating yet potentially deadly beasts—or for anyone who plans to visit, work, or live in cougar country!...Extensive cougar safety tips distinguish this in-depth portrait of these fascinating animals, illustrated with a handful of vivid color photographs. Highly recommended!"
-The Midwest Book Review, January 2014

"The Cougar is a well-researched blend of science, natural history, First Nation stories and first-person accounts. Exploring the relationship between the cougar and humans, Paula Wild provides critical information to bring awareness to those living, working or traveling in cougar country.”
~ Bianca Bordelon, Wildlife Mississippi Magazine, Fall 2014

From the Publisher