Crooked cats: beastly encounters in the Anthropocene

by Mathur, Nayanika

Type Book

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Title Statements

Full title :Crooked cats : beastly encounters in the Anthropocene / Nayanika Mathur.

Summary

"The last decade has seen the increasing entry of big cats-lions, tigers, and leopards-into human settlements in India. Most big cats co-reside with humans. But some have become "crooked" - killing people, often serially, and frightening residents in villages and cities. This new book, by big cat connoisseur and anthropologist Nayanika Mathur, lays bare the peculiar atmosphere of terror these encounters create, reinforced by stories, conspiracy theories, rumours, anger, and news reports about charismatic "celebrity" cats. There are various theories of why and how a big cat turns to eating people, and Mathur lays out the dominant ideas offered by the residents with whom she works. These vary from the effects of climate change and habitat loss to history and politics. The latter, for example, include the idea of big cats turning on humans for retribution for past injustices (poaching or hunting). Still, no one, including the scientists who study animal behaviour, has been able to explain the highly individualised reasons why some cats turn against humans and others do not. Beautifully detailed in its portrayal of India's places, people, and animals, Crooked Cats sheds light on how we understand nonhuman animals and the growing intensity of human-nonhuman conflict in the Anthropocene"--Provided by publisher.

Edition Statements

Publication Date:©2021.

Publication Statements

Publisher(s):The University of Chicago Press
Place of Publication:Chicago
Language:eng
Publication Date:©2021.

The Physical Object

Description:xiii, 208 pages : : illustrations ; : 23 cm.

Edition Identifiers

ISBN:9780226771922 (paperback), 022677192X (paperback)
oclc:on1322796194
Dewey Decimal:599.75

Prologue: Of Two Reigns of Terror -- Introduction: The Beastly Tale of the Leopard of Gopeshwar -- Crooked Becomings -- Murderous Looks -- The Cute Killer -- A Petition to Kill -- The Leopard of Rudraprayag versus Shere Khan -- Big Cats in the City -- Entrapment -- Three Beastly Tales to Conclude.