cougar
dr. dolittle | June 18, 2012
Image from Scientific American
Great news for cougars: According to a recent study published in The Journal of Wildlife Management, cougars (Puma concolor) are beginning to repopulate the Midwest after an extended absence going back to the early 20th century. Their population declined in the Midwest when prey dwindled and they were being hunted to protect livestock and humans. Visit this website for a timeline of their decline across the Midwest. By the end of the 20th century, the animals were mainly restricted to the Western United States.
Cougar populations actually started to…
laelaps | March 23, 2010A stuffed cougar (Puma concolor), photographed in natural history collection at the New Jersey State Museum.
laelaps | October 22, 2007
Cougars (Puma concolor), while currently ranging from Canada to the Andes Mountains in South America, still inhabit only part of their former range. Before European colonization, the big cats ranged from coast-to-coast in the U.S., the eastern populations being wiped out with the exception of a small population in Florida. Some have suggested that the cats may eventually make a comeback and reclaim their previous ranges, potential sightings popping up every now and again in Pennsylvania and other states, but by and large if you want to see a cougar and live on the east coast of the U.S. you…