The Beasts of the East: The Fall and Rise of America's Eastern Wilderness

Before skyscrapers and industry reshaped the eastern United States, the region teemed with wildlife—elk, bison, wolves, and cougars. Environmental writer Andrew Moore traces this lost landscape and the rapid decline that followed as industrialization and unregulated hunting devastated native species. He follows conservationists and communities restoring these animals—from bison in Illinois to elk in Kentucky and red wolves in North Carolina—and explores what their return means for conservation and coexistence today.