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MOUNTAIN LIONS IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK

Help ensure a future for mountain lions in New York

Though mountain lions once roamed the hills and forests of New York, 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 New York.

Return to the portal page for New York.
The status of Puma concolor in New York.
State law and regulations affecting cougars.
The history of cougars in New York.
Ecosystems and habitat in New York.
Cougar science and research in New York.
Our library of media, research and reports.
How you can take action to help!

SUMMARY: Cougars in the State of New York

For more detail you can explore using the links below.

The status of Puma concolor.

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Mountain lion law in New York.

here 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 New York, and moved between New York 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.

Direct persecution, conversion of wildlands to agriculture and human development, roads and highways, and other forms of habitat loss all contributed to the decline and ultimate extirpation of mountain lions in New York.

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Lion habitat in New York.

Though mountain lions once roamed the hills and forests of New York, 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 New York.

Although mountain lions may be physically capable of living in an area, human activities and attitudes could keep them from reestablishing a population there. Fragmentation, sport hunting practices, and intolerant communities can wipe out mountain lions from any area. For more data on habitat use, check out our various Science tabs.

Click here to learn more about habitat

The science of lions in the state.

Though mountain lions once roamed the great state of New York, human persecution has eliminated them from its hills and forests. Local research has been conducted to asses whether there is sufficient habitat for mountain lions in Adirondack State Park in New York.

Click on other states' Science Tabs to see the myriad of research projects being conducted by researchers from universities, state and federal agencies, non-profits, and other groups across the country.

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Take action for lions.

Despite ample habitat and prey, New York state lost its mountain lion population back in 1908. Research conducted in the 1980s concluded that road density was too high and roadkill rates would be more than a population could withstand. Since then, our understanding of mountain lion ecology and behavior has progressed. New research conducted by John Laundré and colleagues concluded that there is ample prey and habitat available within the Adirondack State Park that could support a population of mountain lions, despite any threats from roads or development. Help the state move forward on recovering their historic puma population.

Click here to learn more about action