Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
Audiobook9 hours
Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther
Written by Craig Pittman
Narrated by Mike Chamberlain
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
“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.
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.
Author
Craig Pittman
CRAIG PITTMAN is an award-winning journalist and the author of several books. He is a native Floridian and in 2013 wrote a popular blog for Slate called "Oh, Florida! " which became the genesis for his book of the same title, and which led to his appearance on TV and radio discussing why Florida is so odd and entertaining. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and two children.
More audiobooks from Craig Pittman
The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife Oh, Florida!: How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Cat Tale
Related audiobooks
Deep into Yellowstone: A Year's Immersion in Grandeur and Controversy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tenacious Beasts: Wildlife Recoveries That Change How We Think about Animals Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cat's Walk Across America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Underbug: An Obsessive Tale of Termites and Technology Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beaks, Bones, and Bird Songs: How the Struggle for Survival Has Shaped Birds and Their Behavior Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wolf Nation: The Life, Death, and Return of Wild American Wolves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Feral: Rewilding the Land, the Sea, and Human Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart: America's Turbulent Relationship with Nature, from Exploitation to Redemption Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Thing with Feathers: The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Why Peacocks?: An Unlikely Search for Meaning in the World's Most Magnificent Bird Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Only Kayak: A Journey Into The Heart Of Alaska Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Hummingbirds' Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alone in Wonderland Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5
Nature For You
The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mind of Plants: Narratives of Vegetal Intelligence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Escaping from Eden: Does Genesis teach that the human race was created by God or engineered by ETs? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Genius of Birds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Every Living Thing: The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honey Bee in the Wild Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Underland: A Deep Time Journey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fox & I: An Uncommon Friendship Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When You Find My Body: The Disappearance of Geraldine Largay on the Appalachian Trail Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Roxane Gay & Everand Originals: My Year of Psychedelics: Lessons on Better Living Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beyond Coffee: A Sustainable Guide to Nootropics, Adaptogens, and Mushrooms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Venom Doc: The Edgiest, Darkest, Strangest Natural History Memoir Ever Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related podcast episodes
Jay Griffiths on the ecology of connection 0% found this document usefulWhere the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River 100% found this document usefulDan Flores | Coyote America 0% found this document useful180: On the Trail of the Lost with Andrea Lankford 0% found this document usefulJane L. Rosen, A SHOE STORY 0% found this document useful76 - Stegouros (The Amazing Tail Weapon) 0% found this document usefulEp 341: Growing up bookish: your favorite reading memories 0% found this document usefulDeepest Brown Noise Sound Machine (12 Hours): The deepest Brown Noise you'll find! 0% found this document usefulMr. Fabulous: A conversation with the metrosexual Black thru-hiker who fell in love with the A.T. 0% found this document usefulThe Generosity of Meadows: Lawns Into Meadows with Owen Wormser 0% found this document usefulDevorah Baum & Hisham Matar: ‘On Marriage’ 0% found this document usefulAlex Michaelides, THE FURY 0% found this document usefulUnpacking The Immigration Crisis 100% found this document usefulEp. 153 : The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy 0% found this document useful
Related articles
'Unsettled Ground' Lets Its Oddballs Stay Defiantly Odd NPRArticle
'Unsettled Ground' Lets Its Oddballs Stay Defiantly Odd
May 20, 2021
3 min read'A Most Remarkable Creature' Introduces The Little-Known, Charismatic Caracara NPRArticle
'A Most Remarkable Creature' Introduces The Little-Known, Charismatic Caracara
Mar 31, 2021
3 min readHow Do You Bond With Mozart? Adopt A Starling NPRArticle
How Do You Bond With Mozart? Adopt A Starling
Apr 20, 2017
7 min readThe Fire Starters Audubon MagazineArticle
The Fire Starters
Oct 2, 2023
14 min readInspired By Life On The Road ROVAArticle
Inspired By Life On The Road
Apr 16, 2019
4 min readSamin Nosrat Is Making Space At The Table NPRArticle
Samin Nosrat Is Making Space At The Table
May 30, 2019
5 min readCan Humans Coexist With Big Cats? The AtlanticArticle
Can Humans Coexist With Big Cats?
Mar 7, 2017
16 min readThe Cat with Many Names Travel & Leisure India & South AsiaArticle
The Cat with Many Names
Mar 9, 2020
2 min readFlorida Brought Back Its Panthers. Can People Live With Them? The Christian Science MonitorArticle
Florida Brought Back Its Panthers. Can People Live With Them?
Jul 22, 2021
11 min readEl Tigre Man MagnumArticle
El Tigre
Jun 17, 2019
5 min readElusive Animals Of The Grand Canyon You South AfricaArticle
Elusive Animals Of The Grand Canyon
Aug 1, 2023
2 min readPan-American Migrants Adirondack ExplorerArticle
Pan-American Migrants
Aug 30, 2019
3 min readThe Rise & Fall of the Terror Birds Muse: The magazine of science, culture, and smart laughs for kids and childrenArticle
The Rise & Fall of the Terror Birds
Mar 1, 2020
5 min readPanther, Puma, Cougar: All Names For The Same Cat The Christian Science MonitorArticle
Panther, Puma, Cougar: All Names For The Same Cat
Feb 7, 2023
2 min readBooks The Big IssueArticle
Books
May 8, 2023
6 min readPurr-fect Predators How It WorksArticle
Purr-fect Predators
Nov 26, 2020
2 min readI Want To Believe? Camper Trailer AustraliaArticle
I Want To Believe?
Aug 5, 2021
3 min readSouth By Southwest GetawayArticle
South By Southwest
Nov 4, 2022
7 min readGone But Not Forgotten Ask Science and Arts Magazine for Kids and ChildrenArticle
Gone But Not Forgotten
Jan 1, 2020
2 min readEL Tigre The Great Spotted Cat Of Brazil’s Mato Grosso The FieldArticle
EL Tigre The Great Spotted Cat Of Brazil’s Mato Grosso
Jan 16, 2020
6 min readCan Fly, Would Rather Sprint! Cage & Aviary BirdsArticle
Can Fly, Would Rather Sprint!
Aug 3, 2022
5 min readRally Cat Garden & GunArticle
Rally Cat
Nov 14, 2019
3 min readSurrounded On Pipeline Road BirdWatchingArticle
Surrounded On Pipeline Road
Apr 16, 2022
6 min readGhost Tigers: Climate Change and the Escalation of Extinction Guernica MagazineArticle
Ghost Tigers: Climate Change and the Escalation of Extinction
Mar 21, 2018
15 min readTo Catch A Runner New Mexico MagazineArticle
To Catch A Runner
Jul 25, 2023
8 min readPhilatelic Felines Stamp CollectorArticle
Philatelic Felines
Sep 10, 2021
7 min readGuardians Of The Grassland Outdoor PhotographerArticle
Guardians Of The Grassland
May 9, 2020
4 min readBiggest Spiders BBC Wildlife MagazineArticle
Biggest Spiders
Apr 4, 2024
2 min readThe Aftermath Of A Mass Slaughter At The Zoo The AtlanticArticle
The Aftermath Of A Mass Slaughter At The Zoo
Mar 2, 2023
11 min readBuilding A Fortean Library Fortean TimesArticle
Building A Fortean Library
Aug 13, 2020
We were mildly amused a month or two back to read that armed police had been called to deal with a savannah cat. (Attentive readers will have seen the account: FT395:9.) The savannah is an odd, but not that uncommon, hybrid of the African serval and
7 min read
Related categories
Reviews for Cat Tale
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
2 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An eye-opening look at the ups and downs of preserving a species in an area with a growing human population. Rivetingly written. I couldn't stop listening.