Cougars communicate utilizing a range of vocalizations, including low guttural growls, screech, snarls, screams, hisses, chirps and whistles. They cannot roar. They can purr.
R. Brent Lyles, executive director of the Mountain Lion Foundation, sharing the story of one remarkable cougar that walked all the way from South Dakota to Connecticut.
"As the Mountain Lion Foundation discussed the behavioral tendencies of mountain lions, we invited the volunteers to try to assess the site and think from a cougar’s perspective: 'Where could I make it in?' The hearty volunteers then set to work to shore up those vulnerable openings in the structures, and, by mid-afternoon, had added predator-proofing to the animal pens."
Mountain lion kittens are born with blue eyes and spots that fade away gradually as they age. They stay with their mother for up to two years to learn hunting techniques.
Josh Roseanu, director of policy and advocacy for the Mountain Lion Foundation, showing volunteers an electric night pen: A simple-to-set-up livestock enclosure that can deter cougars in the short term.
Cougars communicate utilizing a range of vocalizations, including low guttural growls, screech, snarls, screams, hisses, chirps and whistles. They cannot roar. They can purr.
Dan Potter photo
Volunteers helped add predator-proofing to the animal pens at Columbia High School.
Josh Roseanu, director of policy and advocacy for the Mountain Lion Foundation, showing volunteers an electric night pen: A simple-to-set-up livestock enclosure that can deter cougars in the short term.
From the Canadian Yukon to the Andes, cougars have the greatest of range of any living mammal in the Americas. Little surprise then that cougars inhabit Klickitat County.
The fact that cougars — which are also known as pumas, mountain lions and many other names — still live in half of their past range is a testament to their remarkable persistence. Despite facing significant threats from climate change, habitat fragmentation, legal and illegal hunting, wildfire, vehicular strikes and poisoning, this species is hanging on.
It’s taken 11 million years of evolution, but these animals have adapted to be skilled hunters at home in many habitats and climates. Mountain lions prefer to live in rocky areas with dense underbrush, but, with their effective camouflage, they can also live in open areas. Thanks to the range of adaptions, including stealthy movement, long legs and powerful muscles, excellent vision and hearing, and primarily nocturnal behavior, they can live pretty much anywhere, including urbanized areas. Even the longer hair on their belly contributes to their versatility, insulating the part of the body most likely to touch the ground, whether that is cold mountain snow or hot desert sand.
Bruce Bolme, Juris Sarins, JoDean Sarins and Charlie Wilson listening to the “Cougars of Klickitat County” presentation.
Lace Thornberg photo
For just one more example of how fine-tuned their bodies are, consider that much of their body weight is muscle mass with baggy skin, allowing for a wide range of motion and protecting internal organs during fights with their often-formidable prey.
People tend to have strong feelings about mountain lions — often that’s a deep love, but sometimes the emotion is fear. While mountain lions are a strong apex carnivore that demands our distance and respect, the good news for all of us is that cougars want nothing to do with humans and generally turn tail at any hint of our presence. Mountain lions do not see humans as prey. What’s more, research has also shown that mountain lions are averse to conflict, whether that’s conflict with other mountain lions, other predators or humans. They rely on wariness as their first defense and resort to fighting only when necessary to defend a territory or a litter of kittens.
On Friday, Aug. 25, the Mountain Lion Foundation hosted a presentation and community Q&A session at the Mountain View Grange, with a good crowd of people on hand to learn more about these iconic wild animals in their backyard. I shared the story of one remarkable cougar who walked all the way from South Dakota to Connecticut, leaving traces and signs all along his 1,500-to-2,000-mile journey, and we discussed cougar management in Washington state. It was clear from the questions asked that Klickitat County residents are knowledgeable on wildlife management issues, with a strong interest in preserving the cougars that inhabit the area.
R. Brent Lyles, executive director of the Mountain Lion Foundation, sharing the story of one remarkable cougar that walked all the way from South Dakota to Connecticut.
Lace Thornberg photo
The next morning, we headed over to the barn and animal pens at Columbia High School Land Lab to put practical, low-cost coexistence techniques into practice.
Columbia High School students can house their own livestock at Land Lab, and then show and market those livestock at the Klickitat County Fair. There are commonly sheep, goats and pigs on campus, and, in 2019, a cougar came to the land lab and killed several goats that belonged to students.
As the Mountain Lion Foundation discussed the behavioral tendencies of mountain lions, we invited the volunteers to try to assess the site and think from a cougar’s perspective: “Where could I make it in?” The hearty volunteers then set to work shoring up those vulnerable openings in the structures, and, by mid-afternoon, had added predator-proofing to the animal pens.
“Our youth work incredibly hard to purchase and provide quality care of their animals,” said Emily Gehrig, Columbia High School’s agriculture education instructor, adding, “As their FFA advisor and agriculture teacher, I feel strongly about creating and maintaining an environment that is safe for the students as well as their projects. Predator-proofing our school facilities, to the best of my ability, seems like a logical step in encouraging our youth to continue developing their livestock projects.”
"As the Mountain Lion Foundation discussed the behavioral tendencies of mountain lions, we invited the volunteers to try to assess the site and think from a cougar’s perspective: 'Where could I make it in?' The hearty volunteers then set to work to shore up those vulnerable openings in the structures, and, by mid-afternoon, had added predator-proofing to the animal pens."
Lace Thornberg photo
Klickitat County is mountain lion habitat, and those who live here should have a good understanding of the biology and behavior of mountain lions and be well-informed about the precautions that they can take to avoid encountering a lion.
The best way to ensure your own safety is to ensure that mountain lions have safe and healthy habitat. You can advocate for wildlife crossings, habitat protections and lower hunting quotas whenever cougar management plans come up for review. Following that, you can take steps to secure any livestock and pets you have, particularly at night. Managing livestock to prevent them from being predated upon is not much different than wearing a helmet while mountain biking or installing a metal roof to prevent wildfire damage.
Mountain lion kittens are born with blue eyes and spots that fade away gradually as they age. They stay with their mother for up to two years to learn hunting techniques.
National Park Service photo
For more tips specific to living in lion country, head to the Mountain Lion Foundation’s website and find the Coexistence in Your Backyard section (mountainlion.org/coexistence/in-your-backyard). For tips on recreating in lion country, look for Coexistence on the Trail (mountainlion.org/coexistence/on-the-trail).
Mountain lions are keystone species that contribute to preserving biodiversity in many ways. By keeping deer and elk populations in check, they allow native vegetation to flourish, which in turn attracts multitudes of insects and other invertebrates. As lions consume their prey, they leave carcasses on the landscape that go on to serve as a food source for hundreds of species of scavengers and decomposers, creating a complex and interconnected food web. Our natural systems are healthier with cougars in them. As the volunteers who showed up at our carnivore-safe barn retrofit learned firsthand, living peacefully in proximity to these essential and majestic carnivores is fairly straightforward.
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R. Brent Lyles is the executive director of the Mountain Lion Foundation, a national non-profit dedicated to ensuring that cougars survive and thrive in the wild.
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