Rating: 
Summary: A Good, But Troublesome Read
Review:
THE BEAST IN THE GARDEN
BY
DAVID BARON
2004
This 277-page book is an important contribution to our understanding of the increasing interactions between large carnivores and humans. The author is a seasoned writer about science and environmental issues for National Public Radio and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This factual book chronicles the series of develops in both human and mountain lion behavior that eventually lead to an unthinkable fatal interaction. The subtitle: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature is more than that, it is a warning that we best not ignore.
The true story takes place in the Boulder/Idaho Springs areas northwest and west of Denver, Colorado in the late 1980's and early 1990's. The book is a grabber and will keep you turning pages until the end. What Mr. Baron has so artfully done is clearly explain the major biological, cultural and demographic factors that inevitably lead to humans becoming potential prey for an increasing cougar (mountain lion, puma) population. There is a cautionary note for all of us, even if we do not now live in an area inhabited by this largest purring cat in North America.
A major player in this story of habituated-to-humans cougars are deer... their traditional and major prey. Boulder County reduced the hunting harvest of deer and allowed citizens to feed deer around their dwellings. With cougar hunting greatly limited in the second half of the 1900's, these usually solitary hunters began to reclaim their native habitat which now contains a very large deer population. All animals have natural factors that limit their numbers and range, for Puma concolor, theirs, gray wolves, are gone. In short, the sequence goes like this: humans move into good quality lion habitat, deer increase in numbers and move into human neighborhoods, both wild species become more active during the day, dogs and cats are easy prey and humans are of no consequence to lions. Lions are excellent ambush hunters. The rest you can piece together.
So, as we celebrate the return of lions in many areas of their former habitat, we have an added responsibility to understand the consequences of our wildlife policies; and by the way... watch your behavior with deer, pets and any habituated large carnivore.
Wendel Johnson
Marinette, WI
Rating:
Summary: If You Love This Planet, Read This Book!
Review: A friend of mine heard an interview with author David Baron on NPR. What impressed him was how balanced and objective his view was. My friend immediately bought two copies of The Beast In The Garden, one for himself and one for me. The whole question of how humans can live with wildlife is a highly charged emotional issue on both sides. As I made my way deep into the bowels of this book I realized how utterly ignorant and naive I was. The author manages to examine the story of human interactions with magnificent but hungry wild animals with extraordinary intelligence . He conveys his passion for Nature at the same time that he maintains his objectivity. Shortly after I finished reading this book, a mountain lion killed 35-year old cyclist Mark Reynolds whose body was found after another cougar attack along a popular trail in the Orange County Foothills. The lion had dragged Reynolds off the trail and his body went undetected for many hours. The cougar, protective of its partially buried prey, later mauled another passing biker. Anne Hjelle, 30, was rescued by her riding companion (who hung onto her leg) and other trail bikers as she was being dragged by the head into the brush. My 35 year old son and his girlfriend also ride in areas where they have seen mountain lions and now they are reading this book. It is clear that we human predators will need to change our habits if we wish to share the landscape with other highly evolved predators. You will see the world with wiser eyes after reading this book! Suza Francina, former mayor of Ojai, California, spokesperson for sustainable lifestyles and author, The New Yoga for People Over 50 and Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause
Rating:
Summary: The Beast in the Garden
Review: David Baron has written a superb book on what is likely to be a growing problem in the United States for some time to come. While the main story is about an increasing number of close encounters with mountain lions that culminates in a fatal attack on a teenager in the greater Boulder, Colorado area, the implications behind how it all began are far more wide-ranging. Ultimately, this book is about how Americans are reordering their relationship with nature and don't even realize it. Baron tells the story well. Even though you know where the book is headed, you are still gripped by the narrative; you still hope the fatal ending Baron has already told you about in the beginning of the book might still be averted. The author also weaves several historical and biological asides into the story that smartly explain it. The significance of mountain lion attacks on dogs, for example, is made far more ominous because Baron has told the reader of the mountain lion's previous relationship with wolves. The author has his prejudices, but it's hard not to agree with him after reading the book. He strongly believes that nature's relationship with man must be managed. He convinces the reader that whatever we call the environmental policies that helped animals like the mountain lion return to Boulder (and elsewhere in the U.S.) in the 1980s, it is not a return to an original state of nature as it existed before white settlers so much as it is a whole new world. And that new world has its own rules that are different from those in the past. Not understanding that will force us to learn some painful lessons.
Rating:
Summary: The Remaking of Nature
Review: David Baron has written a superb book on what is likely to be a growing problem in the United States for some time to come. While the main story is about an increasing number of close encounters with mountain lions that culminates in a fatal attack on a teenager in the greater Boulder, Colorado area, the implications behind how it all began are far more wide-ranging. Ultimately, this book is about how Americans are reordering their relationship with nature and don't even realize it. Baron tells the story well. Even though you know where the book is headed, you are still gripped by the narrative; you still hope the fatal ending Baron has already told you about in the beginning of the book might still be averted. The author also weaves several historical and biological asides into the story that smartly explain it. The significance of mountain lion attacks on dogs, for example, is made far more ominous because Baron has told the reader of the mountain lion's previous relationship with wolves. The author has his prejudices, but it's hard not to agree with him after reading the book. He strongly believes that nature's relationship with man must be managed. He convinces the reader that whatever we call the environmental policies that helped animals like the mountain lion return to Boulder (and elsewhere in the U.S.) in the 1980s, it is not a return to an original state of nature as it existed before white settlers so much as it is a whole new world. And that new world has its own rules that are different from those in the past. Not understanding that will force us to learn some painful lessons.
Rating:
Summary: Beast in the Garden
Review: David Baron is a great writer, and this is a great book! This is a must read for anyone who cares about large carnivores and their future survival. Beast in the Garden is a non-fiction book that reads like a crime novel. Initially, I suspected that this might be another sensationalized account of wild animals run amuck. What I found was something entirely different, a tome that combines elements of biology, sociology and American history. It is truly a case study on our evolving environment, culture & society. In this book David Baron masterfully illustrates that not all the news about the environment is doom and gloom. There is an exciting story out there that many people haven't noticed, and that is the recovery of North American wildlife. The cougar is just the most dramatic and charismatic example. This book should help people who love wildlife understand that there is a cost to having these creatures come back. We are going to have to make modest sacrifices and adjustments to our lifestyles in order to accommodate them. We are also going to have to come to the realization that wildlife needs to be managed, in order to insure human tolerance and public safety. Mark Dowling
Rating:
Summary: If you live near deer, you need to read this book.
Review: David Baron writes a well-researched account of current mountain lion behavior in the United States. He discusses common misconceptions, such as they live only in the mountains - they live everywhere, including abandoned mines - and they only hunt at night - they can hunt at any hour of the day. Another misconception is that they live only in "wilderness" areas ('tho Baron argues that Man has altered the balance of nature to such a degree that such a thing doesn't even exist). He points out that lions have been spotted in numerous cities throughout the United States. He discusses how the lions' behavior has changed as Man's behavior towards lions has changed. In the days when humans were the lions' worst nightmare, the lions were justifiably fearful of humans, avoiding them at all costs. However, the lions have figured out that humans are not generally much of a threat to them. In fact, humans tend to keep animals in confined spaces that make them easy pickings. The author talks about how, in much of the 20th century, Man systematically exterminated tens of thousands of mountain lions (along with wolves and coyotes), resulting in an enormous increase in the population of deer. He stresses the fact that mountain lions, which are strictly carnivorous and will eat just about anything, vastly prefer deer to any other animal. Where there are deer, there are mountain lions. I live in an area where I see deer every day. Many people in this area feed the deer, which is not only illegal, but it is harmful to the deer (reportedly contributes to chronic wasting disease & fosters dependency on human-provided food). Since the mountain lions are smart, observant, and efficient predators, they tend to notice where the deer hang out on a regular basis. In a town about 15 miles from where I live, a mountain lion killed two dogs and a colt about a month ago. Just as in this book, the authorities didn't publicize this information. Maybe they assume we're incapable of good judgement and will form mobs of bloodthirsty lion hunters. Or perhaps they're fearful of frightening potential tourists. Or they adhere to the "ignorance is bliss" theory. We are in the process of providing an enclosure for our dogs that is covered on all sides to help protect them from the local predators (raptors, coyotes, and mountain lions). When the lions become habituated to the presence of humans, they can become extremely dangerous, and we need to alter our own behavior and habits in order to protect ourselves, our children, and our pets. Although we have a higher risk of being hit by lightning than being attacked by a mountain lion, still it's good to be aware of the potential for risk when on a hiking trail or biking in an area frequented by lions. I found the book extremely interesting and informative and highly recommend it to anyone. However, if you live where there are deer, especially if you have pets and want to be better informed about your surroundings, you would benefit by reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Examining ecotones
Review: Humanity's interaction with the rest of nature is often a sordid tale. Humans and other animals have long contended for living space, but the North American experience is nearly unique. Our dealings with wild life, plant and animal, have swung from nearly absolute exploitation and extinction to various versions of preserve and protect. Both attitudes have been clouded by ignorance and misunderstanding. David Baron vividly and expertly examines these views. He explains how one community, Boulder, Colorado, has become a model for a new view of coexistence with our fellow creatures. It may have taken the inadvertant sacrifice of one young man to show how our relationship with wilderness must be reconsidered and recast. Baron's science journalist's skills grant him the role of emissary, crisscrossing the border between the human and cougar communities. He carefully observes the lifestyle of the New West inhabitant. "White, wealthy and progressive" suburban Boulder came to typify a new term in biology - the "ecotone". Ecotones are the interface of humanity and wilderness. Homes at town's edge, open lawns and gardens attracting deer, jogging paths over isolated ridges and remote canyons are a novel environment.
Cougars, once fearful of men, and dogs, followed their usual prey of deer into this zone. In doing so, they adapted to conditions readily. Baron demonstrates the falsity of many myths surrounding the cougar. They are highly adaptive creatures, even possessing a "culture" few humans recognise, let alone understand. They feared the wolf packs encountered in the past, but quickly learned pet dogs are no threat. And cougar mothers taught their cubs Fido could provide a meal. Once thought to follow fixed movement patterns, cougars are now recognized as random patrollers of territory. To humans, this unpredictability poses an unexpected threat. It's led to attacks on people - in Boulder, it led to the death of an eighteen-year-old student. This captivating account of how awareness of the ecotone emerged is flawless. There are heroes, villians, people whose views are challenged and reactions to new provocations. The hero of this story is not the slaughtered youth, Scott Lancaster, but Michael Sanders, wildlife "manager". Sanders, and colleague Jim Halfpenny, struggled to understand what was happening in the Boulder ecotone. They recorded cougar sightings and activity, trying to formulate a picture of puma behaviour. They anticipated potential threats while appealing to government agencies to assist them in their work - to no avail. Local politics and attitudes intervened. Even a direct attack on a woman failed to budge preconceptions. The result was the sacrifice of a young man on the alter of ignorance and misunderstanding. Baron urges that this sacrifice not be in vain. His conclusion suggests the ecotone isn't limited to the Colorado mountains. Wolves, racoons, coyotes and even geese are invading marginal habitats at the edge of human settlements. A cougar was struck by a car in Kansas City. Another surprised a strolling couple in Minneapolis. A coyote strode onto a verandah near Boston. Baron doesn't propose a return to bounty hunting. He respects the needs of the rest of the animal kingdom, even predators. What is needed, he urges, is an informed, pragmatic approach to wilderness preservation. With the "outbreak" of humans intruding on much of the planet, new forms of wildlife management must be applied. This will require resources [your tax dollars], study [more students taking up wildlife study] and political will [no simple answers]. Baron romanticises nothing in his narrative. His realistic approach is almost unique in nature writing. Certainly, his championing a new view of how we approach the rest of nature must be heeded. He is clearly aware of the massive education process that must ensue to prevent more killings. He stands almost in a "no-man's land" between those thinking "nature" must remain unblemished and those who urge further exploitation. He takes what is perhaps the most unpopular stance in America today - arguing for further knowledge and understanding before decisions are taken. In these times, one of those decisions is where to place the next new suburban house. Perhaps yours. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Rating:
Summary: Examining ecotones
Review: Humanity's interaction with the rest of nature is often a sordid tale. Humans and other animals have long contended for living space, but the North American experience is nearly unique. Our dealings with wild life, plant and animal, have swung from nearly absolute exploitation and extinction to various versions of preserve and protect. Both attitudes have been clouded by ignorance and misunderstanding. David Baron vividly and expertly examines these views. He explains how one community, Boulder, Colorado, has become a model for a new view of coexistence with our fellow creatures. It may have taken the inadvertant sacrifice of one young man to show how our relationship with wilderness must be reconsidered and recast. Baron's science journalist's skills grant him the role of emissary, crisscrossing the border between the human and cougar communities. He carefully observes the lifestyle of the New West inhabitant. "White, wealthy and progressive" suburban Boulder came to typify a new term in biology - the "ecotone". Ecotones are the interface of humanity and wilderness. Homes at town's edge, open lawns and gardens attracting deer, jogging paths over isolated ridges and remote canyons are a novel environment.
Cougars, once fearful of men, and dogs, followed their usual prey of deer into this zone. In doing so, they adapted to conditions readily. Baron demonstrates the falsity of many myths surrounding the cougar. They are highly adaptive creatures, even possessing a "culture" few humans recognise, let alone understand. They feared the wolf packs encountered in the past, but quickly learned pet dogs are no threat. And cougar mothers taught their cubs Fido could provide a meal. Once thought to follow fixed movement patterns, cougars are now recognized as random patrollers of territory. To humans, this unpredictability poses an unexpected threat. It's led to attacks on people - in Boulder, it led to the death of an eighteen-year-old student. This captivating account of how awareness of the ecotone emerged is flawless. There are heroes, villians, people whose views are challenged and reactions to new provocations. The hero of this story is not the slaughtered youth, Scott Lancaster, but Michael Sanders, wildlife "manager". Sanders, and colleague Jim Halfpenny, struggled to understand what was happening in the Boulder ecotone. They recorded cougar sightings and activity, trying to formulate a picture of puma behaviour. They anticipated potential threats while appealing to government agencies to assist them in their work - to no avail. Local politics and attitudes intervened. Even a direct attack on a woman failed to budge preconceptions. The result was the sacrifice of a young man on the alter of ignorance and misunderstanding. Baron urges that this sacrifice not be in vain. His conclusion suggests the ecotone isn't limited to the Colorado mountains. Wolves, racoons, coyotes and even geese are invading marginal habitats at the edge of human settlements. A cougar was struck by a car in Kansas City. Another surprised a strolling couple in Minneapolis. A coyote strode onto a verandah near Boston. Baron doesn't propose a return to bounty hunting. He respects the needs of the rest of the animal kingdom, even predators. What is needed, he urges, is an informed, pragmatic approach to wilderness preservation. With the "outbreak" of humans intruding on much of the planet, new forms of wildlife management must be applied. This will require resources [your tax dollars], study [more students taking up wildlife study] and political will [no simple answers]. Baron romanticises nothing in his narrative. His realistic approach is almost unique in nature writing. Certainly, his championing a new view of how we approach the rest of nature must be heeded. He is clearly aware of the massive education process that must ensue to prevent more killings. He stands almost in a "no-man's land" between those thinking "nature" must remain unblemished and those who urge further exploitation. He takes what is perhaps the most unpopular stance in America today - arguing for further knowledge and understanding before decisions are taken. In these times, one of those decisions is where to place the next new suburban house. Perhaps yours. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Rating:
Summary: Incredible! Are there six stars?
Review: I am an author who has written about man-eating lions for Men's Journal and have researched the subject extensively. NO ONE has written as well and authentically as David Baron. This is an extraordinary book that manages to thread the needle, avoiding sensationalism, but also not shying away from critiquing the more environmentally pc among us. It is an extraordinary piece of writing, a literary work of non-fiction that deserves a wide readership far beyond those interested in predators and adventure journalism. Read the book. Buy the book. Give the book. One of the very best pieces of non-fiction you could hope to acquire.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I found this book to be a very lucid account of how Man and the Cougar have changed over the past 100 years. Baron gives the best argument I've come across to explain the growing number of attacks by Cougars on humans.
Human developement, but more so the change in our feelings towards wildlife has created a new ecotone that has allowed the Cougars numbers increase and to lose "respect" for humans. For the last 34 years Cougars have not been hunted in Calif. and I belive that this has caused cats to lose there fear of both man and dogs. Great book well worth the time and money.
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