Wildlife protection groups like Panthera are raising support to protect cougars by addressing threats to these animals, which include conflicts that prevent cougars from being able to migrate. Panthera is addressing this by increasing cougar education in South America to help determine how to manage cougars in human-dominated landscapes.Continue Reading
Panthera states that it only took 200 years after European colonization for people to completely kill off the population of cougars in the eastern half of the United States. There are believed to be six sub-species of cougars, but there is debate on adding a seventh species to that list: the Florida panther. Cougars are found in nearly 28 countries around the world, most commonly in the western half of the United States and South America.
According to Predator Defense, cougars are very shy, and despite common belief, they pose very little threat to humans. The Native Americans call the cougar “the spirit of the mountains." During the existence of cougars, they have been called many things: ghost cat, panther and mountain lion. Felis concolor is the cougar's Latin name.
Predator Defense also says that male cougars can reach up to 8 feet in length and weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Females are slightly smaller, averaging around 7 feet in length and only weighing about 70 to 100 pounds.Learn more about Large Cats