Tales of the Urban Wild: A Puma's Journey

For two young mountain lion brothers born in central California, where cityscape meets the wilderness, life isn’t easy. Soon after their mother leaves them to fend for themselves, a dominant male puma attacks, sending them running. The brother who dashes across a treacherous highway is hit by a truck and killed. The brother who hides up a tree survives. And so the journey begins. Tales of the Urban Wild: A Puma’s Journey follows the lone brother, who local scientists tag as C-8, as he navigates what humans have done to the landscape.

Drawing from meticulous research, conservation scientist Tiffany Yap weaves together many diverse animal and human stories, including the beauty and wonder of ecology, interconnectivity, and representation. With artist Meital Smith’s spectacular illustrations in the rich golds and earth tones of central California, this debut graphic novel inspires and teaches us what it means to share and protect this earth together.

All sales proceeds benefit the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign, currently raising funds to build the a wildlife crossing outside of Los Angeles. The wildlife crossing at Liberty Canyon is quickly advancing toward completion. Building on significant historic preservation efforts, we are close to reconnecting a vital habitat corridor to help save a local population of mountain lions and ensure a future for all area wildlife. With continued fundraising efforts, the crossing construction will broke ground in spring of 2022, and construction will be completed by the end of 2025.