Customer Reviews

Great Cats (Majestic Creatures of the Wild)

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The great cats reign supreme among the world's most fascinating creatures. Representations of these animals have been evident throughout human history from the prehistoric cave paintings of France to the tomb of Tutankhamen, from the proud lion of Piazza San Marco in Venice to the haunting rhythms of Blake's "Tyger, tyger burning bright." So sleek and self-sufficient, these relatives of the domestic cat all share the instinct to hunt, to survive, and to master their environment.

Truly unique and magnificent, Great Cats is a book about all the cats from the well-known lion and tiger to the rare and elusive kodkod and Andean mountain cat. Great Cats documents the latest discoveries about the origins of cats, and about their form and function. In addition the book explores the historic and present relationship between cats and people.

The stories of all the cats are complemented by a stunning collection of over 200 full- color photographs and illustrations. A specially commissioned, original painting of each species of cat is featured together with individual maps showing the most recent distribution of all the species.

Most importantly, Great Cats draws our attention to the conservation prospects of the cats today, 16 of the 37 cat species, and one or more subspecies of other species, are threatened or in danger of extinction. With the development of the conservation movement and a growing awareness of the fragility of wildlife, the cats have become increasingly valued and protected in many parts of the world. This is only a beginning, however, and to ensure that the great cats survive in the wild, we must all learn more about these magnificent animals. Great Cats provides a rare and special insight into the lives of some of nature's most captivating creatures.

This fantastic book is my daughter's favorite. It's no longer in print but full of wonderful pictures of the majestic big cats and chock full of facts that will keep you turning the page for more. This book is a must for any big cat lover or for anyone looking for a great table book, this has it all!

Great Cats -- Majestic Creatures Of The Wild is a great book describing the field research of lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, snow leopards, mountain lions, cheetahs, bobcats, lynxes, ocelots, servals, and many small cats. There are many great photographs showing the wild cats relaxing during calm moments and combatively capturing prey in action scenes. The evolutionary line chart on page 18 shows that lions and tigers have relatively short direct lines at about two million years, while the ocelot has the longest direct line at more than eleven million years. Consequences Of Inbreeding In Lions by David E. Wildt on page 86 highlights the lack of genetic diversity from geographic isolation in lions living in Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. Robin Meadows' Pumas In California on page 136 describes the debate over hunting mountain lions in the state, concluding with voters banning sport hunting in 1990; the complexity of the situation, though, has been shown by the increasing number of mountain lion attacks on human beings since 1986 -- several years ago, a woman runner was attacked and killed by a mountain lion, which was later killed. The Genetic Peril Of The Cheetah by Stephen J. O'Brien on page 146 highlights the lack of genetic variation in cheetahs that seems to have come from a very limited ancestral population about 10,000 years ago. Man-Eaters by Charles McDougal on pages 204-211 describes the history of man-eating tigers, lions, leopards, and jaguars as well as famous hunters Jim Corbett and J.H. Patterson. Cats In Zoos by Ronald L. Tilson on pages 214-219 describes the harsh zoo conditions for wild cats in the distant past and the current issues and problems of cooperative zoo-breeding programs today. Notes On Contributors on pages 234-236 lists the names and backgrounds of the thirty-eight researchers.