Dave Quammen writes about beasts and man's adaptation to coexisting with these nature wonders and killers

Ned Baily
   Wonderful nature writer and legend David Quammen searches for the dangerous jungles and back woods where man and beast coexist in a book called "Monsters Of God" and one comes away happy that Mr Quammen comes away in one piece. In this book Dave visits India's Gir forest and describes the plight of the dwindling Asiatic ion as he explains how once wide-spread this beast was throughout thee earth and the folklore the Lion has played out in human history. Mr Quammen then spends time studying the Australian Aborigine savage in the outback and the role of the crocodile in mythical beliefs as the Aborigines are convinced this reptilian is their ancestors and perhaps their mind and body waves have resonated to the west modern age with the similar belief   of reptilian  controlling all the top states form a base in mars. Mr Quammen world tour then hits the Russian far east and how the tiger has been able to adapt to the eastern spread of humanity into the wonderful plains of Siberia as its own of the last outposts of this incredible and deadly beast--perhaps the top predator of the land.  The fourth part of his journey take shim to Romania where brown bear and shepherd interactions are studied and Quammen almost loses a hand. perhaps the most interesting aspect of this book his Quammens take o the muskrat conundrum. Muskrats are a species that hates overcrowding and the elite muskrats with the best and safest locations and homes often push the other muskrats out into dangerous territory much like the early pioneer had to move out into dangerous Indian country. The muskrat is poor in resources and is open up to being preyed upon by minks is territory that is less valuable and far from preferable muskrat habitats for safety from their main predator. The Minks prey on these muskrats who are already disadvantaged in life much like the Indian preyed upon the isolated settler home before massacring the women and children after killing the father. ell-situated muskrats have short routes and a large supply of nearby food making them less receptive to becoming a meal for a slick mink. This book though looks more at human-predator confrontation and means of coexistence in areas where settlement and wildlife meet.