Cat Tale

The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther

De: Craig Pittman

Narrado por: Mike Chamberlain

“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

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.

Greed versus nature.

Very interesting puzzle and invasion of natural habitat for the Florida Puma through the years. The true story from the perspective of the scientists, trackers and veterinarians who obviously cared about their eminent extinction.

Worth a listen even if you don't live in Florida

I enjoyed this for the history and context of the Florida panther's struggle. I was not as thrilled with the first part of the book, which focused on the "weird" part of the title -- I guess I don't have much chill about endangered species and hunting, so I would have like it to be treated more seriously. But when it got into the misdeeds of developers and politicians, it picked up a lot and there's plenty to outrage the listener!

The one thing I might have liked is some natural history of the Florida panther (behavior, life cycle, habitat needs), which there wasn't much of. But for a cat lover and fan of wildlife in general (and foe of evil developers and grifters) this is well worth a listen.

Good story

Kept my attention! Some dull parts, but a lot of fun, too. While it seems hopeless at times, there is hope at the end

the Panthers will to survive despite continual roadblocks

the corruption that blocked any decision that would have helped with the panther habitat preservation was despicable.
I admired those biologists who continued fighting for what they believed in

so very interesting

I really liked this book to learn about things I had suspected as I used to live in SW FL and had friends involved with the Panther Refuge. I think the author tries to end things on a positive note but there is so much development pressure throughout FL. It's disheartening to hear how government agencies are not always doing what you hope. Although now working for one, I see the issues brought to light in this book are throughout. I hope more read this book and get active in supporting protective measures for our beautiful FL. thank you Craig, thank you.

Wildlife, money, politics, corruption, greed, ego and lost opportunities

Well read, well-composed tale of Florida’s saga around their state animal, it’s survival and those who worked for and against that goal. Quirky, informative and detailed, it’s not exactly a page-turner, but it kept my attention and I’m glad I listened.

Depressing

Corruption, greed, cruelty and the worst of man's bad behavior have basically destroyed the Florida Panther. The book doesn't conclude with this, but it is obvious, the Florida Panther is NOT going to recover. The overwhelming amount of development in Florida has taken an enormous toll and the damage can not be undone. It is hardly a success or a comeback for the panther when their numbers are somewhere between 120-150. The only redeeming part of the book were the women, like Melody Roelke, who despite the rampant sexism actually made some discoveries. If they were listened to, this might have saved the panthers.

Quick Read

“Cat Tale” was a very quick read. I didn’t know that I finished the book until there was no more time left. Great information on the wild panthers in Florida. I’m not usually into saving animals, but this book was informational enough to keep my interest and not knowing that I was done.

Unexpected extra good listen

Very positive regard for this book and the listening experience. Easy to work through and a complicated but positive story line with much wacky ad weird Florida tossed in to always keep it entertaining. Interesting hearing about some of Florida's political elite from a different perspective. It is a good thing so many people were willing to talk to the author. A good daily special find

worth the read

Welcome to the world of endangered species, land developers, dedicated biologists, experts fudging data to prove they are right, politicians, incompetent fish and wildlife beaurocrats, and the panther so inbred it won't survive without fresh genes from its cousin Texas cougars, and the dedicated heroes. Well told story, that doesn't loose your interest.