Though mountain lions once roamed the hills and forests of Iowa, 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 Iowa.
The status of Puma concolor.
Though mountain lions once roamed the hills and forests of Iowa, 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 Iowa.In the box below 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 Iowa, and moved between Iowa 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 Iowa.
Though mountain lions once roamed the hills and forests of Iowa, persecution at the hands of humans drove them locally extinct. If we support open space conservation and preserve corridors connecting potential habitat, we could reverse this situation and bring mountain lions back home to Iowa.
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The science of lions in the state.
Though mountain lions once roamed the great state of Iowa, 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 Iowa.
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Take action for lions.Mountain lions have no legal wildlife status in Iowa. Two legislative efforts have been made to place the mountain lion in the Iowa code as a designated wildlife species. However, strong agricultural interests prevailed, and both efforts failed. Since mountain lions have no legal protection in Iowa, they may be hunted with almost no restrictions other than a prohibition of hunting with the aid of artificial light and hunting on wildlife refuges. Iowa defines endangered species as "any species of fish, plant life, or wildlife which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant part of its range." This definition is clearly inclusive of mountain lions. However, Iowa does not include them on their list. Click here to learn more about action |