The Cougar Fund – Dedicated to Cougar Protection
This Organization Helps Mountain Lions by Educating the Public
Oct 1, 2009
Before European settlers arrived in the America's, cougars were one of the widest ranging mammals on the two continents. Today, due to hunting, loss of habitat and a decrease in prey species, the cougar’s range and population is severely limited. In Florida they are listed as an endangered species.
The Cougar Fund
In 2001, writer Cara Blessley Lowe and wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen founded The Cougar Fund. The two have raised public awareness about the lack of scientific information regarding cougars and the lack of protection that they have faced, both historically and currently. The Cougar Fund’s Board of Directors consists of highly respected professionals, including Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr. Marc Bekoff.
What Does The Cougar Fund Do?
According to their website, The Cougar Fund works to improve conservation efforts for cougars. The Cougar Fund uses quality peer-reviewed research to identify the most pressing cougar issues and to determine the best approaches for their conservation. Education is one of the key goals of The Cougar Fund. They educate hikers and homeowners about living and traveling in cougar country. The Cougar Fund also informs citizens of the issues facing cougars today and the history of bounty hunting and the subsequent eradication of cougars throughout many parts of the U.S. They work to increase protected habitat as well as increasing protection for female cougars from hunters.
The Cougar Fund and Research
The Cougar Fund promotes and funds the use of sound scientific research to gather accurate information about cougar behavior, hunting methods and interactions with humans. This research has shed light on the detrimental effect trophy hunting has had on cougar populations.
The Cougar Fund and Hunting
The cougar is considered a game species in thirteen western states. Each of these states has varying hunting limitations however, some allow the hunting of female cougars while they are raising their young. In Texas, cougars are considered varmint and there are no limitations on hunting them or reporting the number of cougars killed.
The Cougar Fund is not an anti-hunting organization but they do promote educating hunters about cougars. Due to their similar appearances, it is often difficult to identify if a cougar is male or female. The Cougar Fund would like hunters to be able to identify the sex of a cougar so that they can avoid killing females. Currently, half of the cougars killed by hunters are female.
Female Cougars and Their Kittens
The Cougar Fund explains that their focus on limiting female cougar kills is due to the length of time cougar mothers spend raising their kittens. Female cougars spend most of their adult life raising young. The kittens stay with their mothers for up to two years learning how to identify and hunt their prey. Anytime a female cougar is killed the chances are high that she is leaving behind orphaned kittens. Many orphaned kittens die of exposure or starvation. Those that do survive have stunted hunting skills and must rely on easier prey, like livestock or pets, to ward off starvation.
The Cougar Fund and Education
The Cougar Fund offers education through classroom presentations and clinics for hunters. Their website is highly informative and includes recommended reading selections, state by state cougar management information, news links, educational videos, guides to living and recreating in cougar populated areas and much more.
Because cougars are a keystone species, The Cougar Fund’s efforts to improve their population and habitat have far reaching effects on environmental health and habitat protection throughout cougar ranges.
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