Those of us that value the out of doors and respect the role and sanctity of wildlife within our wilderness ecosystems may take exception with this book based upon the title. Shouldn't it be "The Garden we Built Around the Beast"? However in a well written page-turner that recalls Peter Benchley's thriller "Jaws", only in nonfiction, the author tells the story of how the Garden came to be, how the wilderness areas along the edges of urban development along the Colorado Front Range were set aside as nature preserves, in which the Beasts could live undisturbed. How the Beast's natural predators were driven away. And how the Beasts showed their predator instinct by preying on cats, dogs and sheep, and then changed their behavior, from hunting at night to brazenly attacking domestic animals and eventually humans in broad daylight.
It also tells the story of the history of the Colorado Front Range, and the politics of Boulder and their love affair with nature, that ultimately led to the deadly conflict between man and beast. Baron paints chilling pictures of Mountain Lions stalking their prey, both human and animal, that left me with goosebumps. But he is also critical of our management of the human-wildlife interface, and how our embracing of nature ultimately altered the ecological balance, leading to Mountain Lion attacks and killings.
Baron's writing style is engaging, weaving a plot that rivals the best fictional thrillers. At the same time, knowing the events actually happened gave me the creeps. Other than insisting that my pre-teen son always stay between two adults when hiking (motivated largely by Jaryd Atadero's disappearance from the Big South Trail in 1999), I've never given much thought to Mountain Lions. This book forced me to rethink this approach. But having given it time to process, I've reminded myself that the odds of even seeing a Mountain Lion are small (I've never seen one in the wild in 30+ years of hiking, snowshoeing and backpacking), and being attacked by one infinitesimal.
Other than striving to be more aware of my surroundings (which is something I've been working on since joining the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers), I don't think the book will change the way I conduct myself when outdoors. But as outdoors-people, we should remember that they are out there, and at some level (albeit small) they do present a danger to those of us that share their home.
A highly recommended read!
For more information:
The Beast In The Garden web site;
The Beast In The Garden on Amazon.
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