Heart of a Lion

A Lone Cat's Walk Across America

By: William Stolzenburg

Narrated by: Mike DelGaudio

Late one June night in 2011, a large animal collided with an SUV cruising down a Connecticut parkway. The creature appeared as something out of New England's forgotten past. Beside the road lay a 140-pound mountain lion.

Speculations ran wild, the wildest of which figured him a ghostly survivor from a bygone century when lions last roamed the eastern United States. But a more fantastic scenario of facts soon unfolded. The lion was three years old, with a DNA trail embarking from the Black Hills of South Dakota on a cross-country odyssey eventually passing within thirty miles of New York City. It was the farthest landbound trek ever recorded for a wild animal in America, by a barely weaned teenager venturing solo through hostile terrain.

William Stolzenburg retraces his two-year journey - from his embattled birthplace in the Black Hills, across the Great Plains and the Mississippi River, through Midwest metropolises and remote northern forests, to his tragic finale upon Connecticut's Gold Coast. Along the way, the lion traverses lands with people gunning for his kind, as well as those championing his cause.

Heart of a Lion is a story of one heroic creature pitting instinct against towering odds, coming home to a society deeply divided over his return. It is a testament to the resilience of nature, and a test of humanity's willingness to live again beside the ultimate symbol of wildness.

©2016 William Stolzenburg (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Amazing and disheartening....

I'm sure plenty of readers will disregard this as another piece of left wing propaganda. Science has become politically charged and America in general prefers ignorance to informed decision making.

Not unbiased

The author shows his own preference of either coast and their politics as well as an American White Guilt that is pathetic. There is some redeeming points but he strayed from the science.

Riveting not for casual reader or feint of heart

Eye opening, heart breaking, terrifying human culture that so judges living creatures solely from a human Center of the world view . the The lions ecology is as awesome and powerful as the are. Its a page turner and Will created a story that you both wonder and fear what next befalls this species. He eloquently brings the reader to understanding the problem and rooting for the lions. A must read for anyone interested in the environment or conservation biology parts a painful to read, but keep at it as he masterfully weaves this real story. Reading the book reignited my passion to get involved and try do to something. I realized why I started my career in the wildlife biology career

a wonderful listen.. I could not stop.

an exciting story with perfect narration. never a dull moment and an important story to tell

Very informative and interesting

Great book that discusses America’s lion. Those left deserve to be protected rather than killed. Not only because they are beautiful animals, but also because we need them to fulfill their duties in the food chain. Hopefully we can learn to cherish nature and leave something good behind for future generations.

If you’d like to learn more about mountain lions, this is a great place to start. Not too scientific but presents its defense of the cougar well.