Paper examines the potential for conflicts between humans and cougars
Article summary
Pumas (also known as mountain lions or cougars) may have a reputation for secrecy, but their periodic encounters with humans — such as attacks on hikers, killing of pets, or preying on livestock — tend to generate a lot of news coverage and lethal management responses. But are there places where pumas are more likely to run into humans than others? And how might a puma’s sex, age, or behavior influence that likelihood? In a recent paper in Ecological Applications, a host of biologists led by Justin Suraci from Conservation Science Partners set out to answer those questions. The study used several years’ worth of tracking data from 72 pumas that were wearing GPS collars as part of a study involving several Native American tribes on the Olympic peninsula. Suraci and his colleagues looked at habitat associations for female or male cougars that were young or adult and either moving (e.g., dispersing from a natal territory or patrolling an established one) or feeding on native prey. Contrary to expectation, they found that the habitats pumas preferred when they were hunting were of the sort where they were also more likely to encounter humans, their pets, or their livestock. As pumas moved across landscapes, though, they were better able to avoid those developed or agricultural — i.e., human-dominated — habitats. This pattern held true for all age and sex classes except adult females, which avoided human habitats regardless of whether they were moving or feeding. With these findings, the authors were then able to identify important multifunctional habitats across the Olympic peninsula. The paper further explores "pathways toward stable puma–human coexistence based on achievable changes to human behavior that minimize conflict opportunities."