The question of cougar in the North Country

Have you seen a cougar in the North Country?

That question draws some amazing responses. You can hear NCPR’s reports on cougar sightings here and here.

Here’s what’s been proven:
There were cougar here long ago. (Before Europeans arrived, the big cats covered the New World – from just below the Arctic to the very tip of South America.)
Cougar habitat was carved up by roads and logging.
The last cougar carcass found in this area was more than 100 years ago. (New York State put a bounty on their hides. The last bounty was claimed after the Civil War.)

Here’s the important point:
Since 1880, there has been no evidence of cougar in northern New York. This means no fur, scat or carcasses.

Some environmentalists say this is a problem. They want the region to have a top-tier predator. These are the species that keep an ecosystem in balance by limiting the number of prey animals.

In the Adirondack/North Country, this debate has focused on the mushrooming deer population. Bears don’t often prey on deer. This leaves two animals that could play the role of top-tier predator: wolf and cougar.

We’ll leave the wolf out of this post and any subsequent thread. There’s simply too much to say about the species and what current science is finding. I promise you, though, we will get into the whole wolf issue soon.

Since NCPR started asking people about cougar sightings in late November, we’ve been flooded with responses and comments. Two of them really stand out.

Both are from people who have spent a big chunk of their lives studying cougar. Both cite the ecological need for a top-tier predator in northern New York.

And – here’s the juicy bit – both want to reintroduce cougar here.

There’s one more juicy bit: they just might pull it off.

So, let’s edit the question that started this post:

Are you READY to see cougar in the North Country?

Comment below.