COUGAR ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR IN AN INCREASINGLY URBAN WORLD

Brian KertsonWildlife Science GroupWACFWRU/SFRUniversity of Washington

COUGAR: A CAT BY MANY NAMES

• Puma concolor – “cat of a single color”• Cougar, Mountain Lion, Puma, Catamount, Panther,

Ghost Cat, Deer Tiger, Devil Cat, Klandaghi, Katalgar, Ko-Icto, ……………..

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Long Tail: 1/3

Smallish Head: ♀Long, Sleek, Muscular

Color: Varies-tawny, reddish, grayAdults: Solid; Kittens: Spotted

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Sexual Dimorphism:-Males: 120-200 lbs

x= 155 lbs-Females: 70-120 lbs

x= 92 lbs

PHYSICAL ABILITY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGfxD5hcInw

SOLITARY AND SECRETIVE

PREDATION

• Stalking predator• Deer (Odocoileus sp.)

and Elk• Physically impressive• Opportunistic and highly

adaptable• Predation rates vary:

-Sex-Reproductive status-Prey consumed

n = 18 cats, 304 kills

CACHING

COUGAR REPRODUCTION

• Mature: 2.5-3.5 yrs

• Breed year-round

• Birth pulse: June-Aug

• Gestation: ~ 92 days

• 1-6 Kittens, avg. 2-3

• No male parental care

DISPERSAL

(Koehler and Maletzke unpubl. data)

HOME RANGE & MOVEMENTS

• Far-ranging :-M: 505 km2

-F: 168 km2

• Overlap: variable• Movements:

-M: 4.17 km/day-F: 2.82 km/day

SOCIAL AND POPULATION DYANMICS

• M: territorial• F: mutual avoidance• Prey: changes

reproductive rates• Self-limiting• Low density:

-1.0-3.0 /100 km2

SCRAPES

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

• Largest geographic distribution of any terrestrial mammal in the western hemisphere

• Extinct in east, but recolonizing

HABITAT

• Cover*• Riparian (rivers,

streams, wetlands)• Edge• Young forest= Prey availability

and vulnerability• Travel- ridges

WASHINGTON STATE

• 88,497 km² of suitable cougar habitat (gray)

• 2,000-3,000 estimated cougars

• Classified as game species

WASHINGTON AND PEOPLE

• Increasing human pops-WA 2030: 8.2 million

• Habitat loss-WA: 27 km² per year

• High levels of interaction• Management needs

COUGAR MANAGEMENT• Pre-1970: Bounty• Post 1970: Game species• High profile, significant interest• Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

-Maintain viable, stable populations -Recreation-Ensure public safety-Aesthetic, cultural value-Predator-prey relationships

URBANIZING LANDSCAPES

COUGARS IN A RAPIDLY URBANIZING WORLD

COUGAR-HUMAN INTERACTION

• Interactions are more commonplace

• Lots of hypotheses, poorly understood

• Function of spatial and temporal overlap of cougars and people

• Investigate cougar ecology and behavior in the Wildland-Urban Interface and residential areas-Use levels-Document behaviors-Interaction levels and patterns

OBJECTIVE

STUDY AREA

Seattle

HOW TO CATCH A COUGAR

+ =

CAPTURE AND MONITORING

• 32 adult and subadults collared-16 male, 16 female

• x = 332 days (SD = 301) • x = 477 relocations/yr (SD = 540)• 27 w/ ≥ 30 relocations• n = 33 cougar yrs

RESIDENTIAL USE

• Residential use common• Overlap:

-93% of cats (n = 27)Average: -Volume = 16.86% ± 17.05-Area = 18.35% ± 16.75

• Exurban and/or near WUI• Full suite of behaviors

Not True Not True

TROLLING FOR MOUNTAIN LIONS?

INTERACTION

• 73 reports investigated• 29% of reports confirmed

-Depredations (goats, sheep, and llamas)-Poor animal husbandry (89%)-55%: bobcats, bears, coyotes

• Avg. = 3.43 km (SD = 3.57) from WUI

INTERACTION RATE

• Marked cougars (n = 32):-1.6 interactions per 1000 radio days

• Adjusted rate: -1.9 interactions per radio days

• 2,323 observations ≤ 500 m from development:-Interactions in 0.0073% of observations

WILDLAND-URBAN ECOLOGY

• Maximize predation opportunities, minimize exposure to residential development

• Minimizes potential for interaction while maintaining role as apex predator

PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT

• Landscape matters:-Threshold residential densities

• Target specific areas:-Exurban and WUI-RUF

Discovery Park

CONCLUSIONS

• Cougars use of residential areas will continue:-Connectivity, cover, and prey

• Residential areas function as modified, not unsuitable habitat

• Must account for spatial ecology• Education and landscape planning is key• Cougars and people coexist better than

previously realized

Questions?