Though mountain lions once roamed the hills and forests of Arkansas, persecution at the hands of humans has driven them locally extinct in the state. Fear and misinformation were the main forces driving this extirpation. But attitudes have changed since the early 1900s and there's hope for the future.
If we support mountain lion-friendly legislation, open space conservation, and preserve corridors connecting potential habitat, we could reverse this situation and bring mountain lions back home to Arkansas.
The status of Puma concolor.
Though mountain lions once roamed the hills and forests of Arkansas, persecution at the hands of humans has driven them locally extinct in the state. Fear and misinformation were the main forces driving this extirpation. But attitudes have changed since the early 1900s and there's hope for the future.
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Mountain lion law in Arkansas.you will find all the governing state statutes, mountain lion legal status, state laws, information about the state legislature, initiative and referendum processes, and the state wildlife agency, mountain lion management plans, mountain lion hunting laws, depredation laws, and other regulations as appropriate. Click here to learn more about law |
The history of lions in the state.
Before European settlement, mountain lions once occurred throughout Arkansas, and moved between Arkansas and neighboring states. Ideal habitat would have occurred in the forests, hills, and along the timbered streams, but mountain lions could have persisted anywhere there was ample prey.
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Lion habitat in Arkansas.Keep in mind that although lions are physically capable of living in certain places (based on geographical, vegetative and prey species characteristics), it does not mean they necessarily do. Fragmentation, sport hunting practices, and intolerant communities can wipe out lions from any area. For more data on habitat-usage, check out our Science tab. Click here to learn more about habitat |
The science of lions in the state.
Though mountain lions once roamed the great state of Arkansas, human persecution has eliminated them from its hills and forests. With no mountain lion population to study, there isn't any current research to report in Arkansas.
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Take action for lions.
Mountain Lions in Arkansas are classified as nongame wildlife and may not be hunted. While Arkansas endangered species laws are designed to preserve nongame species, mountain lions are not currently listed as such.
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