 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||
|
What do cougars look like?
The mountain lion has a tan-colored coat, much like the African lion. The most recognizable feature of the cougar is it’s long and heavy tail, which measures almost two-thirds the length of the head and body. Male lions typically weigh 110 to 180 pounds, while the females are slightly smaller, weighing 80 to 130 pounds. The mountain lion should not be confused with its cousin, the bobcat (a smaller cat of about 22 pounds), recognizable by its spotted coat, pointed ears, and short tail.
HOW DO THEY RAISE THEIR YOUNG? Females usually breed at 2.5 years and commonly have 2 or 3 kittens (or cubs). Newborn kittens weigh about one pound, measure about a foot in length and have dark spots on their coats. Within 8 to 12 months these spots will fade. The kittens are weaned at 2 months and are soon accompanying their mother around the home area. The mother raises her young alone and trains them how to hunt. The kittens stay with her from 18 to 24 months, then disperse to find their own home areas.
The American lion is very territorial and their home areas can range from 25 square miles in Idaho and California to 1000 square miles in western Texas. They mark the boundaries of their home areas with scrapes of earth, leaves, and urine. The cats tend to be active at dawn, dusk, and at night, when they roam their home area search of prey. Mountain lions are remarkable in their adaptability to a wide range of habitats. Cougars seem equally at home in Alberta’s alpine forests, Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, or Mexico’s tropical jungles. They are found from sea level to 14,765 feet, in the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest, the desert Southwest, and in Florida’s Everglades. Mountain lions have extraordinary vision and are remarkably fast. From a standing position, mountain lions can jump a vertical distance of up to 15 feet and a horizontal distance of 40 feet. Mountain lions choose deer as prey more than any other animal, but they also feed on wild hogs, raccoons, rabbits and hares, porcupine, and birds.
ARE CALIFORNIA’S COUGARS DANGEROUS? Encounters with cougars are rare and the risk of injury or death from an attack is infinitely small. In fact, your chances of being attacked or killed by a domestic dog are much, much greater. DFG statistics show that, in the last 20 years, hunting accidents killed more than 85 Californians and injured 700. In the last 100 years, only 14 fatal cougar attacks occurred on the entire North American continent. In that time, more than 15,000 people were killed by lightning; 4,000 by bees; 10,000 by deer; 1,300 by rattlesnakes. Yosemite National Park has cougars plus 3 million visitors a year. There has never been an attack in the park’s history. More visitors have died from rockslides. On the list of daily "dangers" faced by Californians, cougars are but a footnote.
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HUMAN/COUGAR INTERACTION? If you or someone you know lives in mountain lion territory, simple measures can be taken to prevent human-lion interactions. According to the Department of Fish & Game, one of the most important tips is: do not go into mountain lion territory by yourself. Go with a friend or bring a dog. Always take a friend with you when you camp, hike or backpack in wild areas. Even when lions are encountered, they rarely pose a threat. Most cougars prefer to avoid human beings. Read these " Safety Tips " to know what to do in case you ever encounter a mountain lion.
HOW CAN I PROTECT MY LIVESTOCK? If you own livestock and live in or around mountain lion habitat, it is wise to put your animals inside at night. Mountain lions hunt primarily at night and unprotected pets, sheep and goats are easy prey. You can also install outside lighting, clear brush away from around your home, or get a guard dog. There are numerous breeds of guard dogs being used for livestock protection in the United States. They include: Akbash (Turkey), Great Pyrenees (France & Spain), Komondor (Hungary), Shar Planinetz (Yugoslavia), Maremma (Italy), Kuvasz (Hungary), Anatolian Shepherds (Turkey), Polish Tatra & Tibetan Mastiff. According to the Department of Fish & Game, any of these measures can be taken to protect livestock from lions, dogs and coyotes. Depredation permits are often issued when lions "take" livestock or pets. Protecting livestock therefore leads to the survival of the mountain lion.
IS THE MOUNTAIN LION ENDANGERED? The mountain lion populations are categorized into different subspecies throughout the United States. So when we speak of the mountain lion "population," we are referring to several different populations. In California, the population of mountain lions that resides in the Santa Ana Mountains is in deep trouble, according to lion expert Dr. Paul Beier. Rampant development has blocked many wildlife corridors, so that the Santa Ana mountain lions are becoming isolated from other populations. These corridors are necessary to the immigration of new lions, without which the Santa Ana mountain lions face the danger of extinction. The "Yuma Puma" is a subspecies that lives in the California desert, Arizona and Mexico. The damming of the Colorado river and adjacent agricultural development has led to a significant decline in the habitat of the desert mule deer, the Yuma Puma’s prey. It is considered endangered by the Arizona Game and fish Department, and the California Department of Fish & Game as a "species of special concern." It is important to remember that mountain lions must compete for space with a human population that is rapidly increasing. Currently, there are more than 30 million people living in California. Many of these people now live or recreate in or near mountain lion habitat. Every time a new housing development is built in the foothills, mountain lions and other wildlife lose critical habitat. Many cougar populations that once lived in the United States are now extinct because of habitat loss.
|
 |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |