An indomitable beast: The Remarkable Journey of the Jaguar

An indomitable beast: The Remarkable Journey of the Jaguar

by Alan Rabinowitz (Author)

Synopsis

The jaguar is one of the most mysterious and least-known big cats of the world. The largest cat in the Americas, it has survived an onslaught of environmental and human threats partly because of an evolutionary history unique among wild felines, but also because of a power and indomitable spirit so strong, the jaguar has shaped indigenous cultures and the beliefs of early civilizations on two continents. In An Indomitable Beast: The Remarkable Journey of the Jaguar, big-cat expert Alan Rabinowitz shares his own personal journey to conserve a species that, despite its past resilience, is now on a slide toward extinction if something is not done to preserve the pathways it prowls through an ever-changing, ever-shifting landscape dominated by humans. Rabinowitz reveals how he learned from newly available genetic data that the jaguar was a single species connected genetically throughout its entire range from Mexico to Argentina, making it unique among all other large carnivores in the world. In a mix of personal discovery and scientific inquiry, he sweeps his readers deep into the realm of the jaguar, offering fascinating accounts from the field. Enhanced with maps, tables, and colour plates, An Indomitable Beast brings important new research to life for scientists, anthropologists, and animal lovers alike. This book is not only about jaguars, but also about tenacity and survival. From the jaguar we can learn better strategies for saving other species and also how to save ourselves when faced with immediate and long-term catastrophic changes to our environment.

$34.93

Quantity

10 in stock

More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 304
Edition: 2nd
Publisher: Island Press
Published: 12 Dec 2014

ISBN 10: 1597269964
ISBN 13: 9781597269964

Media Reviews
In An Indomitable Beast, Mr. Rabinowitz, the author of several books on his conservation work and travels, revisits the first big cats of his career. Questions of jaguarness --how jaguars think and the unique anatomical and behavioral features that affect their prospects for long-term survival--still intrigue him after three decades, and this book is a welcome retrospective of what he and others have learned about jaguars so far, and what's being done for them now. --Wall Street Journal
.. .An Indomitable Beast is an extraordinary examination of these dangerous yet magnificent creatures. A bibliography, an index, and a handful of color plates enhance this absolute must-read for fans of big cats in general, and jaguars in particular. Highly recommended! --Midwest Book Review
A riveting tale of environmental success...An Indomitable Beast begins with an exhaustively researched natural history of the jaguar from palaeo to present. And in telling the cat's story, Rabinowitz takes the reader on a personal quest, from ancient Mayan ruins to London Zoo, as he seeks to uncover the unique 'jaguarness' of the animal he seeks to protect. --New Scientist
A powerful blend of science and personal disclosure, An Indomitable Beast is an excellent introduction to this species...This is a must read for anyone even the slightest bit interested in big cats. --Jaguar and Its Allies
Author Bio
Alan Rabinowitz, one of the world's leading experts on big cats, is cofounder and CEO of Panthera, a nonprofit organization devoted to saving wild cat species. Previously, Rabinowitz served for almost thirty years as executive director of the Science and Exploration Division for the Wildlife Conservation Society. The author of six previous books, Rabinowitz has been profiled in numerous publications, including the New York Times, National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Outside Magazine, Scientific American, Men's Fitness, GEO, Natural History, and Audubon. He has been featured in television specials by the National Geographic Society and the BBC, and, most recently, in an IMAX film about tigers in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh and India.