Rank Subspecies | Scientific name Puma concolor couguar Higher classification Cougar | |
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Similar Cougar, Felidae, Costa Rican cougar, Mammal, Eastern cougar | ||
The North American cougar (Puma concolor couguar), is the cougar subspecies once commonly found in eastern North America and still prevalent in the western half of the continent.
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As well as several previous subspecies of cougar of the western United States and western Canada, Puma concolor couguar encompasses the remaining populations of the eastern cougar, where the cat was also known as the panther, the only unequivocally known of which is the critically endangered Florida panther population. Many extinct populations, such as the Wisconsin cougar, which was extirpated in 1925, are also included in the subspecies.
Overall population
Several populations still exist and are thriving in the Western United States as well as Western Canada, but the North American cougar was once commonly found in eastern portions of the United States. It was believed to be extirpated there in the early 1900s. Cougars in Michigan were thought to have been killed off and extinct in the early 1900s. Today there is evidence to support that cougars could be on the rise in Mexico and could have a substantial population in years to come. Some mainstream scientists believe that small relict populations may exist (around 50 individuals), especially in the Appalachian Mountains and eastern Canada. Recent scientific findings in hair traps in Fundy National Park in New Brunswick have confirmed the existence of at least three cougars in New Brunswick. Some theories postulate that modern sightings and scientific data (hair samples) are from a feral breeding population of former pets, possibly hybridizing with native North American cougar remnants, or claim that cougars from the western United States have been rapidly expanding their range eastwards. The Ontario Puma Foundation estimates that there are currently 850 cougars in Ontario.
Sightings in eastern US
Reported sightings of cougars in the eastern United States continue today, despite their status as extirpated.
While the origin of these animals is unknown, cougar experts believe some are captive animals that have been released or escaped.