Is the Eastern cougar really extinct? – The eastern cougars were unofficially deemed extinct by a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service evaluation in 2011. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service formally removed the Eastern cougar from the endangered species list and declared it to be extinct in 2018.

How many eastern cougars are left in the world? – There are still an estimated 30,000 mountain lions in the western United States, but the Florida panther is a highly endangered species — there are fewer than 100 left. It is thought that these two animals account for the vast majority of cougar sightings in the last 100 or so years

How many mountain lions are left? -There are an estimated 30,000 mountain lions in the western United States. One mountain lion subspecies, the Florida panther, is critically endangered with a population of less than 100 individuals.

What’s the difference between a mountain lion and a cougar? – Mountain lion, puma, cougar, panther—this cat is known by more names than just about any other mammal! But no matter what you call it, it’s still the same cat, Puma concolor, the largest of the small cat species. …  in Southern California they are commonly called mountain lions.

PUMA. PAINTER. PANTHER. COUGAR. CATAMOUNT. EL LEON. GHOST CAT.

With 18 native South American names, 25 Native American names, and 40 English names, this big cat has a big list of sobriquets that all boil down to the same thing: mountain lion. It was hunted to extinction last century, but throughout the Blue Ridge, there are claims from locals that the cat has returned. The folks with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service help set the record straight.

THE LAST CONFIRMED RECORDS OF THE EASTERN COUGAR’S EXISTENCE WERE IN 1938 IN MAINE.

Though the government states the species is extinct, hundreds of sightings are still reported on a daily basis, particularly after the 2011 sighting of a mountain lion in Greenwich, Conn. The cougar had voyaged nearly 1,500 miles from his home in the Black Hills of South Dakota, an incredible feat no doubt, but one that exemplifies the big cat’s dispersal instincts. Although the lone wanderer met a tragic fate on the Wilbur Cross Parkway, his legacy spurred a phenomenon of conspiracy theories. Determined big cat activists have been trying to deceive state Fish and Wildlife Service agencies with false sightings and photographs from the Internet.

One subspecies of the cougar lives on in the East, although it, too, is in danger of becoming extinct altogether. The Florida panther typically roams in the south of Florida, but the occasional dispersing cat has found its way into Georgia and parts of Alabama. These days, the Florida panther’s numbers are down to fewer than 200 despite the state’s protection efforts.

Know It When You See It

• Characteristics: slender body, round head, pointed ears, long tail
• Length: (nose to tail) 5 to 9 feet
• Weight: 100-150 pounds
• Color: Tawny brown, lighter on underside
• Tracks: Four toes up front, three lobes on heel pad, claw marks do not show
• Kill strategy: stealth; attacks back of the neck
• Eats: Primarily deer
• Litter: 1-4 cubs

What To Do When You Come Across a Cat

• STOP.
• Don’t run.
• Don’t play dead.
• Don’t make sudden movements.
• Maintain eye contact.
• Stand tall.
• Look big.
• Speak firmly.
• Throw items near the lion.

Author: mkmcst

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