A great lion awakes from his slumber in a faraway tundra. He knows not where he is or even who he is, yet he knows he cannot stay there. Finding creatures along the way, join this lion on his journey to brave the snowy storm and find a home.

A heart-pounding story based on the experiences of Leon, a young Special Forces sniper that was placed in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) to learn from the best how to profi le and apprehend serial killers. But, while working on a case, he loses his girlfriend. He vows to fi nd and bring the perpetrators to justice for this crime. Africa would challenge his way of life and aft er four long years in the desert, Leon is again faced with a choice between love and fi nding the person responsible for numerous hideous crimes. Has he learned or will his judgment be clouded by revenge?

"This is one stirring account of one stirring journey: the trek of a fellow creature through a hostile, man-made world--and through our imaginations." --Bill McKibben, author of EAARTH: MAKING A LIFE ON A TOUGH NEW PLANET Late one June night in 2011, a large animal collided with an SUV cruising down a Connecticut parkway. The creature appeared as something out of New England's forgotten past. Beside the road lay a 140-pound mountain lion. Speculations ran wild, the wildest of which figured him a ghostly survivor from a bygone century when lions last roamed the eastern United States. But a more fantastic scenario of facts soon unfolded. The lion was three years old, with a DNA trail embarking from the Black Hills of South Dakota on a cross-country odyssey eventually passing within thirty miles of New York City. It was the farthest landbound trek ever recorded for a wild animal in America, by a barely weaned teenager venturing solo through hostile terrain. William Stolzenburg retraces his two-year journey--from his embattled birthplace in the Black Hills, across the Great Plains and the Mississippi River, through Midwest metropolises and remote northern forests, to his tragic finale upon Connecticut's Gold Coast. Along the way, the lion traverses lands with people gunning for his kind, as well as those championing his cause. Heart of a Lion is a story of one heroic creature pitting instinct against towering odds, coming home to a society deeply divided over his return. It is a testament to the resilience of nature, and a test of humanity's willingness to live again beside the ultimate symbol of wildness.

An authoritative, accessible, and gorgeously illustrated exploration into the lives of these remarkable animals Lions are the only social cat. They hunt together, raise cubs together, and defend territories together against neighbors and strangers. Lions also rest atop their ecological pyramid, with profound impacts on competitors and prey alike, but their future is far from assured. Craig Packer interweaves his discoveries from more than forty years of research—including a substantial body of new findings—to provide an unforgettable portrait of the African lion. He shares insights into the intricacies of lion life from birth until death and describes efforts to conserve lions in an increasingly crowded continent. With a wealth of breathtaking photographs by Daniel Rosengren, The Lion sheds light on a host of intriguing scientific questions, such as why males have manes, why lions are social, how sociality limits and stabilizes lion populations, how close inbreeding affects lion health, why lions become man-eaters, how lions and people can best be protected from each other, and how to ensure the lion’s survival into the next century. Engagingly written by the world’s foremost expert on African lions Integrates a wealth of findings from two of the most comprehensive field studies on any animal Features hundreds of stunning photographs that capture a broad range of lion behaviors, ecological interactions, and conservation challenges Blends vivid field anecdotes and graphics to give the reader a sense of adventuring into the lion’s world

The Serengeti is one of the world's most renowned ecosystems, and at its apex prowls the Serengeti Lion. These majestic mammals are iconic, and integral, and also in constant danger from encroaching humans. Craig Packer is among the unique species that has spent a lifetime ensuring the study and perpetuity of these dark maned cats. He has dedicated countless research hours and dollars to the coexistence of humans and wildlife in the Serengeti. He has even proposed ways of using lion hunting to ensure their value, and hence their protection. "Lions in the Balance "takes us into the red-in-tooth-and-claw world of lion conservation. It is an incredibly candid, entertaining, and at points alarming look at what the future of the Serengeti lions entails, and how the politics of conservation require survival strategies far more creative and powerful than what animals (humans included) on the savannas must possess. A sequel to Mr. Packer's "Into Africa, "this diary based chronicle of the past decade draws readers along the dusty trails and into the spectacular sunsets of the Serengeti. Through his experiences we learn that female lions prefer their male manes dark and long, that lion attacks on humans most commonly occur during the full moon cycles, and that citizen science is shaping the world--Packer's initiative Snapshot Serengeti has helped engage globally, and locally, and has identified thousands of images of the Serengeti. The narrative moves from Arusha to the Serengeti to Washington DC, and with some temporal hopping, as often the stories are as rich and multilayered as the Serengeti ecosystem. And Mr. Packer demonstrates that he possesses himself a bit of cat, having needed nearly nine lives to persist in the ever dynamic and vexed world of conservation in Africa.

Go back to a time in history when the Roman Empire controlled most of the world, and a hundred thousand men spent their days at the Coliseum and other arenas watching vicious wild animal performances. In Marleen Kunze's Escape from Rome, the adventure begins when the Coliseum manager's teenage sons witness a bloody performance and rescue a man destined to be trampled and gored by wild rhinos. The fateful rescue angers the emperor and endangers the lives of Nolan's entire family. Fleeing from the ruthless Emperor Domition, a handful of teenagers join the hunting team Nolan sends to Africa. As they travel around the Great Sea, they search for wild animals, survival skills, and the truth about God. But will the family escape from Rome and find the Christian faith they realize they are seeking, or will they be hunted down by the emperor's men and sent running for their lives from ferocious lions at the emperor's birthday celebration?

Inspired by certain true events, The Patriots Part I explores the origins of Joey's humble beginnings as a child, his blossoming football career and the growing torment within him. Football has always been a huge part of Joey's life, but will the mounting pressures of family expectations, the hopes of winning a State Championship, and a tragic event that almost ends his NFL dreams stop him from overcoming his fears? Joey has unknowingly begun the fight of his life: to save himself, his family, but most importantly his soul.