Introduction

Abstract

The leopard brushed through the light brown, African savanna grass, stepping up to follow the contour of a small rise, then stopped to stretch, unperturbed, and yet watchful in the winter sun. This nonchalant action was observed by a twenty-first-century tourist safari group and should be emotionally gratifying to those from a generation inspired by the film Born Free (1966). Certainly this relaxed leopard lingers in memory as I write this book; but the encounter also provokes unease about how the human gaze has become important to the protection of animal habitats. I remain acutely concerned for wild animals’ futures, even with Jane Goodall’s (2009) stories of hope in species survival.