Eastern Cougar Declared Extinct

This Wednesday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the eastern cougar extinct and is now moving forward with plans to remove them from the Endangered Species Act.

While many suspected that cougars, otherwise known as catamount, mountain cat, mountain lion, panther, or puma, had been wiped out in the east for a while, others believed they were still here eluding humans as to their whereabouts, which lead to their nickname “ghost cat.”

At least 108 sightings have been reported between 1900 and 2010, although none of them were confirmed. Most were believed to have been western cougars spotted during migration, or domesticated or captive cougars that got loose.

In 2007, the UWFWS began a review of trail cameras, eyewitness accounts and road kill reports and is now confident that the eastern cougar is extinct. It’s been 70 years since the last confirmed sighting in Maine.

Eastern cougars once thrived, but became the victims of overzealous hunting and bounties and also suffered from a decline of white-tailed deer, their main prey, which lead to their decline. They were added to the Endangered Species Act in 1973.

The loss of a top predator has lead to a vast increase in deer populations and a decline in forest health in the east. Some experts believe that the western cougar will eventually makes its way east to fill in the gap.

Others including organizations, such as the Cougar Rewilding Foundation, would like to see a reintroduction of wolves and cougars, but expect that suggestions or plans to do so would meet opposition.

“Our ecosystems are collapsing up and down the East Coast, and they’re collapsing because we have too many white-tailed deer,” said Christopher Spatz, the organizations president. “Our forests are not being permitted to regenerate.”

He added that cougars and wolves would naturally thin the deer herd through direct predation while also acting as “natural shepherds,” forcing deer to become more vigilant and “stop browsing like cattle.”

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Past Member .

4:59PM PDT on Apr 26, 2012

I say BAN HUNTING AND TRAPPING FOREVER!!!

send a green star

elizabeth l.

8:15AM PDT on Apr 2, 2012

We have a bunch of cougars here in the catskills, I actually have seen several.

richa b.

6:41AM PDT on Mar 29, 2012

saddened..:( such beautiful majestic creatures ..They need to go back to the endangered list and areas where they remain must be protected from greedy evil bastards who like to create politics so they can hunt and kill for amusement and ego

Diana D.

4:30AM PST on Mar 7, 2012

Removing them from the endangered species list seems to give trophy hunters a green light! A very bad idea considering there may be a few precious big cats surviving that someone conveniently didn't see.

Barbara U.

10:58AM PDT on Oct 21, 2011

Christan: I think that's an excellent idea!

Kristen H.

10:39AM PDT on Jul 27, 2011

I think cougars should be introduced into Congress, at this point. (a joke, for those of you literal-minded boobs who might for a nanosecond think that was serious).

Craig P.

5:29AM PDT on Jul 27, 2011

Cougars should be reintroduced into the East and new laws should be imposed to protect their existence. Unfortunately, I do not expect this to be a near future occurrence.

Lynette B.

8:13AM PDT on Jul 25, 2011

The problem is, just like the reintroduction of wolves in the western states, the cougars will eventually become a target of uncalled for trapping and hunting once they will be seen as "a nuisance". Definetely there is an issue with the number and spread of white tail deer, and the ticks borne diseases that follow in their wake. This is, yet again, a prime example of humans' detrimental effect on our planet, and how we have messed up again.

Siusaidh C.

8:54PM PDT on Jul 24, 2011

No, no use to reintroduce the beautiful cats - the poor creatures would only be killed by the only truly disgusting species ever to live on this beautiful planet - you know which that is.