Myth and the Ghost Cat

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE COUGAR FUND
•
FA L L 2 011 I S S U E
Myth and the Ghost Cat
written by: Franz Camenzind, Ph.D.
Myth: “…an unproved or false
collective belief that is used to justify
a social institution…”
It’s safe to say that myths have been part of
human history since our ancestors began
sitting around open fires making up
stories to explain the dangers and
unknowns in the wild world
beyond the fire’s light. But why,
in this age of science, do myths
continue to influence public
opinion and agency decisions?
Why our reluctance to trade myths
for science?
rarely vocal and usually solitary, this phantom-like predator
earned a reputation as America’s most mysterious predator.
Even today, this very nature of the cougar seems to be
enough to keep the myth alive.
Titles such as Ghost of North America,
Spirit of the Rockies and Shadow Cat
seem to perpetuate the centuries-old
aura of mystery surrounding the
cougar. But in fact, these recent
publications are part of a growing
effort to peel away the myth and
expose the science behind the
North American cougar.
The first extensive field study of
cougars was conducted in the Central
Nowhere is the frustration greater than
Idaho Primitive Area by a team of
pho
in the debates regarding our understanding
sen
to b y
l
e
g
researchers
lead by Dr. Maurice Hornocker.
: Thomas D. Man
and management of large, native predators such as
His pioneering work conducted four decades ago
cougars, grizzly bears and wolves.
described in detail how a stable cougar population occupied its
environment, impacted native ungulates and interacted within
Early humans likely viewed top predators both as competitors
its species.
for food and as direct threats to their lives. In spite of, or perhaps
because of, this tenuous relationship, an argument can be made
One of the study’s conclusions was that cougar numbers were
that early humans may have been better at accepting large
self-limited by intraspecific relationships, manifested through
predators as part of their world than we are today.
territoriality. In simple terms, these cougars controlled their
Of today’s top carnivores, none remains shrouded in myth
more than the cougar. Primarily nocturnal, a master at stealth,
numbers and did not over-run their environment.
The study also determined that bighorn sheep numbers
remained constant during the four-year period while
1
Myth and the Ghost Cat
populations of deer and elk actually increased. The researcher
concluded as well that six key winter ranges were over-browsed
and that much of the range was considered overpopulated by
deer and elk. This was hard evidence that an uncontrolled
cougar population was by itself not capable of keeping elk and
deer numbers in check.
Fifty percent of the elk and deer killed by cougars were
considered to be in poor condition. The study determined
that elk and deer populations were limited by the winter food
supply and that predation by cougars was inconsequential in
determining elk and deer numbers. The study also concluded
that predation by cougars was a powerful force acting to
dampen and protract severe prey oscillations and that such
predation was considered of great significance in maintenance
of ecologic stability in a wilderness environment—a strong
research-supported statement that large predators play a
positive role in ecosystem function.
What may be the longest running cougar study occurred in
Yellowstone National Park between 1986 and 2006. Half of the
study occurred before the reintroduction of wolves to the park,
while in the second half of the study wolves were well established.
Both top predators shared the habitat and vied for the same prey
species. (The park’s third top predator, the grizzly bear, was
present in substantial numbers throughout the study.) Between
1998 and 2005, 74 percent of the 473 known or probable
cougar kills were elk. Wolves scavenged on 22 percent of cougar
kills and displaced cougars eight of the 10 times that wolves
were known to have visited kills when cougars were present.
In addition to the elk, cougars were known to have killed 64
mule deer, 12 bighorn sheep, 10 pronghorn, 10 coyotes and
numerous smaller mammals and birds.
From 1999 to 2003, seven cougars were determined to have
been killed by wolves (six kittens and one adult), while in a
four-year period cougars killed one wolf and were suspected
in the death of another. As one of three top predators, cougars
were limited by both inter- and intraspecific interactions,
showing that their fate was determined by a vast array
of interconnected environmental factors.
(continued)
Important research is currently being conducted by staff of
the Large Carnivore Conservation Lab at Washington State
University. One recent study found that the hunting of adult
male cougars resulted in more young males immigrating into the
area. This, in turn, likely leads to increased competition for space
with some young cougars eventually living closer to humans.
Although the original hunting quotas were set to reduce the
number of depredation complaints, the outcome was a four to
eight fold increase in complaints. Aggressive hunting of adult
males had a destabilizing effect upon the cougar population
with significant unfavorable and unintended consequences.
Researchers also examined prey switching by adult female
cougars as young males immigrated into territories opened
due to the removal of adult males. In one study it appeared
that adult females with vulnerable kittens moved from areas
of abundant white-tail deer (while the young males remained
in the abundant white-tail areas) to areas with declining mule
deer numbers. The resulting increase in mule deer predation
by the newly immigrated females accelerated the drop in deer
numbers and caused the state game management agency
to re-think its cougar hunting programs. These results
demonstrated that fewer cougars do not automatically
mean higher deer numbers.
We are indeed living in an age of intense resource
management, but until we better understand the complex
role top predators play in ecosystem functions, we should
be overly cautious in implementing management plans
for these keystone species. In the mean time, science is
showing us that leaving large carnivores to their own
devices may just be the best management plan.
A wise tinkerer, as the saying goes, saves all
the pieces. We should add that no responsible
tinkerer would substitute myth for science.
If we must manage, if we must tinker, let’s
do so with a toolbox overflowing
with science and not with
a caldron of mythology.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Calls on Indiscriminate Targeting of Cougars
During Upcoming Deer Season
written by: Gary Koehler, Ph.D.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
has notified deer hunters
to take up arms against
cougars, reminding hunters
that “cougars are also
fair game anywhere in
the state.”
This plea is in response to
this summer’s decision by
the State Legislature to
end a “special pilot hound
hunt (HB1124)” initiated in 2004 (SSB 6118,
HB1756, HB2438), which permitted hunters to use hounds to
decrease cougar numbers in five counties in northern Washington. This plea is similar to actions taken by the Department
following the 1996 Voter Initiative (I655) that banned the use
of hounds for hunting cougars, black bears and bobcats. In
response to the 1996 Initiative, the Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife took the following actions:
• lowered cougar license fees to $5
• lengthened the season from an average of six weeks
to seven months or more
• increased the bag limit from one to two cougars
per season
These actions resulted in more than double the amount of
killed cougars in the state, from 100 to 300 cats in the first year
alone. This plea for deer hunters to ‘pot’ a cat is in addition to
the quota system allocating harvest tags throughout the state
during the permit-only cougar season beginning in January
and those cougars killed during the general season ‘control’
activities executed by the state. Research, sponsored in part by the same department that is
now calling on the increased pressure on cougars, shows that
during the past decade
cougar numbers have
been stable with densities
limited by the cougar’s inherent social organization.
This means that cougars
naturally limit how many
individual cats live in, share
or overlap a specific habitat:
approximately 1.73 adult
cougars per 100 square
kilometers in Washington.
This density holds true for
photo by: Louise Shirley
five areas of the state where
research was conducted and in a variety of habitat conditions. Cougars intrinsically limit their densities on the landscape,
manifested by territoriality and emigration of dispersal-aged
juveniles from the area in which they were born. The social
structure of these solitary carnivores was first made clear 50
years ago, a behavior as much a part of the cougar’s evolution
as their secretive nature, tawny color and long tail.
This call to arms is not a response to increased cougar complaints registered by the Department—ironically, cougar complaint numbers are down statewide from a decade ago. So what
is driving the Department’s plea? Likely this is in response to
a misguided fear that cougar numbers will escalate now that
hound hunting has been banned by voter initiative
via the Legislature, along with the ideology that hound
hunting is a “management tool” perceived to be necessary to
control this elusive animal. In light of this plea to have deer
hunters also target cougars, the Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife appears to ignore the very research that they
helped to sponsor, which showed that cougars establish their
populations at well-regulated, low densities- an elemental
principle of ecology that top carnivores occur at low densities.
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FILM PREMIERE:
National Geographic’s
American Cougar
American Cougar tells a unique
story of a community of cougars
whose skills are illustrated and
tested as they struggle to survive
in the severe landscape of the
northern Rocky Mountains. A
determined team of researchers,
lead by houndsman and
researcher Boone Smith, mount
grueling expeditions in attempts
to gain precious scientific data.
The story features F51, a young
crafty female cougar who makes
her way through the winter but is tested as she struggles to
bring her unborn litter to a healthy birth after a cruel winter.
Our matron, wise F109, carries the key to crucial scientific
data, but she’s a ghost and a true master of escape. Attempts to
retrieve her information turn out to be more than anyone
bargained for. Merging adventure with breathtaking cinematography, this film allows us an exciting and intimate view into
the secret life of the Cougar.
Jeff Hogan is a wildlife cinematographer who spent the last
winter filming wild cougars in and around the mountains of
Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The breathtaking footage he captured
will be featured in a National Geographic Special called American
Cougar, scheduled to premiere on December 11, 2011.
“Twelve months ago when I started this project, I never knew
that cougars plucked the hair from their prey before feeding, or
photo by: Thomas D. Mangelsen
photo by: Jeff Hogan
that this magnificent cat shadow-stepped, which means
placing their rear paws in the
same step as their front paws
as they walk or stalk their
prey. I never thought that
I would be filming cougars
mating or a kitten and mom
communicating in the middle
of the night through a series
of chirp-like whistles. At one
point I wondered if I would
ever film a cougar at all.
“Now, with it all behind me, it’s hard to believe that American
Cougar is finally complete. The effort to capture behavioral
moving images is done. No more climbing to the top of mountains on snowshoes for a chance to catch a glimpse of a traveling cougar. No more checking of remote cameras, with fingers
crossed, or hoping that our cougar-triggered cameras may have
captured footage of an event never captured before on film.
“The experience of spending a winter in the Gros Ventre Range
in pursuit of these great cats has changed my life forever. The
researchers, trackers and film crew I shared this effort with and
learned from will forever receive my utmost respect. And more
important than anything, I will walk away from this film with a
better understanding of the Cougar itself, a creature that stalks
in the silence of darkness, in complete secrecy, wishing no one
understand it at all.”
photo by: Louise Shirley
Cougar Research
One of the scientific trends The Cougar Fund is interested in is the
monitoring and health of cougar populations using hair collected
from bedding sites, tree snags or specially-designed “hair snares”
that are strategically placed where cougars are known to travel. Once
gathered, DNA can be extracted from the hair to better understand
each individual cat. Your generous support makes it possible for
The Cougar Fund to help fund important studies such as this one.
Hair Collected While
Backtracking Cougars Proves
Useful as a Noninvasive
Genetic Sampling Technique
For decades, biologists have
struggled with how to monitor the numbers and growth
trends of the cougar, Puma
concolor and other large carnivore populations. The challenges
arise from the fact that cougars occur at low densities, maintain
large home ranges, blend into the landscape and are difficult to
directly observe from the ground or the air. Typically, biologists
have relied on conventional methods for monitoring cougar
populations that involve capture, tagging and radio-collaring.
However, these methods are time-consuming, expensive, logistically challenging and difficult to implement over large areas
and for an adequate duration to monitor changes in populations.
With technological advances in amplifying DNA from various
biological samples, the collection of scat and hair deposited by
animals in their daily activities has shown much promise and
is gaining in popularity as a way to monitor
populations. With this method—known as
noninvasive genetic sampling—biologists
search for scat and hair or attempt to snag
hair on wire or hair pads along established
grids and routes within a study area. Once
the hair or scat samples are collected, DNA
can be extracted and used to identify and sex
individuals, estimate abundance, distribution,
population growth rates and examine patterns
of genetic population structure across large
landscapes.
photos by: Toni K. Ruth
Hair samples, however, are
difficult to obtain from some
wild felid species, but two
collection methods show promise—hair snares and snow
tracking. Neither of these methods has been adequately tested
for their ability to yield hair samples from cougars. In addition,
few wildlife studies have examined the reliability of genetic data
by comparing genotypes from hair or scat samples collected in
the field with genotypes from the same individuals produced
from blood or tissue samples, which have much higher concentrations of DNA and therefore lower rates of genotyping errors.
Yellowstone National Park has shown interest in utilizing the
methods to occasionally sample the cougar population within
the Park, and state agencies have used our backtracking methods, coupled with other non-invasive techniques, to monitor
population trends. Our long-term research on the effects of
wolf reintroduction on cougars in Yellowstone National Park,
initiated by the Hornocker Wildlife Institute in 1998 and overseen by Dr. Toni Ruth, provided an opportunity to evaluate
noninvasive genetic sampling methods using a radio-marked
population. Part way through the study, Dr. Ruth and field
technician Mike Sawaya initiated a three-year study to evaluate the efficacy of noninvasive genetic methods for cougars,
the results of which were recently published in the Journal of
Wildlife Management (Sawaya et al. 2011). The findings will also
be a chapter in Sawaya’s dissertation through Montana State
University. Our study goals were to: 1) determine which DNA
collection method, hair rub pads or snow tracking, provided
a better method for obtaining samples for
genetic analysis, 2) evaluate reliability of the
genetic data derived from hair samples collected
in the field, and 3) evaluate the potential of
noninvasive genetic sampling for demographic
monitoring of cougar populations.
Excerpted from Sawaya, M., T.K. Ruth, S. Creel, J. J. Rotella,
H. B. Quigley, S. T. Kalinowski. 2011. “Evaluation of Noninvasive Genetic Sampling Methods for Cougars Using a
Radio-Collared Population in Yellowstone National Park.”
Journal of Wildlife Management 75(3):612–622.
To find out just what the study discovered,
visit The Cougar Fund online at
www.cougarfund.org.
5
What Do A Florida Universi
And The Western Cou
In May, The Cougar Fund co-founder Tom
Mangelsen and Development Director Lisa
Rullman attended the 10th Annual Mountain
Lion Conference. There they heard a
presentation by a Florida Gulf Coast University
(FGCU) representative Ricky Pires.
Florida Gulf Coast University started Wings of
Hope and the Panther Posse eleven years ago; its
mission, “Building bridges of hope for wildlife,
water conservation and the environment with
education and awareness for college and elementary students and
their families.”
photo by: Craighead Institute
Panther Posse is a highly successful program using college students
to help teach 4th graders about the endangered Florida Panther,
research, panther habitat, kittens and water conservation. One key
element of the program is that every child is required to teach two
more people. Another is the children’s direct link to research through
“pennies for panthers.” The money they raise is used to purchase
motion-triggered cameras, and the photos of panthers captured by
the remote cameras enhance the research. Wanting to emulate their
program, Lisa contacted Panther Posse’s creator and director Ricky
Pires and the partnership with Florida Gulf Coast University was
born. It has been Ricky’s dream to expand the program. Partnering
with The Cougar Fund and creating Cougar Posse is her legacy.
For more information about Craighead Beringia South, visit: www.beringiasouth.org
ity, An Endangered Species
gar H ave I n C o m m o n?
photo by: FGCU Panther Posse camera
In July, thanks to FGCU, Ricky flew to Jackson,
Wyoming. She made presentations to potential
funders, local educators and volunteers. She shared
her knowledge, supplies and experience. Knowing
the importance of first hand participation, in
September FGCU hosted Lisa for three days
in Ft. Myers. Lisa experienced a Panther Posse
in action, working with the children as they
completed each challenge. She also visited the
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge with
the hope of connecting classrooms in Florida and
Wyoming to compare and contrast panther/cougar habitat.
7
Another partner in this great program is Craighead Beringia South,
a prominent wildlife research and education institute dedicated to
putting science to work for wildlife. They will be working closely
with The Cougar Fund to adjust the curriculum for the western
habitat and will be hands-on in the classroom.
The Cougar Fund is thrilled to be working with both Florida Gulf
Coast University and Craighead Beringia South. It is our sincere
hope that once Cougar Posse is successfully launched in Jackson,
Wyoming—birthplace of The Cougar Fund­­—it can expand to other
areas where cougars reside.
photos by: Lisa Rullman
For more information about Panther Posse, visit: www.fgcu.edu/cas/wingsofhope
photos by: Craighead Institute
The Cougar Fund
around Jackson, Wyoming
Old Bill’s
Fun Run
What would you do if you were a two-time
Olympic long-distance runner and were confronted by several
cougar sightings at just the time in your life when everything
seemed to be turning upside down? During Anne Marie Letko’s
talk, “Cat Tales, Running with Cougar,” this is exactly the
story that captivated the guests at The Murie Center’s Front
Porch Series. The Cougar Fund partnered with The Center in
June to present the evening talk to 70+ guests
below the Tetons at The Murie
Ranch, which concluded with
founders Cara Blessley Lowe and
Tom Mangelsen telling their own
version of being touched by Puma
concolor and the beginnings of
The Cougar Fund.
photos by: Charlie Craighead
is a Jackson Hole
institution that is legendary
in the non-profit community
for every donor dollar given
through the program being
photos by: Charlie
Craighead
matched at approximately
50% by the anonymous “Mr. and Mrs. Old Bill” and other
Co-Challengers. The run is a community event like no other
with costumed adults, canines and kids running to raise money
for local non-profits. Informational booths of the benefiting
organizations filled the town square, and who was on the front
lines this year? None other than The Cougar Fund staff!
The Cougar Fund Development Director Lisa Rullman serves
on the “Run Committee” and acts as co-manager of the
route, appearing everywhere from the start to the finish line!
The Cougar Fund Office Assistant Heather Mathews served
at The Cougar Fund booth throughout the event answering
questions and helping children make animal tracks in sand
using plaster molds, which will be part of the Cougar Posse
program (see page 6).
Thank you to all who visited us and made the event such a
success. We also thank Anne Marie Letko, winner of the
women’s 5k race, for choosing The
Cougar Fund as one of the non-profits
Farmers markets are a
to receive a portion of her race award.
different about the “Jackson Hole People’s
Market” is that each week one non-profit
organization is featured to highlight the work
they are doing in the community. The Cougar
Fund was selected and regarded this opportunity as a chance to engage the community
on several levels: Kids were taught how to distinguish cougar tracks from dog tracks
(look for the three-lobed heel print!), existing supporters were met and new ones gained
and issues impacting cougars and other carnivores were discussed. If you happen to be in
Jackson Hole next summer, look for us on Wednesday evenings at the People’s Market!
We want to thank Jeff and Deana Henn of Ft. Myers, Florida for
hosting a wine and cheese party for The Cougar Fund. Fundraising
efforts like these make our work possible. Thank you Jeff and Deana!
photos by: Franz Ca
U.S., and Jackson Hole is no exception. What’s
menzind
summer staple in towns and cities around the
10th Anniversary
Cougar Fund supporters gathered in Jackson, Wyoming at American
Legion Post 43’s cozy log building on Sunday, October 9th to celebrate
the first 10 years of The Cougar Fund and kick off the next 10 years.
Candlelight, white linens, red roses and the aroma of Mama K’s gourmet
pizza greeted each guest. Wonderful auction items donated by various
businesses and supporters covered several tables. Gwen Leslie provided
banjo music and vocals. Board members Webb Blessley, Cara Blessley Lowe,
Tom Mangelsen, Corey Rutledge and John Swallow were introduced
and recounted stories of the organization’s beginnings ten years ago. We
appreciate everyone’s support of our work through our first decade and
look forward to our continued partnerships in the future.
We would like to thank the following businesses and individuals who supported our 10th Anniversary:
Albertsons
American Legion Post 43
Backcountry Provisions
Barker-Ewing Scenic Float Trips
Betty Rock Café and Pizzeria
The Brookover Gallery
Sue Cedarholm
Charlie Craighead
Craighead Beringia South
Dornans Wine Shop
e.leaven Food Company
Fort Frame and Art
Great Harvest Bread Company
High Country Linen Service
Jackson Hole Distributing
Jackson Whole Grocer
Hey!wire - Dorothy Jankowsky
Gwen Leslie
Please
support
those
who
support
us!
photos by: Charlie Craighead and Drea Craighead
Mangelsen – Images of Nature Gallery
Thomas D. Mangelsen
Patagonia
Pearl Street Bagels
Lisa and Steve Robertson
Sidewinders Tavern Liquor Store
Skinny Skis
Westside Wine and Spirits
The Wort Hotel
9
The Cougar Fund Board of Directors
photo by: Sue Cedarholm
Welcomes New Staff
Board of Directors
Marc Bekoff
Webb Blessley,
Treasurer
Patricio Robles Gil
Dr. Jane Goodall
left to right: Lisa Rullman, Thomas D. Mangelsen, Cara Blessley Lowe, Heather Mathews
Lisa Rullman, Development Director, has a lengthy history of raising
money and generating awareness for conservation issues. Before joining
The Cougar Fund, she spent six years with Jackson Hole Conservation
Alliance. “Lisa brings enthusiasm, savvy and that rare gift of marrying
passion with fundraising—the practical side of our mission,” says Thomas
D. Mangelsen, co-founder of The Cougar Fund. Welcome, Lisa!
Heather Mathews recently joined the staff of The Cougar Fund. Her
expertise with bookkeeping and management, in a variety of local
businesses from a veterinary office to non-profits focused on domestic
animals and wildlife, made her the ideal candidate for our new part-time
position of office assistant. Cara Blessley Lowe, co-founder and director of
The Cougar Fund, said, “I don’t think it would be possible to find a more
positive, energetic and organized person to add to our staff.”
Rick Hopkins, Ph.D,
President
Cara Blessley Lowe,
Co-Founder and Secretary
Thomas D. Mangelsen,
Co-Founder
Susan Richards, Esq.
Corey Rutledge, Esq.
John Swallow,
Vice-President
Advisory Board
Dr. Susan G. Clark
Dr. Brett G. Dickson
Ron Hirschi
Ted Kerasote
Linda L. Sweanor, M.S.
Staff
We’re an approved
1% partner!
1% member businesses on every
continent give at least 1% of their
top-line sales to charities like ours.
Support us – and make giving back
a part of the way you do business.
onepercentfortheplanet.org
The Cougar Fund
is proud to announce
its new partnership with
1% for the Planet.
Lisa Rullman,
Development Director,
[email protected]
Heather Mathews,
Office Assistant,
[email protected]
Cash for Cougars
Contact Us
The Cougar Fund
PO Box 122
Jackson, WY 83001
Without donors like you,
these cats don’t have a voice.
There are many ways to support our work:
(307) 733-0797
Fax: (307) 733-7129
• Mail a check today to:
The Cougar Fund
PO Box 122
Jackson, WY 83001
[email protected]
www.cougarfund.org
• Use your credit card to donate by visiting: www.cougarfund.org.
• A gift of stock may be made through Wells Fargo Advisors at (307) 733-0797;
The Cougar Fund, Inc.; DTC #0141; Account #70074188.
• Join our Monthly Giving Circle by mailing a check monthly or signing up for a monthly recurring gift on our website:
www.cougarfund.org.
• Help us plan for our future by making a three-year pledge.
Has y
our em
ail or
mailin
g addr
ess
chang
ed? Pl
ease le
t
us kn
ow!
• Host a fundraiser to benefit The Cougar Fund.
• Give an in-kind gift or service. Please call us at (307) 733-0797 to discuss your idea.
• Celebrate our 10th Anniversary with an additional gift using any of the above methods.
• Remember The Cougar Fund with a planned gift when making your estate plans.
• Volunteer to help with social media, special events, mailings, public comment or so much more.
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11
PO Box 122
Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 733-0797
Fax: (307) 733-7129
[email protected]
www.cougarfund.org