Lions In The Balance: Man-Eaters, Manes, And Men With Guns Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
If you are a morani (warrior), you have your spear at the ready—you could be the hero, but you will have to wait until the morning light before you can go out and prove yourself. If it is a lion, you want to be the first to spear it—and if the lion turns on you, make sure it mauls you on your chest or stomach, on your face, shins, or throat. Any place where you can show your scars with pride, show the incontrovertible evidence of courage. A scar on your back would be a permanent reminder of cowardice, an ineradicable trace of shame. Monsters take many forms: from man-eating lions to the people who hunt them, from armed robbers to that midnight knock at the door of a cheap hotel room in Dar es Salaam. And celebrated biologist Craig Packer has faced them all. Head on. With Lions in the Balance, Packer takes us back into the complex, tooth-and-claw world of the African lion, offering revealing insights into both the lives of one of the most iconic and dangerous animals on earth and the very real risks of protecting them. A sequel to his prize-winning Into Africa—which gave many readers their first experience of fieldwork in Africa, of cooperative lions on dusty savannas, and political kidnappings on the shores of Lake Tanganyika—this new diary-based chronicle of cutting-edge research and heartbreaking corruption will both alarm and entertain. Packer’s story offers a look into the future of the lion, one in which the politics of conservation will require survival strategies far more creative and powerful than those practiced anywhere in the world today. Packer is sure to infuriate millionaires, politicians, aid agencies, and conservationists alike as he minces no words about the problems he encounters. But with a narrative stretching from far flung parts of Africa to the corridors of power in Washington, DC, and marked by Packer’s signature humor and incredible candor, Lions in the Balance is a tale of courage against impossible odds, a masterly blend of science, adventure, and storytelling, and an urgent call to action that will captivate a new generation of readers.
Hardcover: 440 pages
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (September 15, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 022609295X
ISBN-13: 978-0226092959
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #425,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #33 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Cats, Lions & Tigers #104 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Endangered Species #166 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Mammals
A heart-wrenching account of the steady decline of wild lions in most parts of Africa. I found this book very informational, educational, and shocking as I read of the ongoing slaughter of lions throughout the continent, whether it be by poachers, trophy hunters, "warriors" proving their manhood, or farmers in retaliation for killed livestock. Whether the reason for the killing is a result of greed, ego, corruption, self-preservation, or out of ignorance and fear, the prognosis is the same and quite grim - wild lions, sooner than you think, may no longer walk the earth. The human race needs to wake up and take action before it's too late. How sad that we are already at the point of seeing what may very well be the last lions. If the killing doesn't finish them off, then the loss of habitat they are experiencing surely will. Man has had the starring role in this tragedy...
A gripping blow-by-blow record of Professor Packer's efforts to protect the lions in Africa, this book shows the barriers of greed and corruption that face conservation efforts in Tanzania and other African countries. Packer has devoted three decades of his life and career to preserve the lion-sometimes at a risk to his very life.
In Lions in the Balance, author and scientist Craig Packer chronicles his attempts to protect Tanzanian lions, reform the Tanzanian trophy hunting industry, and combat corruption in Tanzanian politics.This book is very challenging. It's not a "difficult read," so to speak (Packer is a great writer), but it's depressing. Packer's attempts at protecting lions from extinction are all very practical. He understands that the idealistic conservationist attitude does not reflect reality. Packer advocates something that many lion-lovers may find deplorable: trophy hunting. Trophy hunting provides Tanzania with a sustainable income and protects villagers from lion attacks--and as long as all slain lions are over the age of six, the breeding population should remain stable.But Packer encounters incompetence and corruption within the Tanzanian government, greed among the trophy hunters, and extreme conservatism and laziness among the Tanzanian villagers.There is no hope, no happy ending to this book. One of the world's most iconic species may very well be extinct within our lifetimes.
One man's crusade against everything... including governments people and embitterment. Nobody has a probably known lions more closely than Craig packer. He deserves to be heard, and the format part travelogue part diary part musings works to make it a lively and enthralling read.
The beauty of this book is Dr. Packer's brutal honesty with himself and the situation he faces. He recounts his successes but just as vividly points out his failures. The book is part auto-biography, part science, part anecdote and is as unpretentious as they come. We get to know Dr. Packer and the dirty truths behind the trophy hunting industry, governments, and even conservation organizations.
Great read
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