Super Short Summary

The Beast in the Garden: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature by David Baron explores why mountain lions are venturing into suburban communities, particularly in Boulder, Colorado. Baron connects increasing encounters with the displacement of natural habitats and proposes that mountain lions are learning to hunt humans due to the absence of their primary predator, the wolf. The narrative begins with the 1991 death of a jogger in Denver, examining how conservation efforts and eradication of wolves led to an increase in the mountain lion population, thereby escalating human-wildlife conflicts.