- The primary cause of cougar endangerment is habitat loss resulting from human activities.
- Urbanization, agriculture expansion, road construction, and logging encroach upon and fragment their natural habitats. This disruption makes it difficult for cougars to find food and mates.
2. Hunting and Poaching
- Cougars are often hunted for their fur, sport, and perceived threats to livestock. Poaching further contributes to their population decline.
3. Human-Wildlife Conflict
- As human populations grow and encroach on cougar habitats, encounters between humans and cougars become more frequent.
- These encounters can lead to conflict, resulting in the killing of cougars to protect human lives and livestock.
4. Fragmentation of Populations:
- Habitat loss and fragmentation create isolated cougar populations, limiting genetic diversity and increasing the risk of inbreeding, making them more vulnerable to disease and other threats.
5. Climate Change:
- Changing climatic conditions impact prey species and alter vegetation, disrupting the ecological balance and affecting the availability of resources for cougars.