SEEN a moose in suburbia? In Massachusetts, just call 鈥� the large animal response team. Urban ecologist 鈥榮 day job routinely involves man-handling moose 鈥� and deer, beavers and bears 鈥� that have ventured into territory now claimed by humans. His fear is that as the human population continues to rise, land once available for wildlife is being commandeered for housing, roads and shopping malls. As our settlements sprawl, wild animals become 鈥減ests鈥�.
In Coyote at the Kitchen Door, DeStefano challenges that arrogant mindset. He vividly describes the wonder of his encounters with wild animals in wild places, and grippingly conveys why even suburban coyotes deserve respect. 鈥淲e try to convince ourselves that we can go it alone,鈥� he writes, 鈥測et our continued existence is predicated on sharing the land.鈥�
Harvard University Press