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Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther Hardcover – January 21, 2020

by Craig Pittman (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 205 ratings
See all formats and editions
A Garden & Gun Best Book of 2020

“Witty and passionate.” —Lauren Groff

“Craig Pittman has a remarkable talent for telling stories set in the Sunshine State that never fail to fascinate and entertain.”—Gilbert King

“The definitive book on one of America’s least understood apex predators. The story of how Florida’s panthers were saved from extinction is one that both deserves and needs to be told.” —Dane Huckelbridge

It wasn’t so long ago when a lot of people thought the Florida panther was extinct. They were very nearly right. That the panther still exists at all is a miracle—the result of a desperate experiment that led to the most remarkable comeback in the history of the Endangered Species Act. And no one has told the whole story—until now.

With novelistic detail and an eye for the absurd, Craig Pittman recounts the extraordinary story of the people who brought the panther back from the brink of extinction, the ones who nearly pushed the species over the edge, and the cats that were caught in the middle. This being Florida, there’s more than a little weirdness, too.

An engrossing narrative of wry humor, sharp writing and exhaustive reportage, Cat Tale shows what it takes to bring one species back and what unexpected costs such a decision brings.
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Hanover Square Press
  4. Publication date
    January 21, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    6.14 x 1.07 x 9.23 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    133593880X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1335938800
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this delightful blend of scientific writing and good old-fashioned muckraking, award-winning journalist Pittman pens the absorbing tale of how the Florida panther was brought back from near-extinction. ... The ups-and-downs in this tale of survival, coupled with the charisma of the panther, make Pittman's 'cat tale' hard to put down."
—Booklist (starred review)

“With a mixture of science, politics, personalities and the Endangered Species Act, Craig Pittman weaves an intriguing story, following the efforts to recover the Florida Panther from extinction. This captivating book builds a story around the science and touched on my own experiences with defending cougars and wolves. It drew me in with its humor, frustrated me with all the bureaucracy and forcefully presented a path for those who care to join and fight back before it’s too late.” —Jim Dutcher, coauthor of The Wisdom of Wolves

“Craig Pittman has a remarkable talent for telling stories set in the Sunshine State that never fail to fascinate and entertain. Sure, Cat Tale has plenty of laughs and Florida weirdness, but Pittman has written a truly inspirational story about the panther’s brush with extinction, and the human beings who were determined to save the species. You won’t be able to put Cat Tale down.” —Gilbert King, author of the Pulitzer prize-winning, Devil in the Grove

"A fun, informative, and engaging read, Cat Fight is the definitive book on one of America's least understood apex predators. The story of how Florida's panthers were saved from extinction is one that both deserves and needs to be told." —Dane Huckelbridge, author of No Beast So Fierce

“In this era of bleak environmental news, Craig Pittman's Cat Tale comes as a witty and passionate reminder that nature is robust--it wants to live!--and that we humans, with concerted effort, a wariness of cynicism and profiteering, and a certain ability to roll with frustration, can do a great deal to reverse the course we're on.” —Lauren Groff, author of Florida

“Expertly navigating the wild lands and political jungle of Florida, the preeminent environmental journalist Craig Pittman reaches out and grabs his reader like a panther. And you grab back. The story—sobering and stirring, mottled with irony and bits of humor—is too good to let go.” —Jack E. Davis, author of The Gulf

“A bright, intriguing story of people and panthers with strong appeal for readers interested in endangered species.” –Kirkus Reviews


"With clarity, insight, and heartfelt concern, Pittman effectively sheds light on conservation efforts in Florida for its official state animal."
—Publishers Weekly

“[A] fascinating, page-turning account…[this] ultimately hopeful, exploration of how the Florida panther recovered against the odds will appeal to those who enjoy reading about wildlife and endangered species.” –Library Journal

“Cat Tale is a prime study of excellence in environmental reporting and the ability to tell a compelling story to a wide audience.” –SE Journal


“A standout in the field of environmental writing…Cat Tale shows us Pittman at his best: passionate, earnest and sincere about our state, balancing his love for Florida with his need to tell us the truth about our failures.” –Creative Loafing


“[A] Remarkable work of longform reporting.” –The Revelator


“As in all good books, Cat Tale contains drama and an assortment of heroes and villains.” –Sarasota Magazine


“Environmental storylines that don’t end in gloom are their own kind of endangered species these days, which is just one of the pleasantly oddball aspects of Cat Tale. … It’s a punchy, riveting story.” —Garden & Gun


“Any fan of big cats will find in his pages an education, and a pleasure.” –Tampa Bay Times


"With clarity, insight and heartfelt concern, Pittman effectively sheds light on Florida’s conservation efforts for its official state animal." -Jacksonville Journal Courier

About the Author

Craig Pittman is an award-winning journalist at the Tampa Bay Times and author of 4 books, including NYT bestseller Oh, Florida! How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country. His journalism has won 4 Waldo Proffitt Awards for Distinguished Environmental Journalism in Florida. Twice he won the Society of Environmental Journalists' top investigative reporting award. He was named a Florida Literary Legend by Florida Heritage Book Festival in 2020.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hanover Square Press; Original edition (January 21, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 133593880X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335938800
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.14 x 1.07 x 9.23 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 205 ratings

About the author

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Craig Pittman

Craig Pittman

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Craig Pittman, author of the new non-fiction spellbinder "Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther" and the New York Times bestseller "Oh, Florida! How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country," is a native Floridian. Born in Pensacola, he graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him "the most destructive force on campus." Since then he has covered a variety of newspaper beats and quite a few natural disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires and the Florida Legislature. Since 1998 he has reported on environmental issues for Florida's largest newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times), where his coverage has won both state and national awards. He is the co-author with Matthew Waite of "Paving Paradise: Florida's Vanishing Wetlands and the Failure of No Net Loss" (2009), and since then has has written "Manatee Insanity: Inside the War Over Florida's Most Famous Endangered Species" (2010), which the Florida Humanities Council declared an "essential read" for all Floridians, and "The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World's Most Beautiful Orchids," which the Atlanta Journal-Constitution declared "irresistible." His 2016 bestseller "Oh, Florida!" won raves in the New York Times, Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, as well as the gold medal for Florida non-fiction from the Florida Book Awards. His new one, "Cat Tale," is based on more than 20 years of following the fate of Florida's state animal, the elusive and endangered panther. Pittman lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., with his wife and children. For more, see http://craigpittman.com

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
205 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book fascinating, well-researched, and fun. They also describe the story as compelling and lively. Readers mention the book reads like a novel with heroes, villains, exotic settings, and plenty of suspense.

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ReadabilityStory quality
22 customers mention "Readability"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating, well-researched, and fun. They say it's an excellent book for understanding the plight of the Florida Panthers and the steps that have been taken. Readers also mention the book is delivered with engaging storytelling and humor.

"...share the planet, but its message is delivered with such engaging storytelling and humor that it was fun to read at the same time that it aroused my..." Read more

"Great read. Pittman’s Cat Tale takes one through the alphabet of human emotion. Ending with cynical hope...." Read more

"...it's advocates to overcome it's endangered status is well told and worth reading, whether you're a wildlife enthusiast or not. It isn't all about us...." Read more

"...The author’s style is easy to read and offers enough wit and humor to evoke a few good belly laughs, certainly needed with such a serious subject...." Read more

13 customers mention "Story quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the story compelling, vividly described, and well-researched. They also say the book reads like a novel with heroes, villains, exotic settings, and plenty of suspense. Readers also mention the writer's style is perfect for the narrative.

"...The big story is a compelling one; the little details add the entertainment...." Read more

"...of it and it's advocates to overcome it's endangered status is well told and worth reading, whether you're a wildlife enthusiast or not...." Read more

"...The author’s style is easy to read and offers enough wit and humor to evoke a few good belly laughs, certainly needed with such a serious subject...." Read more

"This is a well-researched and very readable review of attempts to save a vanishing breed of big cat in the hinterlands of Florida...." Read more

A Damn Fun Read, Panthers Tell the Story of Florida’s History and Try to Survive
5 out of 5 stars
A Damn Fun Read, Panthers Tell the Story of Florida’s History and Try to Survive
This book slams you in the passenger seat of a swamp buggy with author Craig Pittman as your guide. This book is not just about panthers and their survival. Pittman drives you down the roads of Florida’s history of misadventures with land development, the highly-competitive nature of biologists and researchers, and most of all — protecting the panthers’ future. He introduces you to ragtag teams that want nothing but the best for the panther species, but also finds those that look for self-fortune and fame. Pittman’s years of environmental journalism at Tampa Bay Times show up in full-form. Every chapter’s beginning reads like the best lede that one could write for his cleverly-named chapters. He found the stories. He found the characters. He found the research. He mixed that concoction up with some weird peninsula commentary and caring attitudes to create a damn fun read. By reading this book, you will want to help your local species out. You will want to support conservation of any nearby animal, especially the panther.
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Top reviews from the United States

Angie Boyter
5.0 out of 5 stars Panthers? In Florida? Really?
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
Cat Tale has a serious message about the difficulty and importance of saving wild creatures with whom we share the planet, but its message is delivered with such engaging storytelling and humor that it was fun to read at the same time that it aroused my outrage at the damage done by rapacious developers aided by selfish politicians while the dedicated civil servants, scientists, and environmentalists tried to protect the panthers and prevent further intrusions on their habitat.
The big story is a compelling one; the little details add the entertainment. I laughed out loud at Pittman’s description of the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters that honors the legendary Skunk Ape in Ochopee, FL, home of the smallest post office in the US---“it’s just big enough for the stamps to fit inside”. Then just three paragraphs later I gasped in horror when he describes how “over a series of nights, a panther with a taste for the exotic killed sixteen goats, four emus, three turtles, five ducks, and a chicken” at a petting zoo.
I had never heard of Pittman, so I looked him up on Goodreads, and he lists among his influences John D. MacDonald, Carl Hiassen, and John McPhee. I can see all of those influences in this book, and I think they would all be proud to be on his list.
4 people found this helpful
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LAR
5.0 out of 5 stars Cat-tastic Tale
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
Great read. Pittman’s Cat Tale takes one through the alphabet of human emotion. Ending with cynical hope. Maybe… Probably not… Maybe… Prob…May… either way, I am inspired to continue to do my small part to fund the preservation of the species. Florida would do well to keep these beautiful reminders of its legacy.
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Dave S.
4.0 out of 5 stars Wildlife vs. politics, greed and corruption
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a book well worth reading, although a bit long in the telling. I'm sure Florida is not the only place where politics, greed and corruption drive public policy and decisions, especially when it comes to protecting wildlife and habitat. The story of dedicated line agency staff, working hard and never giving up, using science to guide there work and decisions, is representative of most I've been around. Unfortunately, agency leadership is too often influenced by politics, greed and corruption. This story about the Florida panther and the struggle of it and it's advocates to overcome it's endangered status is well told and worth reading, whether you're a wildlife enthusiast or not. It isn't all about us. Thanks for the telling.
2 people found this helpful
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Diane Skelton
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating, rare “tale” told in a lively style
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
This captivating narrative follows the exploits to save the Florida panther from extinction. The book reads like a novel with heroes, villains, exotic settings, and plenty of suspense. Real life characters, vividly described, include politicians, bureaucrats, wildlife officials, scientists, and conservationists. Capturing and placing monitor-collars on the cats provides particularly interesting reading. I also enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the animal itself, down to the kink in its tail due to interbreeding. As a Florida resident, I was dumbfounded at the government's bureaucratic maneuvers to relocate the panther habitat, and at one man’s manipulation of scientific studies to satisfy potential builders and developers. The author’s style is easy to read and offers enough wit and humor to evoke a few good belly laughs, certainly needed with such a serious subject. I highly recommend the book for all Floridians, students and adults, as well as those interested in animal conservation. The book’s subject matter is a learning experience in how government malfunctions and differing scientific approaches can be debilitating when an animal is on the brink of extinction.
One person found this helpful
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chris
5.0 out of 5 stars A Damn Fun Read, Panthers Tell the Story of Florida’s History and Try to Survive
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2020
Verified Purchase
This book slams you in the passenger seat of a swamp buggy with author Craig Pittman as your guide. This book is not just about panthers and their survival. Pittman drives you down the roads of Florida’s history of misadventures with land development, the highly-competitive nature of biologists and researchers, and most of all — protecting the panthers’ future. He introduces you to ragtag teams that want nothing but the best for the panther species, but also finds those that look for self-fortune and fame. Pittman’s years of environmental journalism at Tampa Bay Times show up in full-form. Every chapter’s beginning reads like the best lede that one could write for his cleverly-named chapters. He found the stories. He found the characters. He found the research. He mixed that concoction up with some weird peninsula commentary and caring attitudes to create a damn fun read. By reading this book, you will want to help your local species out. You will want to support conservation of any nearby animal, especially the panther.
Customer image
chris
5.0 out of 5 stars A Damn Fun Read, Panthers Tell the Story of Florida’s History and Try to Survive
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2020
This book slams you in the passenger seat of a swamp buggy with author Craig Pittman as your guide. This book is not just about panthers and their survival. Pittman drives you down the roads of Florida’s history of misadventures with land development, the highly-competitive nature of biologists and researchers, and most of all — protecting the panthers’ future. He introduces you to ragtag teams that want nothing but the best for the panther species, but also finds those that look for self-fortune and fame. Pittman’s years of environmental journalism at Tampa Bay Times show up in full-form. Every chapter’s beginning reads like the best lede that one could write for his cleverly-named chapters. He found the stories. He found the characters. He found the research. He mixed that concoction up with some weird peninsula commentary and caring attitudes to create a damn fun read. By reading this book, you will want to help your local species out. You will want to support conservation of any nearby animal, especially the panther.
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ozkar
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating story
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2020
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This is a well-researched and very readable review of attempts to save a vanishing breed of big cat in the hinterlands of Florida. The author presents an eclectic cast of characters ranging from scientists, farmers and hunters to consultants, conmen and politicians. There was no consensus on how many panthers were out there or where they were roaming so the story takes us deep into the swamps, literally - tramping through places like Big Cypress and the Everglades looking for the big cats, and also figuratively - caught up in bureaucratic and political infighting and backroom deals. While all of this is going on, panthers are disappearing and their habitat is giving way to new golf courses, housing developments, shopping malls and highways. This is a cautionary tale about human impacts on the natural world around us and the complications involved in trying to manage the environment. Highly recommended.
4 people found this helpful
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Tim
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2022
Verified Purchase
Outstanding story of the history of human – panther relationship in Florida. Well researched book that flows nicely. Covers a variety of aspects over the years from hunters, scientists, fake scientists, politicians, conservationists, lobbyists, developers, ranchers, zookeepers, data manipulators, etc. Fascinating book, it really raised my awareness of panthers & the need for wilderness (although I’m sure panthers would prefer some weren’t always so aware of them so they could thrive in the background without our disruption). Thanks for writing it Craig! Your book inspired me to buy another, “The Cougar Conundrum”.
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Top reviews from other countries

J. Jonasson
5.0 out of 5 stars This was one incredible book!
Reviewed in Canada on February 16, 2020
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My family has always owned property in south Florida so I've been fascinated by the Florida Panther for a long time. However in order to enjoy this book by Craig Pittman you don't have to even care about Florida Panthers! That's because Craig Pittman is such an incredible writer that you'll read this book just to enjoy Craig Pittman's casual and fun style of writing! I couldn't stop reading this book and this book got me through a difficult week! Yes, I learned a tremendous amount about Florida Panthers however I recommend this book to everyone whether they care about the Florida Panther or not! Craig Pittman writes about real people in this book in such a way that by the end of this book you'll believe that you've actually met all of the individuals involved in person! Get this book because you really will enjoy reading it!
One person found this helpful
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