Lions in the Balance
Man-Eaters, Manes, and Men with Guns
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.
Contents:
Undertow
1. Fools Rush In
2. Savannas Forever
3. Luke Sidewalker
4. Limbo
5. Milk Stains on White Trousers
6. Fences
7. Fade Out
8. Zombies
9. Uptow
10. Object Permanence
About the Author
Craig Packer is professor of ecology, evolution, and behavior and director of the Lion Research Center at the University of Minnesota. He is the author of "Into Africa", also published by the University of Chicago Press. He lives in Minneapolis, MN.
Reviews
"As he exposes corruption in Tanzania's hunting industry and tries to get his plan adopted, diary entries show Packer and his colleagues taking on locals, hunters and megalomaniac politicians in a struggle to balance human needs, a lucrative hunting trade and true Serengeti science. His brave accounts of blackmail and death threats are alarming... The book makes compelling reading as we journey through pioneering science, dodging the influential government fat cats on the way. Packer is completely candid about the 'ethics' of those instrumental in the future of the King of the Beasts. Let's hope someone will listen" – Iris Barbier, New Scientist
"A fast-paced, detailed inside look at the politics of lion conservation, the often corrupt big-game hunting fraternity, and Tanzanian government" – Library Journal
"Packer returns more than a decade after his memoir, 'Into Africa', with a fast-paced, unsentimental sequel about the kings of the savannah and the politics of protecting them" – Discover
"The King of Beasts is in trouble throughout Africa as this hard-headed, clear-eyed book makes unmistakable. Explosive human population growth in the lion's habitat, conversion of wild lands into fields, corrupt government officials, unscrupulous overharvest by trophy hunters, illegal killing with gun, poison, and spear, lion bones smuggled to Asia – the litany of woe goes on and on. Craig Packer and his coworkers studied lions in the Serengeti region and other parts of Tanzania, adding immeasurably to our knowledge of this magnificent cat. But they also took on the moral task of protecting lions and helping them endure. This stirring book, written with candor and wry humor, should be read by everyone interested in wildlife, as well as concerned about the impact of politics on conservation and the future of our natural treasures" – George B. Schaller, Panthera and Wildlife Conservation Society, author of "The Serengeti Lion: A Study of Predator-Prey Relations"
"There is only one Craig Packer; he ploughs his own furrow. Packer's work on lions and the Serengeti ecosystem... and his confrontations with officialdom will be familiar to most who have worked with (or read of) wildlife and conservation in Africa, but the Savannas Forever program was uniquely ambitious. Packer tells its story with unusual candor, laying out the facts, pulling no punches, revealing the corruption he observed in his dealings with the hunting fraternity in Tanzania – both among the operators themselves, and at all levels of government. Specific incidences are cited; the names of those involved are given... The writing is highly commendable (even enviable!), the science and personal experience episodes beautifully done. I know of no other book like 'Lions in the Balance'" – John Reader, author of "Africa: A Biography of the Continent"
