Robert Tougias is an established nature writer and author. Tougias contributes nature articles to newspapers throughout New England and writes several outdoor columns for newspapers in Connecticut. His articles on cougars have appeared in many magazines, including Appalachian Trailways and Fur-Fish-Game. He has had his work on cougars published in the peer reviewed Proceedings of the Eastern Cougar Conference, and is known by many wildlife biologists for his extensive knowledge on the cougar in the East. His fascination with the cougar began early in life and matured after encountering a set of large cat tracks near the family cabin in northern Vermont. Tougias has been actively researching this book for over a decade. After receiving a degree in Natural Resources from the University of Massachusetts, Tougias offered his service to the Massachusetts Audubon Society and was later employed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He lives in rural Connecticut with his daughter and their dog Zoey, where he is president of a local wildlife club.