Tiger!

Lavishly illustrated with 150 photos, half of them in color, this book is a companion to a BBC-PBS television special to be aired in February. Barnes, a conservation and wildlife reporter for the Guardian, gives a well-rounded view of the creature he calls the champion of all carnivores, the most effective ambush predator on the planet. He describes the tiger's killing technique, noting that every adult must kill to eat. Tigers are solitary animals, and Barnes emphasizes repeatedly that their young learn survival only from their mothers. He examines the cat family, Felidae, both ancient and modern, and the distribution of tigers today. One chapter is devoted to the tiger in folklore and literature. Since 1969, tigers have been listed as an endangered species, yet their numbers continue to decline because of habitat loss and poaching for the lucrative Asian medical trade. Barnes offers fresh insight into the life--and future--of this magnificent animal. (Feb.)