* Wide Distribution: Cougars live in a vast range across the Americas, from Canada to South America. Tracking them across this entire area is difficult.
* Elusive Nature: Cougars are solitary, nocturnal, and skilled at avoiding humans, making them hard to count.
* Varying Population Estimates: Different organizations and researchers have varying estimates based on different methodologies.
However, here's what we do know:
* Not Endangered: Cougars are classified as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List, meaning they are not currently facing an immediate threat of extinction.
* Stable Populations: In many areas, populations are relatively stable, though some areas have seen declines due to habitat loss, hunting, and other human-caused factors.
* Range Expansion: In some areas, cougar populations are actually expanding, as they have adapted well to living in human-modified landscapes.
Overall, while we can't know the exact number, there are still a significant number of cougars in the wild, and their populations appear to be generally healthy.