A cougard (Puma concolor) is a large, graceful cat that lives in North and South America. It is now greatly reduced in number and endangered in some areas.
Its name derives from its solitary lifestyle and the fact that it often hunts small animals like sheep. Research suggests that sport hunting has a negative effect on cougars.
Origins
The term cougard originated in the United States and is used to describe an older woman who seeks sexual relationships with much younger men. Several movies, television shows and other forms of media have capitalized on this slang since its popularization in 2005 by Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher.
The cougar (Puma concolor) is a large wild cat found in North America. It is thought to have evolved from a common ancestor with the African cheetah and American jaguarundi. However, cougars are now greatly reduced in number and are endangered in some areas. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, bounty hunting and other human activities led to the extinction of cougars in many parts of North America. Currently, there are fewer than 40,000 cougars in the world.
Habitat
Cougars are generally reclusive creatures that tend to avoid human contact. They make their dens in rocky outcroppings, dense thickets and under uprooted trees. They are highly territorial and live in large home ranges of 50 to 150 square miles (for comparison, the City of Seattle is 92 square miles). As with any big cat, cougars can be killed by disease and starvation. Other factors such as competition with other predators or human hunting outside protected areas are also major causes of death. The cougar is also the subject of many scientific studies and is considered one of the most intelligent and cunning animals around.
Listed as endangered in the United States, it’s hard to stop habitat loss or reverse its effects, but you can help by donating to an organization such as the Mountain Lion Foundation.
Life span
Cougars are solitary cats that spend most of their lives living off the land. They are highly adaptable animals, and can live in a variety of habitats including forests, deserts, canyons, and escarpments.
They are also very tolerant of people and their pets. Female cougars can breed as early as two years of age and give birth to one or more cubs at a time.
In the wild, a female cougar can survive for up to 10 years. In captivity, the lifespan is significantly longer, often exceeding 20 years.
They can pounce on their prey with ease, using their powerful jaws and claws to get the job done. They can also climb with ease and jump upwards of 6 m (20 ft.). Typically, they hunt for a few days, then hide the carcass until the next time it’s in need of food. The life of a cougar is full of challenges: competition with other cougars, human poaching, accidents, starvation, and diseases.
Population
Cougars once roamed across the entire eastern two-thirds of the United States, but they were virtually eradicated due to a combination of hunting, trapping, and habitat destruction. Today, viable, breeding cougar populations can be found in just sixteen of the contiguous forty-eight states.
In Washington, state wildlife officials have implemented an innovative hunting and management strategy to preserve the population of cougars in the state. This approach, called “cougar management zones,” aims to spread the hunting of cougars more evenly across the landscape and preserve social stability in cougars.
Research into cougar ecology, home ranges and habitat use is being used to inform policy decisions. Wildlife biologists have integrated snow-tracking surveys, genetic samples, statistical modeling and GPS collars to estimate cougar population size. They are also working on dispersal patterns, habitat use and interactions with other wildlife. These methods will help ODFW better understand cougar population dynamics and how to manage them for conservation. Ultimately, cougars will be able to survive and thrive in their natural environment.
