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The Beast in the Garden: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature Hardcover – November 17, 2003

by David Baron (Author)

124 customer reviews

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The true tale of an edenic Rocky Mountain town and what transpired when a predatory species returned to its ancestral home.

When, in the late 1980s, residents of Boulder, Colorado, suddenly began to see mountain lions in their yards, it became clear that the cats had repopulated the land after decades of persecution. Here, in a riveting environmental fable that recalls Peter Benchley's thriller Jaws, journalist David Baron traces the history of the mountain lion and chronicles Boulder's effort to coexist with its new neighbors. A parable for our times, The Beast in the Garden is a scientific detective story and a real-life drama, a tragic tale of the struggle between two highly evolved predators: man and beast. 4 photos, 5 maps

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1991, in Idaho Springs, Colo., a small town not far from Boulder, a young jogger was killed and partially eaten by a mountain lion. Although people were horrified, biologist Michael Sanders and naturalist Jim Halfpenny were not surprised. Since 1988 they had been studying the mountain lions that were invading backyards in the Boulder area in increasing numbers and had concluded that, contrary to the accepted wisdom that these lions don't attack people, the big cats were indeed stalking humans in search of a good meal. In an engrossing book that reads like a true crime thriller, Baron, a science and environmental writer, follows the advance of mountain lions around Boulder as if they were serial killers, building tension as he leads up to the killing. There were plenty of warnings. Numerous homeowners saw lions in their yards, dogs were maimed or eaten and a girl was attacked but survived. Sanders and Halfpenny tried to convince the wildlife-loving Boulderites that a tragedy was about to occur, but people believed they could coexist peacefully with the lions, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife was also determined to leave the animals alone. Even after Scott Lancaster, the Idaho Springs jogger, was killed, area residents refused to endorse killing the big cats that moved into their neighborhoods. Baron is not in favor of killing unwanted lions, but in this timely book he warns that as people continue to displace wild animals from their habitats, they have to change the way they interact with them and be more realistic about romantic notions of wilderness. Illus. not seen by PW.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

An award-winning science journalist for National Public Radio, Baron examines the complex relationship between humans and cougars, both in the past, when the predators were nearly hunted into extinction, and in the present, as more homes are built in wilderness areas and more people find themselves face-to-face with predators who not only have no fear of humans but also have discovered in human habitats new sources of food. Baron uses the environmentally sensitive city of Boulder, Colorado, as a microcosm of the cougar-human conflict, which came to a head during the 1980s when mountain lions were killing house pets and threatening children and adults. Although Baron can't resist playing up the sensational aspects of cougar attacks, he does perceptively dissect both sides of the impassioned debate these terrifying confrontations engender, revealing how naive and unrealistic the live-and-let-live approach can be, and how easy it is to take the kill-the-miserable-beasts response to unreasonable extremes. For more on man-eaters, see David Quammen's Monster of God [BKL Jl 03] and Phillip Caputo's Ghosts of Tsavo (2002). Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product details

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (November 17, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393058077
ISBN-13: 978-0393058079
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 124 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #729,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #339 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Animal Rights
- #669 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Mammals
- #1034 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Wildlife

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Fantastic awesome incredible book.

August 3, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I just bought a brand new cabin 45 min SW of Denver in a remote subdivision of homes (on 5 ac. lots) abutting virgin forest and newly acquired state land. I put up a game cam, almost immediately I had bears, raccoons, gray foxes swarming near the camera. But 1 week ago I got video of a long, non-bushy tail with a black tip. The neighbors have warned me about "the cats". Someone recommended this book to me. HOLY COW! My little subdivision is a carbon copy of 1980's Boulder! Deer stroll the roads from house to house eating corn off the raised porches. New houses slowly encroach on virgin wild land filled with boulders and cliffs, ponderosa pines. Lots of athletic people, lots of dogs with flimsy little fences.
Now for the book. I have not finished it yet, but it is honestly one of the best books I've ever read! In the first 3 pages of the book, you see exactly where the story is headed. The character development is amazing. The coverage of all the complex angles of the story is awesome. The author even makes ho-hum Santa Ana winds feel like a key character. Bravo Mr. Baron for a story told exquisitely! But....now I'm having a hard time sleeping at night! Anyone who even likes an occasional vacation in Colorado should read the book.
Ok...just finished the book. In the epilogue an attack is described near Carpenter Peak in Roxborough Park. I solo hike this peak a couple times a year (midweek, when no one is around!). About a year ago I discovered light-colored scat in the middle of the high trail, looked it up online, and id'd it as lion scat. I didn't really take it seriously, but I sure will now. Great book. 11/2015 update: here's video of my lion visitor. 12/15, 3 weeks later here's another lion video

10 people found this helpful

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Tremendous true story. Well told. A serious warning for thoughtless intervention into the natural world.

February 7, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Fascinating recital of human encroachment into a natural environment. Being careful what you choose to accomplish and accepting the consequences of your choices also relates to the group decision of society to expand into the wildland interface. Expanding the reach of suburbia has consequences. Fire is one threat. Stopping fire is great only as long as you also manage the resulting overgrowth. Moving into the extended rural habitat and then attempting to favor one type of animal, deer, has a consequence. Ignoring the animal which considers deer and deer-sized animals as proper food has an intrinsic hazard. Protecting and encouraging deer into the neighborhood has a hazard factor. Ergo more deer, more deer feeders. Be careful what you ask for because you may receive more than you anticipated. This is a good read. It is chilling. I have watched cougar and bobcat walk through our yard. I enjoy watching the Snowshoe Rabbits and their tracks. I hope our outdoor cats continue to focus solely on the rabbits. I will pay additional attention to my surroundings as my wife and I are enjoy our rural home.

3 people found this helpful

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Real Life is Better Than Fiction

May 24, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Truly great read. Deals with conservation vs preservation and how Boulder Co failed to recognize the fact that there is no more real wilderness. This changes the behavior of all animals but especially apex predators. Wildlife management must deal with this fact to protect citizens, especially the Disney crowd. When predators lose their fear of and become habituated to humans, the woods and eventually anywhere is no longer safe from them. This is non-fiction, but the author is to be commended for making it read like a thriller fiction novel. The plot and build-up to the climax is reminiscent of "Jaws" as far as the plot and suspense goes. How the author weaves so many important wildlife issues into an action plot is amazing. Everyone should read it for an education, not just those with a special interest in wildlife preservation and conservation management.

One person found this helpful

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A cautionary tale for all of us

February 16, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

An incredibly well told story by an author who obviously went to great lengths to get it right. As tragic of a story as it is, the primary take away for me is to ask, "where do we go from here?" Yes, humans have created problems with encroachment and other things but the issues that we are creating are deeper and more complex than I am afraid many of us are willing to deal with. Open your minds and read this book.

One person found this helpful

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This is a wonderful book, a lesson in human ignorance and arrogance

February 23, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is a wonderful book, a lesson in human ignorance and arrogance. The world is not as big as we think, especially when you are an animal whose world is made or destroyed by the whims of others. There has to be some way to try and balance life for both humans and animals, but the answer will not be easy. More national parks and animal preserves need to be created to protect what little wilderness there is left in this world. The information in this book is very eye opening, sad and scary, speaking as someone with mountain lions living in backyards less than a mile away from my house. Several years ago there was one hunting around the building where I work, which isn't remote by any means, with the cat seen clearly in one of my coworker's horse pastures. I don't have a good solution to the troubles that are being created by humans intruding on wildlife habitat, but we can learn ways to try and improve the survival and happiness of both humans and animals; we just have to be willing to try. This is a good book; it makes you think.

One person found this helpful

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