There are a series of great articles over at Michigan Outdoor News that Will Costello sent me.
Here are the links:
State’s cougar research is under scientists’ scrutiny
Cougar research is under the microscope
I read both articles and it sounds like a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo to me. Here’s what I think: I think there are not very many cougars in Michigan, there are not very many in Missouri and there is not very many in Virginia for that matter, but they do exist. If dead ones show up in certain states most likely they are lone animals and not parts of breeding pairs. These cats are very very elusive and are very hard to come by in the wild. When seen it is rare that photographic proof ever accompanies them because people are usually way too shocked to even think about getting out a camera and taking some pictures.
I personally hope we do some more research on these great cats and allow them to prosper and grow in numbers. I am very sure Virginia could support several hundred of these cats in the right locations. As long as they are managed well, I would love to see more of them!
