Will cougars return to the Adirondacks? Recent research/debate has focused more and more attention on the presence or absence of cougars (aka mountain lions) in the Adirondack Park. If you missed Mike Lynch’s December 22, 2014 Adirondack Explorer article, “Will cougars return?” then you also missed Essex resident John Davis’ perspective on the present and future of cougars (as well as other top predators.)
John Davis, who heads the Wildlands Network’s Carnivore Recovery Program, said the cougar’s eastward migration has been slowed due to excessive hunting in Nebraska, South Dakota, and other states. In the Black Hills, fifty-three male and thirty-one female cougars were killed in 2014—out of a population of just a few hundred.
“The likelihood of cougars recolonizing [the Adirondacks] on their own is not very good in the near term because they are being heavily persecuted in the Midwest,” said Davis, who lives in Essex. “They are basically being blocked from moving north out of southern Florida, the other nearest population, by the Caloosahatchee Channel. So natural recolonization of cougars in the near term unfortunately is not very likely. In the longer term, it may be possible.”
But Davis is committed to studying whether cougars and other carnivores will be able to return to the Adirondacks naturally and to figuring out what needs to be done to help them do so. In November, Davis organized the Eastern Carnivore Summit in Lake Placid at the Intervale Lowlands Nature Preserve, private property owned by Larry Master, a former chief zoologist with the Nature Conservancy and an Explorer board member.
“It’s very clear we need to educate people clearly as wide as possible about the values of top carnivores—wolves, cougars, and lynx, in particular,” said Davis. “We need to show people these are not dangerous animals, and in fact they will make our forests healthier.”
Davis wants DEC to look at what can be done to help cougars, wolves, and lynx return to the Adirondacks, whether naturally or through a reintroduction. Besides public education, one idea is to improve and protect wildlife corridors that animals use to travel long distances.
Davis also would like to see these top carnivores included in DEC’s Wildlife Action Plan, the department’s guide to managing and conserving species and habitats. “To ignore them because they’re extirpated is a big mistake,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of science and research in recent decades showing that top carnivores are ecologically important.” (Adirondack Explorer)
There appears to be a contradiction between abundant anecdotal evidence that cougars are present in the Adirondack Park and a veritable paucity of verifiable scientific evidence. Why? And if they are not already here, might cougars return in the near future? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Related articles
- Misplaced Fear of Cougars (and Other Predators) (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- We Should Welcome Cougars Back (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Cougar Sightings in and around Essex (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Cougar Watch Update from Protect the Adirondacks! (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Becky Hance says
They are here, I saw one about 5 years ago in Wadhams. Someone else I know also saw a similar cat in the same vicinity around the same time
George Davis says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Becky. Next time please snap a photo! We would be THRILLED to publish a photo/video of a local cougar sighting. One of these days I suspect it’s going to happen, but for now I just keep wishing. And begging! 😉
Linda Therrien says
There has been at least 1 in Reber for years. Wolves and Bobcats are here also. There have been many sitings of them all.
George Davis says
Thanks, Linda. Spread the word that we’re interested in people’s stories (about all three fascinating animals that you mention), and if anyone happens to photograph a cougar, wolf, bobcat, Canada lynx, moose, ermine, etc. (basically any of our more rare, less frequently spotted wild neighbors) locally, we would really appreciate the chance to showcase the image(s) on the blog. Thanks again!
Shelia Stiles says
Will one adult or worse yet one child being hurt from a puma be worth the introduction of a puma to the mountains? Black bears and wolfs do not attach humans without cause but pumas do and have killed how many on the secluded trails of the western states. we want the solitary and wildness of the natural park and fight to keep it that way. To introduce a dangerous animal a known killer is like playing Russian Roulette.on the trails and in the secluded sections of the mountains.. There is nothing to gain by this project.
George Davis says
Thank you for adding your perspective, Shelia. Your concern is not uncommon, and I realize that sometimes we wax enthusiastic about our diverse wildlife without always offering a “flip side”. Sorry about that. Certainly I don’t mean to diminish the fact that all wild animals – including but not limited to the three that you mention in your comment – represent risks as well as riches (biodiversity, balanced ecosystem, etc.) I believe that education and healthy respect for wild creatures is essential with or without cougars in our local environment. Lastly there are important differences between reintroducing cougars (or any other native species) and supporting natural return/rebound of a species that was extirpated before science fully understood the need for native apex predators in a healthy, sustainable ecosystem. I’m sorry that we don’t see eye-to-eye on the merits of the latter scenario, but I genuinely appreciate your perspective and comment. Thanks.