When the last lion roars

Title:

Author:

Evans, Sara,

ISBN:

9781472916136

Publication Date:

2018

Physical Description:

304 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 23 cm

Language:

English

Subject Term:

Lion -- Africa -- History.

Lion -- Conservation -- Africa.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Call Number	Status
Searching... Cudahy Library	Book	599.757 EVANS	Searching... Unknown
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The illegal killing of Cecil - a famous and magnificent black-maned Zimbabwean lion - by an American big-game hunter in 2015 sparked international outrage. More significantly, it drew the world's attention to the devastating plight of Africa's lions. A century ago, there were more than 200,000 wild lions living in Africa. Today, with that population reduced by more than 90 per cent, many experts believe that without effective conservation plans, Africa's remaining wild lions could be completely wiped out by the mid-half of this century. When the Last Lion Roars explores the historic rise and fall of the lion as a global species, and examines the reasons behind its catastrophic decline. Interwoven with vivid personal encounters of Africa's last lions, Sara Evans questions what is being done to reverse (or at least stem) this population collapse, and she considers the importance of human responsibility in this decline and, more crucially, in their conservation. From the Lion Guardians in Kenya to the Living Walls of Tanzania, and the Hwange Lion Research Project in Zimbabwe, Sara meets both lions and their champions, people who are fighting to bring this iconic species back from the brink of extinction.

Reviews: (5)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Travel writer and photojournalist Evans crosses continents in a circuitous and overly detailed account of the history of lions. The book informs readers about the lion's millennium-long dispersal across Africa, Asia, and the New World, as well as the varying roles the lion has played in human history. Radiocarbon dates pile up as prehistoric cave drawings and ice age skeletons, found in Siberia's permafrost and California's La Brea Tar Pits, come under Evans's scrutiny. Calling the relationship between humans and lions "bloodstained," she gives examples that range from the self-glorifying hunts of Assyria's King Ashurnasirpal II in the eighth century BCE to the modern poaching industry, along with the threat that lions still pose to humans and livestock throughout Africa. Country by country, Evans documents the cat's decline as well as conservation efforts in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and elsewhere. She also includes a long to-do list on how to save the lion, extracted from the 2016 Cecil Summit (inspired by the death of Cecil the lion). Though the message is clear-"The lions we have left are remnants... the bright flame of a flagship species is burning out"-too many statistics burden the narrative, and what could have been a fascinating book ends up being not much more than a dull tally. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

A travel writer and photojournalist chronicles the history and assesses the current precarious conditions of one of the world's most beloved animals.When the well-known Zimbabwean lion Cecil was killed by an American trophy hunter in 2015, the outrage that followed indicated the emotional ties that we have with the "king of beasts." Evans, who has written for the Boston Globe, Lonely Planet, and other publications, offers an in-depth report on the status of lions around the world, which are now facing extinction. She begins her account with cave lions, a species roaming the Earth during the Ice Age and known today from a few fossils and from paintings in the Chauvet Cave in Ardche, France. The author speculates about their demise and then examines the reasons why the present-day species, Panthera leo, has declined catastrophically from the millions to perhaps 20,000 in sub-Saharan Africa and some 500 in a preserve in Gujarat, India. In two chapters, darkly titled "People Hate Lions, Part I and Part II," Evans shows how humans have been a major factor in their decline. She makes clear the impact of loss of wild habitat through conversion of lion country to farm country, the impact of bushmeat hunting and killing to obtain lion body parts for medicinal use, and the rise in viral infections. Evans combines research and personal experience to investigate the issues involved, showing both points of view in the controversial question of whether trophy hunting is a positive or a negative force. She also looks at the conflicts that arise when human beings and lions live in close proximity to each other. Much of her book, however, is focused on conservation efforts. She demonstrates the successes achieved by conservation projects all over Africa as well as the problems they face.If awareness, goodwill, and motivation are key, this highly readable report is a valuable effort to turn the Cecil moment into a movement. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

The mighty king of beasts seems ubiquitous as lions appear in advertising, stride through countless wildlife documentaries, and laze regally in thousands of zoos. Yet the number of wild lions is falling so rapidly from 100,000 in the 1980s to fewer than 20,000 today that many fear lions may go extinct in the wild. Travel and wildlife writer Evans was galvanized into exploring the disappearance of the world's lions when, in a notorious incident, the well-known male named Cecil was killed by a trophy hunter. As she explains the cultural and ecological significance of the species in an urgent, first-person narrative, she assesses how a once wide-ranging big cat has retreated to its last stands in Africa and India. Beginning with a visit to Chauvet Cave and its wonderful depictions of lions hunting, Evans traces the rise of the lion's empire as it conquered Europe, Africa, much of Asia, and North America, followed by its fall at the hands of Homo sapiens. More positively, Evans also tells the stories of those who work to save and protect the remaining lions.--Nancy Bent Copyright 2018 Booklist

Choice Review

Lions are in dire trouble. Well written and immensely informative, this work documents the worldwide decline and current status of lion populations. More than 200,000 wild lions lived in Africa just a century ago. Now their numbers have dropped to less than 10 percent of that figure. Evans, a travel and wildlife writer for numerous publications, details the history of lions' expansion across much of the globe into North America and Asia at the time of the last Ice Age. Wild lions are now limited to Africa south of the Sahara and to one forest in India. Evans examines their relationships with humans in history, ranging from hunting to protect livestock or for sport, poaching, and human population increase leading to both habitat loss and increasing, direct conflict between humans and lions. She also considers the dichotomy of trophy hunting as a "necessary evil" and its effects on lions and other species, causing numbers to continue to decline but also generating support for conservation. Finally, she highlights local programs in Africa as well as international efforts working to protect lions. Several pages of further reading and a thorough index complete the volume. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Chad E. Buckley, Illinois State University

Library Journal Review

Award-winning writer and photojournalist Evans has performed a work of scholarship documenting the adversities lions face-hunting, disease, loss of habitat, and shallow gene pools, among others. The result is a work of outstanding, exhaustive research that is eminently readable. In summarizing the drastic decline of lions, especially in the 20th century, Evans blames historically the thousands of lions sacrificed in Roman arenas, massive hunts by rulers dating back to the pharaohs and the Sumerians, and the popularity of safaris by wealthy Europeans and Americans. She unsparingly discusses the dangers people face living in lion-populated regions, where the killing (and eating) of humans is not uncommon. Notably, she explores the reasons why people like or dislike lions and relays the extirpation of lions in North Africa, formerly occurring from Greece, Turkey, Israel, the Middle East, and India. Evans concludes by forecasting the animal's future and describing their prehistoric ancestors in the Old and New World. VERDICT Compelling, highly recommended reading for all interested in natural history, hunting, human history, Africa, and India.-Henry T. Armistead, formerly with Free Lib. of Philadelphia © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Preface	p. 9
Chapter 1 The Rise of the Lion Empire	p. 15
Chapter 2 The Fall of the Lion Empire	p. 47
Chapter 3 People Hate Lions - Part I	p. 89
Chapter 4 People Hate Lions - Part II	p. 125
Chapter 5 People Love Lions - Part I	p. 167
Chapter 6 People Love Lions - Part II	p. 213
Chapter 7 Beyond Cecil	p. 253
Chapter 8 Beyond Gold	p. 277
Acknowledgements	p. 287
Further Reading	p. 289
Index	p. 297

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