The Cougar Conundrum

The Cougar Conundrum PDF Author: Mark Elbroch
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 161091998X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 282

Book Description
The relationship between humans and mountain lions has always been uneasy. A century ago, mountain lions were vilified as a threat to livestock and hunted to the verge of extinction. In recent years, this keystone predator has made a remarkable comeback, but today humans and mountain lions appear destined for a collision course. Its recovery has led to an unexpected conundrum: Do more mountain lions mean they’re a threat to humans and domestic animals? Or, are mountain lions still in need of our help and protection as their habitat dwindles and they’re forced into the edges and crevices of communities to survive? Mountain lion biologist and expert Mark Elbroch welcomes these tough questions. He dismisses long-held myths about mountain lions and uses groundbreaking science to uncover important new information about their social habits. Elbroch argues that humans and mountain lions can peacefully coexist in close proximity if we ignore uninformed hype and instead arm ourselves with knowledge and common sense. He walks us through the realities of human safety in the presence of mountain lions, livestock safety, competition with hunters for deer and elk, and threats to rare species, dispelling the paranoia with facts and logic. In the last few chapters, he touches on human impacts on mountain lions and the need for a sensible management strategy. The result, he argues, is a win-win for humans, mountain lions, and the ecosystems that depend on keystone predators to keep them in healthy balance. The Cougar Conundrum delivers a clear-eyed assessment of a modern wildlife challenge, offering practical advice for wildlife managers, conservationists, hunters, and those in the wildland-urban interface who share their habitat with large predators.

Yellowstone Cougars

Yellowstone Cougars PDF Author: Toni Karen Ruth
Publisher:
ISBN: 1607328283
Category : Competition (Biology)
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
"Examines the effect of wolf restoration on cougar population in Yellowstone National Park. No other study has addressed theoretical and practical aspects of competition between large carnivores. A thorough examination of cougar ecology, how they interact and [are] influenced by wolves, how this knowledge informs management and conservation"--Provided by publisher.

The Cougar

The Cougar PDF Author: Paula Wild
Publisher: D & M Publishers
ISBN: 177162003X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Book Description
The Cougar is a skillful blend of natural history, scientific research, First Nations stories and first person accounts. With her in-depth research, Wild explores the relationship between mountain lions and humans, and provides the most up-to-date information on cougar awareness and defense tactics for those living, working or travelling in cougar country.

Yellowstone Cougars

Yellowstone Cougars PDF Author: Toni K. Ruth
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
ISBN: 1607328291
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
Yellowstone Cougars examines the effect of wolf restoration on the cougar population in Yellowstone National Park—one of the largest national parks in the American West. No other study has ever specifically addressed the theoretical and practical aspects of competition between large carnivores in North America. The authors provide a thorough analysis of cougar ecology, how they interact with and are influenced by wolves—their main competitor—and how this knowledge informs management and conservation of both species across the West. Of practical importance, Yellowstone Cougars addresses the management and conservation of multiple carnivores in increasingly human-dominated landscapes. The authors move beyond a single-species approach to cougar management and conservation to one that considers multiple species, which was impossible to untangle before wolf reestablishment in the Yellowstone area provided biologists with this research opportunity. Yellowstone Cougars provides objective scientific data at the forefront of understanding cougars and large carnivore community structure and management issues in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, as well as in other areas where wolves and cougars are reestablishing. Intended for an audience of scientists, wildlife managers, conservationists, and academics, the book also sets a theoretical precedent for writing about competition between carnivorous mammals.

Kane County Cougars

Kane County Cougars PDF Author: David Malamut
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1439615349
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 132

Book Description
In 1991, it seemed odd (if not unwise) when a minor league franchise moved into a major league market one with two big league teams, no less. But the story of the Kane County Cougars of the single-A Midwest League has been one of tremendous successes on the field, at the gates, and above all in the hearts of baseball fans in Chicagos western suburbs. The team continues to draw more than half a million fans to Genevas cozy Elfstrom Stadium year after year, without ever being affiliated with the Cubs or Sox in the nearby city. They have fielded some top prospects, including 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett and his teammate Dontrelle Willis. They have battled in the post-season several times in their brief history, and they thrilled fans by winning the 1991 Midwest League Championship. Cougar fans will enjoy this pictorial tour through the clubs first 15 seasons, which provides a local view of the history of the national pastime.

The Eastern Cougar

The Eastern Cougar PDF Author: Chris Bolgiano
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 9780811732185
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 262

Book Description
The first book to cover the history and current status of the mysterious big cat Investigates the controversial question of whether wild cougars still inhabit the eastern United States Collects written accounts from the settlers who first encountered the animals and includes contributions from leading figures in the field When European settlers first reached the shores of North America, eastern cougars were plentiful, ranging up and down the coast of the present-day United States. By the beginning of the twentieth century, they had been almost entirely wiped out, victims of the same rapacity and ignorance that decimated wolf and bison numbers elsewhere in the country. Today, the continued existence of wild cougars remains hotly disputed, as do proposals to reintroduce cougars to the East. This groundbreaking anthology brings together accounts of early settlers and explorers, presents pro and con arguments on the wild cougar question, and examines the social and environmental implications of reintroduction. More than just a study of a single animal, this fascinating anthology probes America's troubled history with large predators and makes a vital contribution to the wildlife management debates of today.

Cougars on the Cliff

Cougars on the Cliff PDF Author: Maurice Hornocker
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493073303
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 329

Book Description
Maurice Hornocker is recognized worldwide as the first scientist to unravel the secrets of America's most enigmatic predator—the mountain lion. A story of redemption, this book is a memoir about the never-before-told adventures, challenges, and controversies surrounding Hornocker’s groundbreaking study of cougars in the remote reaches of the Idaho Primitive Area. North America's biggest cat was once killed for bounty dollars, slaughtered with impunity and driven toward extinction. But today's cat of intrigue, despite our lingering fears and misconceptions, has returned to much of its native range in the western United States and gained respect as a predator integral and necessary to wild ecosystems. This turnaround was triggered by one man: Maurice Hornocker. Cougars on the Cliff recounts the early years of his research (1964–1973) when he tracked lions following a dog’s nose and footprints in the snow—before telemetry was available. Hornocker was first to learn that mountain lions living in stable populations limit their own numbers through territoriality and a concept he called “mutual avoidance.” This insight flew in the face of long-held beliefs that cougars were prolific and wanton killers that needed to be controlled as vermin. Thanks to Hornocker’s work, today cougars can be found throughout the West and have even started to reclaim their place in New England.

How to Track a Cougar

How to Track a Cougar PDF Author: Norman D. Graubart
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 1477754237
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 26

Book Description
Mountain lions, panthers, and pumas are all the same animal—the cougar. Cougars are difficult animals to track, but readers learn how to become expert trackers through informative text and detailed photographs. One of the most interesting—and grossest—ways to track a cougar is by looking at its poop! Readers get a close-up look at cougar poop to give them a reading experience they won’t soon forget. They’re also presented with maps, charts, and diagrams to practice getting information from a variety of sources.

Cougar

Cougar PDF Author: Maurice Hornocker
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226353478
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 331

Book Description
The cougar is one of the most beautiful, enigmatic, and majestic animals in the Americas. Eliciting reverence for its grace and independent nature, it also triggers fear when it comes into contact with people, pets, and livestock or competes for hunters’ game. Mystery, myth, and misunderstanding surround this remarkable creature. The cougar’s range once extended from northern Canada to the tip of South America, and from the Pacific to the Atlantic, making it the most widespread animal in the western hemisphere. But overhunting and loss of habitat vastly reduced cougar numbers by the early twentieth century across much of its historical range, and today the cougar faces numerous threats as burgeoning human development encroaches on its remaining habitat. When Maurice Hornocker began the first long-term study of cougars in the Idaho wilderness in 1964, little was known about this large cat. Its secretive nature and rarity in the landscape made it difficult to study. But his groundbreaking research yielded major insights and was the prelude to further research on this controversial species. The capstone to Hornocker’s long career studying big cats, Cougar is a powerful and practical resource for scientists, conservationists, and anyone with an interest in large carnivores. He and conservationist Sharon Negri bring together the diverse perspectives of twenty-two distinguished scientists to provide the fullest account of the cougar’s ecology, behavior, and genetics, its role as a top predator, and its conservation needs. This compilation of recent findings, stunning photographs, and firsthand accounts of field research unravels the mysteries of this magnificent animal and emphasizes its importance in healthy ecosystem processes and in our lives.

Listening to Cougar

Listening to Cougar PDF Author: Cara Blessley Lowe
Publisher: University Press of Colorado
ISBN: 1607320363
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Book Description
“Awe. It’s the overwhelming emotion 20 authors express for the cougar—or mountain lion or panther or puma—in [this] beautiful literary anthology.” —The Durango Herald Foreword by Jane Goodall This spellbinding tribute to Puma concolor honors the big cat’s presence on the land and in our psyches. In some essays, the puma appears front and center: a lion leaps over Rick Bass’s feet, hurtles off a cliff in front of J. Frank Dobie, gazes at Julia Corbett when she opens her eyes after an outdoor meditation, emerges from the fog close enough for poet Gary Gildner to touch. Marc Bekoff opens his car door for a dog that turns out to be a lion. Other works evoke lions indirectly. Biologists describe aspects of cougar ecology, such as its rugged habitat and how males struggle to claim territory. Conservationists relate the political history of America’s greatest cat. Short stories and essays consider lions’ significance to people, reflecting on accidental encounters, dreams, Navajo beliefs, guided hunts, and how vital mountain lions are to people as symbols of power and wildness. Contributors include: Rick Bass, Marc Bekoff, Janay Brun, Julia B. Corbett, Deanna Dawn, J. Frank Dobie, Suzanne Duarte, Steve Edwards, Joan Fox, Gary Gildner, Wendy Keefover-Ring, Ted Kerasote, Christina Kohlruss, Barry Lopez, BK Loren, Cara Blessley Lowe, Steve Pavlik, David Stoner, and Linda Sweanor. “Puma. Cougar. Mountain lion. Panther. These words and the creatures they represent inspire awe, wonder, excitement, terror, and reverence in the writers whose contributions make up this anthology.” —Library Journal