How many cougars are left in the world?

It's impossible to give an exact number for how many cougars are left in the world. Here's why:

* 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.