Coexisting with Large Carnivores: Lessons from Greater Yellowstone. T. W. Clark, M. B. Rutherford, and D. Casey, eds. 2005. Island Press, Washington, DC. 290 pp. $60.00 hardcover, $30.00 paperback.

Large mammalian predators form a basis for much conservation research for several reasons. As a group, they are land dependent and thus more extinction prone than most other organisms, can frequently serve as both flagship and umbrella species, and they are scary. The last has inspired mythologies from cultures worldwide. For any conservation issue and any species of concern, it is well accepted that science alone, while essential, will not solve the core of the problem. The crux of decline and endangerment lies in species' interactions with humans and thus, solutions will necessarily involve input from the social and policy sciences. Tim Clark has built his professional career on the last point, and it is an important one. Yellowstone National Park itself is a symbol, as are the three large predators that inhabit its vastness: grizzlies (Ursus arctos), wolves (Canis lupus), and cougars (Felis concolor). For some, these species are symbols of a healthy wilderness and an irreplaceable natural heritage; for others, they are symbols of horror and death. To many Americans, they may symbolize both. To an unfortunately large degree, previous federal eradication policies were so successful that the first two of the species are federally listed in all areas except Alaska, and the third (the cougar) is listed in Florida, the only Eastern state with a remnant wild population. Predators color our fears and inspire our hearts, but they also present unique and fascinating issues for conservationists and conservation research.