Researchers see these traveling cougars as the odd young, subadult male on the hunt for a partner rather than any sort of major migration to the east. Many state and federal wildlife officials believe these cougars aren't native to the area - that they are released or escaped captives, or traveled from west to east.
By the 1990s, definitive field evidence of cougars living in the local area was confirmed through DNA analysis and other research methods.Īlthough cougar spottings are reported every year, the ones in the Adirondacks and eastern forests are currently regarded as an unsustainable breeding population. The number of reports were enough to place the cougar on the 1973 Endangered Species Act. In the mid-1900s, cougar sightings were rare but still occurred in remote areas. A combination of mass cougar huntings, deforestation, and market deer hunting contributed to the decline of the eastern cougar population and their near extinction by 1900. Due to their size and predatory habits, settlers soon viewed them as a danger to both themselves and their livestock, so their extirpation from the region began. The History Of Cougars In The Adirondacksīack in the 1500s, European settlers were unaware of the presence of the cougar species in eastern North America, and they confused them with the more well known lions and leopards. While deer are their preferred prey, they are also known to eat smaller animals as well, such as domestic animals and livestock. Similar to other species, cougar males are generally larger than females.Ĭougars are powerful predators, and they prey on a variety of animals. The adult cougar is usually 5-9 feet long, and it weighs between 80-225 pounds, with an average of 140 pounds. Recognizable markings on cougars include a creamy white color on their muzzle, chin, and belly, and black markings under their whiskers, behind the ears, and on the tip of the tail.
They have short fur that is tan in the summer and gray in the winter. Their most distinguishing features are their slender bodies, their small, broad, round heads, and most importantly, their long tail, which measures 26-32 inches. Eastern cougars, or mountain lions, are wild felines that resemble the common bobcat, but cougars are larger in size and stature.
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