Author: Frederick Hull

In the mountains, a cold, crisp winter has started to set in. There’s a distinct nip in the air as the snow falls lightly to the ground. A female mountain lion and mother of three young cubs, steps lightly in the freshly fallen snow, leaving behind only footsteps. Being careful not to make a sound, this new mother hides her cubs away so she can go out on the hunt to secure a meal for her young.

Stealthily, she moves through the mountains, taking every precaution to not draw attention to herself. In the distance, barking and howling can be heard, drawing ever nearer. Her ears perk as she investigates the sounds. Betrayed by her footsteps and scent left in the snow, the hounds are soon upon her. Trying as the might, she flees with all her strength, but the hounds close the gap. She takes refuge in a tree, hoping they’ll soon depart, but the familiar cacophony of human voices becomes more audible. She quivers as they approach. With no kittens in sight, the hunters decide to claim their trophy.

As night settles in, the hungry cubs call for their mom, but she won’t be coming back to the den. Not tonight, not ever again. The cubs, who are reliant on their mothers for up to two years, have been orphaned. Without her, they will not survive.

Every year in states throughout the West, mountain lions are pursued. Killed in the name of sport, for trophy, and under the guise of conservation, lions are relentlessly targeted. However, researchers have found that mountain lions are self-regulating and do not need to be managed. On top of that, trophy hunting has been found to increase conflicts rather than decrease and does not necessarily benefit prized game species like deer that hunters seek to protect. Most tragically, more lions are lost than are reported when a hunter checks in its quarry. Many kittens are orphaned and left to die. As mountain lions breed year round, pregnant females are also lost to hunters.

Mountain lions are a keystone species, crucial to the health of ecosystems as a whole. They are not a plague on deer or blood-thirsty animals lurking around every corner. It is high time we come to recognize the value of mountain lions and start paying attention to the science. We can and we must bring an end to trophy hunting. Not just for the sake of mountain lions, their kittens, and ecosystem health, but for our benefit as well.

The Oregon Board of Agriculture is perpetuating the most harmful myths about cougars, and the cougars need Oregonians to speak up for them.

At its meeting on December 2, the Board of Agriculture plans to adopt a resolution in support of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s heavy-handed and unsustainable Cougar Management Plan. The board says it’s responding to the “threat that cougar predation poses to the livestock industry in Oregon.” This harmful resolution plays on the public’s unfounded fears of cougars, using them to justify killing more of these native animals.
The Mountain Lion Foundation and other conservation groups began fighting this resolution when the board first introduced it in September. We’ve shared copious amounts of the best available science, which proves that ODFW’s excessive use of recreational hunting and lethal conflict management is counterproductive. Indiscriminate killing disrupts the cougars’ complex social structures, leaves young cubs orphaned before they’re able to fend for themselves, and increases conflicts with humans and livestock.

Sadly, the board denied our request to bring in one of the nation’s top carnivore experts to present the facts about cougars. Instead, the board’s members plan to listen only to ODFW’s justifications for its aggressive cougar plan, which caters to the interests of trophy hunters rather than the majority of Oregonians who want responsible and science-based wildlife management.

The fact is that cougars are responsible for a tiny portion of livestock deaths in Oregon and the U.S. The USDA’s own Wildlife Services statistics bear this out. We need to insist that our state agencies make fact-based decisions about how to manage the wildlife that belongs to every citizen.

Causes such as illness, birthing complications and severe weather account for far more livestock deaths than all predators combined. While predation is a valid concern, most of it is preventable with inexpensive and common sense nonlethal ranching and farming practices.

Please email the Board of Agriculture and ask them to reject this resolution. Encourage them instead to adopt a resolution urging Oregon’s ranchers and farmers to learn and practice effective nonlethal strategies for coexisting with wildlife while protecting their livestock animals from harm.

Please send your email comments by this Friday, November 20 at 5:00 p.m. to Karla Valness at kvalness@oda.state.or.us. Put “Public Comment, Cougar Resolution” in the subject line. Please choose your own words to stand up for Oregon’s cougars, or use our suggested language as a guide.

Sample Email –
Subject: Public Comment, Cougar Resolution
We are writing today to ask that you reject the resolution in support of ODFW’s unsustainable and cruel cougar management plan. Instead, we encourage you to adopt a resolution urging Oregon’s ranchers and farmers to learn and practice effective nonlethal strategies for coexisting with wildlife while protecting their livestock animals from harm.

Thank you for being a voice for Oregon’s cougars.

Conservation groups approved a legal agreement today that will protect a critical wildlife corridor for local mountain lions and other wildlife, fund restoration efforts and ensure implementation of a regional conservation plan. The agreement comes after a judge issued a ruling this spring against the proposed 270-acre Altair development in Western Riverside County in California. See the press release below:

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For the background see our story: Last Connection to the Santa Ana Mountains

With an Orem, Utah, runner’s video of a harrowing mountain lion encounter going viral, the Mountain Lion Foundation is pleading with media outlets for accurate and informed reporting of the animal’s behavior. “The encounter might have been avoided altogether, but once it happened, the runner did a lot of things right,” says Denise Peterson, a Utah resident and region coordinator with the Mountain Lion Foundation. “But individuals and the media are getting a lot of things wrong, especially with social media posts and news headlines that claim the lion stalked the man. This was not predatory or stalking behavior.” Wildlife experts like those at the Mountain Lion Foundation say misunderstandings about animal behavior put animal and human lives at risk.

26-year-old Kyle Burgess has told reporters that he was running on a trail in Provo’s Slate Canyon when he saw kittens on the gravel path ahead of him. Thinking they might be bobcat kittens, he started recording video on his phone. When the mother lion appeared, he immediately knew he had made a dangerous mistake.

In the six minutes that follow, the video shows Burgess doing many things correctly: he backed away slowly, continued facing the lion, spoke loudly and firmly, and didn’t try to run away. The lion followed him for several minutes, occasionally hissing and lunging. “She clearly did not view him as prey,” says Debra Chase, CEO of the Mountain Lion Foundation. “The behavior was meant to chase him away, which it did very well. The mother lion was reacting to a perceived threat to her young.”

“People can relate to the fear Burgess felt in that moment,” Peterson adds. “But it’s important to remember that two creatures felt very threatened here: the human and the mountain lion.” The lion did not treat Burgess like prey, Peterson points out. Lions are ambush-hunters; they do their best not to be seen when they’re hunting. This lion is displaying a very different behavior; she definitely wants the human to see her and know that she’s intent on protecting her kittens.

“We need to counter the idea that mountain lions are naturally dangerous to humans,” Chase adds. “The lion wasn’t looking for a conflict and she left the area as soon as she was able.” Burgess reported that 30 minutes after the frightening encounter, he asked other hikers in the area if they’d seen a mountain lion and they thought he was joking. Other hikers in the area did not see the cat.

Across the western U.S., mountain lions are often killed after even the briefest encounters with humans. People often see a lion’s presence as a potential threat to their safety, but the Mountain Lion Foundation says this fear comes from misunderstanding. The native cats face constant threats from loss of habitat, trophy hunting, and human encroachment into their habitats. The Foundation works to protect the cats and teach the public to coexist with wildlife by learning the skills to safely live and recreate in mountain lion territory.

The Mountain Lion Foundation offers the following tips for safely recreating in areas where wildlife encounters are possible:

• • Go in pairs or small groups.
  • Talk or make some noise as you hike or run, which gives wildlife a chance to move away from the trail and avoid encounters.
  • Never approach baby animals in the wild.
  • Carry a portable air horn or other noise-maker.
  • If you encounter a mountain lion, do not try to run. Instead:
    • Back away slowly
    • Maintain eye contact and talk in a loud, firm tone
    • Wave your arms, open your coat, or make other motions to make yourself appear larger
    • Avoid crouching or leaning over; stand tall
    • If the animal is aggressive, throw your backpack, water bottle, whatever you have
    • If attacked, fight back.

 

Founded in 1986, the Mountain Lion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that America’s lion survives and flourishes in the wild.

With an observant eye and some precautions, you can coexist with the pumas around your property while keeping yourself, your livestock, and your pets safe.

By: Kristina Seleshanko

You can read the original article published on Mother Earth News here.

When we first moved to our long-wished-for rural property, one of the things I looked forward to most was walking in nature. Almost daily, I rounded up the kids and dog to hike through the woods. That is, until one afternoon, when something disturbing happened.

My children were catching frogs in the pond and I was snacking on salmonberries when, out of the blue, our dog started to growl. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he stared at something I couldn’t see. He sniffed the air and growled again, and then he did something he’d never done before and hasn’t done since: He began to pull on his leash, dragging me back toward our house, barking and growling the entire time. I decided that the dog knew something we didn’t; I rounded up the kids, and back to the house we went.

After my husband heard the story, he walked back to the scene of our dog’s strange behavior to see if he could find any clues about what upset him. What he discovered gave him chills: cougar claw marks on a tree, as well as a cougar den tucked away in a steep bank. We already knew cougars lived in the area, but now, we realized they were awfully close to our home and livestock.

There are more than 80 different names for cougar, including “mountain lion,” “puma,” “panther,” and “catamount.” Whatever you call them, cougars are one of the largest felines in North America, with adults weighing from about 60 to 200 pounds. (The largest ever recorded was a whopping 276 pounds!) They can stand approximately 2 to 3 feet tall at the shoulders and measure 8 feet long. They’re the ultimate predators, hunting in territories that are generally 50 to 200 square miles. But how dangerous are these big cats to humans? And how can we protect our livestock from them?

Cougar Signs

Experts such as Debra Chase, CEO of the Mountain Lion Foundation, say that cougars are mostly afraid of humans and don’t see us as potential prey. Occasionally, though, humans fool them. Quick movements, such as running or bicycling, which make humans resemble prey, sometimes lead to cougar attacks. Children, because of their size and swiftness, may be more vulnerable. Still, cougar attacks on humans are uncommon; livestock and pets are more likely to become cougar prey. Even in the suburbs, it’s not unheard of (though it’s rare) for cougars to kill, say, chickens or small dogs.

A sign of a cougar on your property can include paw prints. According to Kevin Hansen’s book Cougar: The American Lion, cougar tracks are usually cleanly marked, with the cat’s weight evenly distributed. Mature cougar tracks are 3 to 4 inches in diameter, with no claw marks. The big cat’s paw pads leave behind an “M” shape with three lobes at the back of the heel. When walking, a cougar’s hind foot steps into its fore track, and its toes slant to the left or right. In contrast, canine tracks have just two lobes at the heel; the soil is typically shoved into a ridge at the top edge of the heel; the track sports claw marks; and the tracks don’t slant to the left or right.

You might also see cougar scat, which is segmented with rounded ends that sometimes, but not always, have a “tail.” Each scat segment from a mature cat measures about 1 to 1½ inches in diameter. You’ll typically see bone and fur in the scat.

Cougar claw raking, such as we saw on our property, is 4 to 8 feet above the ground and runs down the tree several feet. Just remember that bears claw-rake too; they tend to remove more bark from trees, and their claws are usually larger. Deer, elk, and moose can leave marks on trees as well.

In addition, you may hear cougars — but don’t always expect the scream heard in Hollywood movies. Cougars can, indeed, sound like someone screaming, but they make many other noises that are much more subtle. In fact, people often confuse their vocalizations with birds’. Listening to verified cougar sounds online may help you distinguish cougar noises from more mundane wildlife sounds.

Finally, an animal carcass that’s partially eaten and then covered with dirt, brush, or leaves is a sign that a cougar has made a kill and will return to finish its meal.

Deterring Cougars from the Homestead

While humans will never truly control wild animals, we can take a few actions to help discourage cougars from roaming too near.

• • Keep outdoor trash cans firmly sealed. If possible, store them in an outbuilding. Regularly wash them, inside and out, with soap and water.
  • Don’t store food for pets or livestock outside. Keep it in firmly sealed cans, preferably in an outbuilding.
  • Don’t feed deer, birds, or other wildlife.
  • If you have poultry, gather their eggs every day.
  • Don’t toss cooking grease outside. Clean up grills and barbecues, burning off the grease. Ideally, store grills and barbecues in outbuildings.
  • Look around your property for places where cougars might seek rest and concealment. For example, if your porch or deck isn’t sealed off underneath, cougars may use it as cover. For better security, close those openings.
  • Keep grass and brush mowed down so cougars don’t use them as cover for ambushing prey.
  • Keep small livestock, such as rabbits or chickens, in enclosures that have tops. Cougars can jump 18 feet high — or jump down into enclosures from trees — so fences without tops aren’t adequate protection.
  • Understand that livestock and pets are most vulnerable to cougar attacks when deer are migrating.
  • If you live where cougars do, consider scheduling livestock births for autumn, when cougars and other predators are less pressed to feed their young. Baby animals are more at risk; additionally, the blood that comes with giving birth can attract cougars to pastures. It’s also helpful to keep birthing mothers in an enclosed structure. Vulnerable, injured animals should also be kept inside.
  • Use flerds — groups of sheep and cattle raised together — to help prevent cougar attacks. When predators appear, cattle tend to encircle sheep; this discourages cougars.
  • Ideally, locate pastures away from rivers or other bodies of water where cougars may drink.
  • Keep pastures away from deer trails.
  • Consider keeping livestock guardian donkeys or dogs.
  • Never chain pets or livestock outside. This makes them easy pickings for hungry cougars.
  • Keep pets indoors from dusk until dawn. Don’t let livestock out of their enclosures until after sunrise, and make sure they’re locked up by dusk.
  • Consider adding motion detection lights to your property.
  • Wear bright, contrasting clothing when working outside, hiking, camping, etc. To a cougar, midtone colors may make you look more like a deer.
  • If you must bend down or crouch in cougar country, first make your presence as a human known by creating a lot of vocal noise. (Bending down makes the back of your neck vulnerable and your body prey-like.)
  • If you run across a dead animal, especially if it’s partially eaten and then covered with brush or dirt, move away. Cougars return to their kills.
  • Keep children close.
  • When on hikes or camping, take a large dog; some studies show they can prevent predation. To help protect your dog, however, consider putting it on a leash.
  • When in cougar country, wear a whistle. Loud noises can scare cougars away.

Cougar Encounters

What should you do if you encounter a cougar face-to-face? First and foremost, don’t run or make rapid movements; these actions make you seem like prey. Besides, cougars can run up to 45 miles per hour, so there’s no hope of outrunning a big cat.

Instead, experts advise that you first pick up small children (while avoiding bending over or crouching down as much as possible) or gather older children close to you. Face the cougar head-on, so it can easily see that your eyes are at the front of your face — not on the sides of your face, as prey animals’ are. Try to look bigger than you are by spreading out your arms. Make lots of noise. Don’t corner the cat. Don’t play dead.

Back away from the cougar slowly, continually making loud noises. Ideally, the cougar will run away from you. If it doesn’t, or if it seems to be moving closer to you, throw whatever you can at it, without bending down or crouching over. In the unlikely event that the cougar attacks, fight back with everything you have. Protect your neck and throat and make it clear that you’re not prey. “People have used rocks, jackets, garden tools, tree branches, walking sticks, fanny packs, and even bare hands to turn away mountain lions,” Chase says.

What should you do if a cougar attacks your livestock? If you don’t see the attack yourself but discover a body, first examine it for signs of a cougar attack. You’d see:

• • Puncture wounds at the back of the head and neck.
  • The stomach eaten first.
  • The area around the stomach plucked clean of fur or hair.
  • The carcass covered with debris, indicating that the cougar will return to it. (But if the cougar was interrupted, it may not have had time to cover up its kill.)

If the animal’s ears are chewed or removed, this indicates the attacking predator was not a cougar but possibly a domestic dog.

If you suspect a cougar attacked your animals, Chase advises that you don’t disturb the area where the attack occurred. Call your state’s fish and game department instead. According to records kept by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, goats and sheep are the livestock most likely to be attacked by cougars.

Interestingly, according to a study by John Laundré and Christopher Papouchis, trapping and removing cougars to a different location, or shooting cougars that are killing livestock or pets, may cause more problems than it solves. When one cougar is removed from its territory, several others may try to take its place. But even in California, which Chase describes as “the model for other states with some of the strongest protections for mountain lions in the nation,” cougars can be legally killed if livestock owners show they’ve taken precautions to protect their domestic animals. Consult your state’s wildlife department to learn which laws apply in your area.

Since our dog first alerted us to cougars on our homestead, we’ve heard cougar noises nearby and have found suspicious deer bones on our property. But knowing the best ways to deter cougars from our livestock and family has eased our minds. As has the realization that, as Chase puts it, “[There are] about 125 human-lion conflicts a year in North America.” That might sound like a lot until you consider that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 4.7 million dog bites and about 8,000 snake bites per year in the U.S. alone.

Although cougars are powerful predators, humans needn’t panic at the thought of them. Healthy respect and wisdom about their habits go further than fear when it comes to protecting yourself and your domestic animals.

—–Kristina Seleshanko lives with her husband and children on a mountaintop homestead also shared by cougars, bears, coyotes, and other wild predators. She’s the author of 28 books, including The Ultimate Dandelion Cookbook and The Ultimate Dandelion Medicine Book.

Sacramento, CA – By signing the California’s new rodenticide moratorium today, Governor Gavin Newsom has extended a lifeline to some of the state’s threatened and endangered species. The Mountain Lion Foundation is celebrating the much-anticipated signing of Assembly Bill 1788, authored by Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) and supported by more than two dozen animal welfare and environmental protection organizations. The bill passed the Senate and the Assembly with strong votes (23-7 and 53-17, respectively) in the waning hours of this year’s legislative session. The new law prohibits most uses of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) statewide.

“By signing this bill, Governor Newsom has taken a bold step to prioritize wildlife health in the face of many growing pressures like climate change, wildfires, habitat fragmentation, and vehicle collisions, to name a few,” said Mountain Lion Foundation CEO, Debra Chase. “By pulling these four highly toxic rat poisons from the hands of pest control operators, California is giving sensitive species like mountain lions a bit of a fighting chance.”

The law puts a moratorium on the use of first- and second-generation rodenticides while the Department of Pesticide Regulation works to deliver a definitive study of the poisons’ impacts on imperiled wildlife such as mountain lions. While final study results may take years to produce, supporters say the ban buys valuable time for California mountain lions currently under consideration for threatened species designation. The California Fish and Game Commission voted in April to advance the lions’ candidacy under the state’s Endangered Species Act, citing evidence that some of the state’s regional subpopulations face possible extinction from the impact of low genetic diversity and high human-caused mortality.

Last month, National Parks Service researchers confirmed that a mountain lion and a bobcat each died in the Santa Monica Mountains as a direct result of rodenticide poisoning. Biologists have documented the presence of anticoagulant rodenticide compounds in 26 out of 27 local mountain lions they have tested, including in a three-month-old kitten. “Every mountain lion is important to the gene pool. A mountain lion lost to rodenticides is tragic, avoidable, and meaningful,” Chase said, adding that the removal of second-generation anticoagulants from consumer use in 2014 failed to decrease the rate of wildlife poisoning, which pointed to the need to remove the poisons from commercial use as well.