Cougar Attacks: Encounters of the Worst Kind [Hardcover]

Kathy Etling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2001

Bloodcurdling encounters between the big cats and their most reluctant prey--humans.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kathy Etling has done an amazing job, presenting lots of exciting and scary real-life stories while keeping a rational perspective of the rarity of these events and the positive values of cougars to humans....It is a rare person who can present the entire array of incidents showing the cougar as a relentless killing machine, and at the same time argue persuasively for keeping it as part of our lives and experiences. Kathy Etling has done this well."--E. Lee Fitzhugh, Wildlife Enhancement Specialist Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology
University of California--Davis

"We should not fear cougars, but respect their behaviors, abilities, and habitat. We can live with this magnificent predator by educating ourselves on how to reduce risk of interaction. Simple precautions can be taken to avoid conflict...this book outlines them; it should not be perceived as sensationalism, or intimidation, but rather education of an important topic."
--Rich Beausoleil, Cougar/Furbearer Biologist
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

The crouching cougar suddenly springs, its claws unsheathed and its teeth bared. The deer barely registers the attack before it falls to the forest floor, its spinal cord severed. The symmetry of a predator and its prey has a savage beauty that fascinates humans. Yet all too often, humans themselves have become the cougar's prey, especially as more and more people move into areas that lie within cougar range. Puma concolor, know as cougar, catamount, león, mountain lion, and even "the Lord of stealth murder," by Theodore Roosevelt, appears poised on the brink of an incredible comeback. After centuries of bounties, poisonings, traps, and outright persecution, may populations of puma once thought extinct may be anything but. And their comeback coincides with the resettlement of humans to the edges of civilization. There, on the fringes, people build homes, encourage "gentle" wildlife to feed near their houses, let pets roam loose, and permit children to play outside. They simply don't know why their dogs and cats go out - and never come back. Some think a cougar can understand that a child is not a chipmunk. There are sadly mistaken.In Cougar Attacks, Kathy Etling stands unflinching before the heated controversy that surrounds the debate over what should be done to protect both humans and cougars. What role do sport hunters play, or wildlife management programs? What is the anatomy of a cougar attack? Etling recounts their history from the earliest 1830s' reports to today's most recent incidents. She also offers advice on what you can do to protect yourself and your family if you ever encounter one. So pick up the chillingly gripping chronicles of man's terrifying encounters with one of North America's greatest predators. (6 1/4 X 9 1/4, 276 pages, charts)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 276 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158574221X
• ISBN-13: 978-1585742219
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,704,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Cats, Lions & Tigers

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jaws on Paws, August 20, 2001

By 

Edward G. Leahy (Webster Groves, Mo. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cougar Attacks: Encounters of the Worst Kind (Hardcover)

Don't be confused when you see those lazy cougars in zoos, well fed swatting at flies with their tails. Kathy Etling paints a different picture of a skillful hunting and killing machine which kills with the same remorse we use when we down a Big Mac.These are not housepets you call 'kitty, kitty ' at when you see them. Chances are if you do see one its because you may be the main course tonight. This book is the ultimate authority on how surviviors escaped these predators in the past right up to today. It gives insight on the instincts of these large carnivores and is invaluable for anyone considering hiking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, or backpacking in remote areas. Not just in the mountains, cougars have been seen recently even in my home state of Missouri. Kathy Etling has done an excellent job compiling accounts and dispensing information on how you can most likely avoid one of these encounters of the worst kind. Even though she admits even if a person does all the right things still an attack may occur, it gives the outdoorman the knowledge what should be and more important, what definitely should not be done. Knowledge is power and as our two species encrouch more and more on each other attacks will occur more frequently. Like the deer, cougar populations are growing and man is destroying more and more of their habitat, forcing them to live closer to people. As they lose their natural fear of humans we all need to know how best to handle future encounter with these Jaws on Paws.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scary, fascinating, and packed with good advice, August 17, 2001

By 

Julia C. Hanna (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cougar Attacks: Encounters of the Worst Kind (Hardcover)

It's hard to put this book down -- the author has done a terrific job of compiling an amazing array of details on cougar attacks, and each incident is more compelling to read about than the last. With development encroaching on wilderness areas at an increasingly rapid rate, this book is a must-read for more than the "outdoorsy" sorts who hike and camp in cougar country. Indeed, as many of the accounts demonstrate, a good number of attacks occur in semi-suburban areas that most would consider completely safe. I learned a gret deal about cougar behavior (Etling interviews expert biologists in the field) and have developed a new respect for and interest in these fascinating, beautiful animals. On the practical side, you'll also learn what to do if you find yourself being stalked -- useful information that makes this book more than worth the purchase price.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Live or play in or near cougar country? Buy this book!, July 5, 2001

By 

Tess Bresnahan (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cougar Attacks: Encounters of the Worst Kind (Hardcover)

I didn't know much about cougars before I read this book but I know enough to keep myself and my family reasonably safe after reading it. Yes, I was worried about the western vacation we had scheduled. Hiking in the backcountry of Montana had me fairly fearful. But by using common sense precautions, I now realize that we can have fun without worry.

The author did a lot of research on cougars and attacks and it shows. Some attacks were related in detail and others weren't, but after reading through a number of different attacks you can get a feel for what placed the victim in peril -- at least usually -- and what might have been done to defuse the situation, or, perhaps, even to have kept the attack from happening at all. I know that even when every precaution has been taken, an attack may still occur. But being attacked by a cougar is, according to a quote in this book, much less likely than being struck by lightning or being stung to death by bees, wasps or hornets. I sure don't let lightning or bees keep me from enjoying the outdoors. I just use common sense.

I would recommend this book to anyone thinking of venturing into cougar country. I would even recommend it to someone who just wanted to learn more about mountain lions and how and why they attack.