Scientists tracking eastward movement of cougars
by Paula M. Davenport
 CARBONDALE,
Ill. - Like most young outdoorsmen, he seems to be seeking the
simple things in life: A quiet, out-of-the-way place to call home,
great deer hunting grounds and a soul mate with whom to start a
family. No wonder he's looking in the agricultural Midwest, what
with its remaining forests and abundant venison.
However, he's not your average kind of guy - he's a cougar.
"There have been 21 confirmed cougars in nine Midwestern states and
one Canadian province in the past 18 months. In the 10 years before
that, we had one or two a year," says Clayton K. Nielsen, a wildlife
ecologist at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and director of
scientific research for the Cougar Network, a non-profit research
group that tracks "hard evidence" of cougar movements and networks
with federal, state and other wildlife agencies.
"The phenomenon of cougars showing up in the Midwest is a
relatively new one. It's the acceleration that's got people really
interested right now," says Nielsen, a scientist with the SIUC
Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory. Nielsen and the Network
are tracking scientifically confirmed cougar appearances on a "big
picture map" that's yielding a comprehensive view of the cats'
movements outside their contemporary ranges. Mere sightings don't
count. Carcasses, cougar DNA and verifiable photos are better
measures. These data, says Nielsen, are the most credible to date
on cougars' eastward migration. With the information, scientists may
begin to make educated predictions on how cougars may fare if and
when they get here. "From a research perspective, we want to know
where the movement corridors are, how the cougars are getting here
and if they do, we'd like to know if there's enough habitat for them
to survive and to eventually re-colonize," Nielsen says. One
thing's for sure: These cats will brave the water. Those showing up
in the Midwest first must successfully swim the Mississippi River.
As a species, cougars, also known as mountain lions, panthers or
pumas, were extirpated from the eastern half of the United States -
with the exception of Florida - about 150 years ago. Today, our
continent's biggest cats usually occupy secluded tracts of land out
West.
But rising cougar populations and habitat loss there appear to be
major factors in the felines' recent forays east, says Nielsen. In
December, a cougar - who'd been shot by an archer - was found by
another hunter after the cat collapsed and died in the family owned
woodlands in Mercer County, Ill., across the Mississippi River from
rural Iowa. A second cougar turned up dead on a railroad tracks
near the Mississippi River town of Chester, Ill., in June, 2000.
"That one was a relatively young male, four-six years old, who'd
recently eaten a fawn and appeared to be a wild animal," says
Nielsen, who was present at the cat's necropsy, conducted at the
University's Wildlife Lab. In some cases, these cougars may be
released pets, he adds. Still, there's no reason to lock and load.
"The likelihood of a human getting attacked by a cougar here in
Illinois is lower than death by vending machine," Nielsen says.
"There are much more dangerous risks out there to worry about."
"But there are no breeding populations of cougars in the Midwest. So
the cougars coming here aren't going to find one of the things
they're most interested in and that's mates," he explains. In
their travels, they continue seeking suitable partners until they're
either killed by hunters, hit by cars or trains or perhaps decide to
turn around and head back home. So it remains uncertain whether
cougars can re-establish themselves outside the West. "There's no
fear we're going to be overrun anytime soon. But I do think this is
a naturally occurring phenomenon. And whether you're in favor of it
or not, it appears to be happening. As scientists, we'd like to help
people plan for their possible arrival and to figure out whether or
not we can co-exist." Leading in research, scholarly and creative
activities are among the goals of Southern at 150: Building
Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of
the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in
2019.
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