Within the last couple years here in Wisconsin a new controversial subject has arisen. This subject has to deal with the animal Puma concolor otherwise known as the mountain lion. The last couple years in Wisconsin, this powerful animal has made its debut in the papers, the news on television, and of course the headlines. Many of the public statements made about this animal have been quite negative. These negative accusations have been created through only a couple of encounters with these animals. One encounter happened in the town of Wonewoc located in southern Wisconsin. This encounter was through a turkey hunter who observed what he thought was a mountain lion attacking a cow. The hunter fired rounds towards the animal to scare the lion off. Later the DNR confirmed that it was a mountain lion and proceeded by setting traps in attempt to catch this animal and study it. Then weeks later a few miles north of the first attack another attack occurred. This time the cougar targeted a large horse. The horse was not killed, but was wounded. Along with this attack only twenty yards from the house a sheep was taken by the same cougar. The DNR searched for this animal with the use of dogs, but the cougar was never found. Through experiences like these the once native to Wisconsin mountain lion is being persecuted for the instinctive survival behavior to hunt.
Once being one of three native cats to the land of Wisconsin this animal disappeared around the time of 1910. Now the only one of these native cats that sustain a steady population is the bobcat (Lynx rufus). The main reason the mountain lions left Wisconsin was the pressure put on by the ever so vigorously colonizing human population. The large woods that once made up Wisconsin were being destroyed and turned into agricultural fields. Habitat for these animals constantly being diminished until the point they were driven elsewhere. Later in the 1940s reports began to surface about cougars being spotted. We soon began to collect these reports and it wasn’t until early 2008 near Milton, Wisconsin a cougar sighting was completely confirmed. This confirmation was through DNA testing that came from a droplet of blood in a cougar’s track on the ground. Is the fact that mountain lions are sneaking through their once native land a bad thing? I believe mountain lions making their way through Wisconsin is not a bad thing at all, it is increasing biological diversity. First off, not all cougars are going to target domestic animals. Over the years it has been suggested by many people believe that white-tail deer populations are too abundant. Therefore can you consider the fact that the rising presence of the mountain lions may be a natural response to this ever increasing deer population? Also, before the major use of trail-cameras it was never truly known whether or not these animals regularly roamed Wisconsin. Most of these mountain lions that have been spotted by the use of trail-camera, twenty years ago probably never would have been spotted. So in other words think about how many cougars have probably made their way through Wisconsin causing no harm to humans or human property. Are the mountain lions really as big of threat as people make them out to be? I believe we should share the land with the animals that once dominated the lands before we arrived and pushed them out.
Wisconsin DNR website
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/cougar/
4 comments:
There are many good points written in this blog statement regarding mountain lions in Wisconsin. Although mountain lions are known for taking down large prey and being aggresive hunters I think it is true to believe all my pets are not going to be targeted by them. I do believe though that people should be aware of cougars in their area and know some about them before hitting the woods. The use of trail cameras and advanced technology in tracking cougars has helped in the sighting of cougars. Many of recent sightings have been eye sightings by people and not only trail cameras. Authorities and agencies only see trail cameras or pictures as hard evidence of cougars in an area and never really take peoples words for it. So I would have to say that the cougar population is increasing and the homerange in drastically spreading. I do not think it is a bad thing to have cougars in the area. It seems everyone has the impression that cougars are man eating pet destroying beings same as they thought wolves were in early WI farming settlement. Now wolves have a quite stable population in the state, and do target lots of the deer in the state as prey. I tihnk it is unknown to identify the increasing cougar sightings as the high deer count. I think many cougars are just passing through as more of their habitats and homeranges are being dwindled in the west. I think the number one thing we need is more education on cougars and how they live rather then their scary features which everyone isolates there thoughts on.
here are many good points written in this blog statement regarding mountain lions in Wisconsin. Although mountain lions are known for taking down large prey and being aggresive hunters I think it is true to believe all my pets are not going to be targeted by them. I do believe though that people should be aware of cougars in their area and know some about them before hitting the woods. The use of trail cameras and advanced technology in tracking cougars has helped in the sighting of cougars. Many of recent sightings have been eye sightings by people and not only trail cameras. Authorities and agencies only see trail cameras or pictures as hard evidence of cougars in an area and never really take peoples words for it. So I would have to say that the cougar population is increasing and the homerange in drastically spreading. I do not think it is a bad thing to have cougars in the area. It seems everyone has the impression that cougars are man eating pet destroying beings same as they thought wolves were in early WI farming settlement. Now wolves have a quite stable population in the state, and do target lots of the deer in the state as prey. I tihnk it is unknown to identify the increasing cougar sightings as the high deer count. I think many cougars are just passing through as more of their habitats and homeranges are being dwindled in the west. I think the number one thing we need is more education on cougars and how they live rather then their scary features which everyone isolates there thoughts on.
This blog brings up the question of whether our domestic animals are safe from Mountain lions and that maybe the mountain lion will target the white-tail deer. Out of curiousity imagine you are a hungry mountain lion and you see food trapped in a fenced in area-isn't it just easier to try to catch them? Granted a fence will not stop a cow from running through it even if it is electric but it is a valid question.
Yeah, you guys are completely right. People primarily focus on the scary killer beliefs that are commonly associated with the cougars. Like you guys said people should however be aware of their presence. And the technology of trail cameras will be able to do this for us. One reason I believe their ranges are increasing is because of the pressure we as humans apply to their population. With humans developing more and more each day we are taking away from their habitat which in return makes them cross our paths more and more every day. And yes, more education to the public on these animals will soon be needed because from what I am beginning to see now I think we will have more and more encounters with them as time goes on.
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