I'm a daily reader of the ZooBorns website, so I was super excited when Simon and Schuster offered to send me a copy of ZooBorns Cats!: The Newest, Cutest Kittens And Cubs From The World's Zoos to review!
While the website focuses on the newest and cutest (they aren't kidding) exotic baby animals of all kinds, the latest book by ZooBorns founders Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland focuses exclusively on wild cat kittens and cubs born at accredited zoos and conservation programs around the world.
Right off the bat, one of the most interesting things I learned was that there are thirty-six different species of wild cat! Sure, everyone knows knows about lions, tigers, cheetahs, jaguars, and leopards, but are you familiar with the Oncilla? Kodkod? Or how about the rare Japanese Irimote Cat?
The book is so in-depth, that it reportedly represents the "largest number of juvenile feline photos from different species ever assembled in one publication," and as I was reading through, I kept "Aww-ing" before exclaiming, "Ok, this one is my favorite!" only to change my mind a few pages later when greeted by Yapahuwa the Rusty-Spotted Cat (as seen on the cover), or Aguapo the teddy-bear faced Jaguarundi. It's also fun to see how some of these baby big cats look A LOT like their domestic cousins, especially the kittenish Black-footed Cat, and the Asiatic Wildcat, whose most significant threat, sadly, is interbreeding with domestic cats.
In addition to featuring beautiful full-page color photographs, the book also includes information about each of the kittens, as well as their breed status throughout the world. Seeing that so many of these amazing creatures are vulnerable, threatened, or near endangered puts a furry face on the serious issues these cats are up against. Not just a cute diversion, the book also serves as an important tool for promoting conservation efforts, and I'm happy to report that every sale of ZooBorns Cats! supports the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund.
ZooBorns Cats! The Newest, Cutest Kittens And Cubs From The World's Zoos is the purrfect treat for feline lovers of all ages, and is available now for pre-order on Amazon
, and in bookstores everywhere tomorrow, November 1st!
, and in bookstores everywhere tomorrow, November 1st!Disclosure: I was sent a copy of ZooBorns Cats! by the publisher for review, but all of the opinions expressed in this post are my own.
I didn't know about the different species of wild cats either. It's so heartening to learn about people caring for the most vulnerable animals in the world.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what species, babies are beautiful, for me especially kittens!
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