Cougars in Western North Carolina: What We Know So Far - Away State Journal
Cougars are big cats native to North, Central, and South America. Their strong, athletic build allows them to sprint at great speeds over short distances, as well as to leap both horizontally and vertically.
Several populations still exist and are thriving in the western United States, Southern Florida, and 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.
A Definitive Resource About Cougars: Comprehensive, non-profit 501 (c) (3) site with extensive information about cougars, from how to live safely in cougar country, to science abstracts, hunting regulations, state-by-state cougar management/policy info, and rare photos and videos of wild cougars.
Cougars are hypercarnivores that mainly eat large mammals, especially deer, and will also eat coyotes, beavers, porcupines, mice, marmots, raccoons, hares, birds, and sometimes grasshoppers. They will prey on domestic livestock, such as poultry, sheep, calves, goats, and pigs.
The cougar is a cat of many names: Puma, mountain lion, and catamount, among others. This adaptable predator has the widest range of any land mammal in the Western Hemisphere, and can be found in...
Cougars measure about 1.5-2.4 m (5-8 ft.) long. While males can weigh up to 68 kg (150 lb.), females weigh less, topping out at nearly 45 kg (100 lb.). They have similar body types to house cats, only on a larger scale. They have slender bodies and round heads with pointed ears.
