David Baron's The Beast In The Garden

David Baron’s “The Beast in the Garden” primarily follows the life of Michael Sanders, a biologist working mainly in Boulder, Colorado. Michael’s mission throughout the story is the study and prediction of the dangers of urban cougars. Living in a city of staunch environmentalists, Michael’s attempts to sway public opinion is a daunting task. As it would seem, the majority of Boulder environmentalists value cougar’s lives over human lives.
Michael Sanders is a middle aged biologist, originally from a small town in Tennessee. His interest in studying large carnivores sprouted from a childhood sighting of a bear while he was in his parents’ vehicle. As an adult, Michael studied grizzly bears in Yosemite National Forest. During his study, he became familiar with Bear 59, a bear that was comfortable around humans. Eventually a human got too comfortable with the bear, and was killed, resulting in Michael’s first experience with a human killing predator. Due to

The residents of Boulder respond negatively to a predator being harmed. In addition to the residents being angered, the Division of Wildlife also takes offense. They see it as if they were “showed up,” due to their lack of action. Eventually cougar attacks start occurring in other portions of the city. The Wildlife Division continues to downplay the threat of cougars to humans. Then humans start getting attacked. Initially, a woman is almost killed while jogging. Secondly, a man is forced to kill a cougar that is stalking his son and himself. Lastly, an eighteen year old is attacked and killed near his high school while jogging. After the killing the police adopt non harmful tactics to relocate the animals away from populated areas. Those cougars deemed to be a threat to humans are