Riding the Tiger: Tiger Conservation in Human-Dominated Landscapes [Paperback]

John Seidensticker (Editor), Sarah Christie (Editor), Peter Jackson (Editor), Richard Burge (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 28, 1999

Beauty, grace and power make the tiger one of the world's most loved animals, yet it is precisely these qualities that have contributed to the tiger's peril. Poaching, loss of habitat and prey, and conflicts between people and wild tigers have caused a catastrophic decline in the worldwide tiger population. If wild tigers are to survive through the next century, we must act now. Riding the Tiger is a comprehensive, scientific, and eminently readable account of the problems and possible solutions of securing a future for wild tigers. Lavishly illustrated in full color, the book is written by leading conservationists working throughout Asia. It looks at tiger ecology and biology, examining the tiger in both its natural setting and in our own consciousness. In exploring our efforts at conservation, the book addresses topology and population dynamics. Later sections discuss prey depletion and region-specific studies. Riding the Tiger is a vital information resource for tiger conservationists in the field, as well as necessary reading for serious students of carnivore conservation and conservation biologists in general. For the general reader, it is an accessible and elucidating overview of tiger conservation. John Seidensticker is Curator of Mammals at the National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution. With extensive experience in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, China, Russia, Thailand and Indonesia, he has worked on the conservation biology of wild carnivores for more than 25 years, and is currently Chairman of the Save the Tiger Fund of the US National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Mobil International. Sarah Christie is Conservation Programmes Co-ordinator at the London Zoo. Having overseen the expansion of the Zoological Society of London's tiger conservation programme, she is active in the implementation, management and collaboration of tiger conservation programmes around the world. Peter Jackson is Chairman of the Cat Specialist Group at the World Conservation Union (IUCN). A freelance writer and photographer, Jackson was previously the Chief Correspondent on the Indian subcontinent for Reuters News Agency, and has contributed to Smithsonian Magazine, International Wildlife, and BBC Wildlife. He has traveled widely in Asia, Africa, and the Americas and has published extensively on tiger conservation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Riding the Tiger is the best 1990s single-species account I have read...Seidensticker, Christie, and Jackson are to be commended. Riding the Tiger is bold, creative, and comprehensive." Conservation Biology

Book Description

Tigers are amongst the world's most loved and most endangered species. Habitat loss, conflicts between humans and wild tigers, and poaching have led to a catastrophic decline in tiger numbers. Riding the Tiger is a readable, comprehensive and scientific account of the problems and possible solutions of tiger conservation. Lavishly illustrated in colour, and written by experts working throughout the tiger's range, it will be an essential reference for both professionals and general readers interested in this magnific ent animal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (May 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521648351
• ISBN-13: 978-0521648356
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #782,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riding the Tiger - aug 2001, August 15, 2001

By 

melissa roper (Queensland, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riding the Tiger: Tiger Conservation in Human-Dominated Landscapes (Paperback)

An excellent and thorough composition of research of the tiger and its conservation. A must have for ecologists or wildlife biologists interested in studying or working with the big cats. Very informative, written with a lot of data, statistics, maps and references - most informative for those with a scientific mind. Highly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tiger biology and conservation, December 12, 2001

By 

B. Moorhead (Port Angeles, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Riding the Tiger: Tiger Conservation in Human-Dominated Landscapes (Paperback)

If you want to explore the present state of knowledge about tigers in the wild and their real prospects for survival, this is the best publication available. It's attractively illustrated with photos of wild tigers, current range maps, and useful treatments of their history, habitat, populations, prey relations, conflicts with people, and conservation status in various parts of their range. The book's chapters are well organized and written by well informed scientists.

I couldn't put the book down and have only been surprised that it has received so little publicity beyond the professional ranks of conservation biologists. It's useful also for those considering a visit to areas where tigers still occur.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best conservation books out there, December 2, 2000

By 

"slothbear2" (hopewell jct, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riding the Tiger: Tiger Conservation in Human-Dominated Landscapes (Paperback)

Riding the Tiger is a fine conservation book. It gets into the technical part of conservation which few see. If you are interested in becoming a zoologist this book is a must.