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 The captivating tale of the Florida panther, its survival and rescue from extinction 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.

Explains why Florida panthers became an endangered species, and describes the efforts of scientists to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

Felina the Florida panther loved growing up in her forest home--until the forest started to shrink. Learn whether Felina and the other forest animals adapt to the new human presence and what children can do to keep wild animals safe, happy, and healthy. Includes "For Creative Minds" section

Summarizes what little is known about the rare, endangered Florida panther and the ways that wildlife biologists study it in its natural environment.

The Florida panther once roamed the entire southeastern United States. But hunting and loss of habitat eventually reduced the species to 20 animals—and put it on the edge of extinction. The latest book in the Animals in Danger series, Florida Panthers combines scientific information with the dramatic story of the big cat’s comeback. Illustrations and extra features like maps and a glossary fill out a portrait of a species at the top of its ecosystem. The text details how scientists, photographers, and others have worked to guarantee the Florida panther’s survival in the present and future.

"Whether the panther survives or perishes, Fergus has written a book that does it full justice. His narrative is lively and full of anecdotes, some of them eye-openers."--Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post "As good as, or better than, any book I've read in years about the awful and willful ignorance of homo sapiens about the living world."--Farley Mowat, author of Never Cry Wolf "Charles Fergus [is] a diligent reporter and straightforward writer. . . . You will enjoy [his] descriptions of forays into panther territory."--Kathleen Krog, Miami Herald The Florida panther is an endangered species, its way of life altered by the spread of suburban culture across the state. In Swamp Screamer, Charles Fergus tracks the fifty or so panthers that survive in Florida, vividly describing the people trying to save these remarkable creatures--including wildlife biologists trying to preserve panther habitat and radical animal lovers who regard the panther as a symbol of their crusade on behalf of nature. Swamp Screamer is a surprising and often comic look at the wildlife movement today; it is also an evocative history of the vanishing wilds of Florida and a deeply affecting portrait of the panthers themselves. Charles Fergus has written six books, including the novel Shadow Catcher; a collection of essays, The Wingless Crow; and a memoir, A Rough-Shooting Dog. He lives in a stone house that he built himself on a mountainside in central Pennsylvania.