Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service concluded that the Eastern Cougar is extinct:
Although the eastern cougar has been on the endangered species list since 1973, its existence has long been questioned. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) conducted a formal review of the available information and, in a report issued today, concludes the eastern cougar is extinct and recommends the subspecies be removed from the endangered species list…
Many are unconvinced, including myself, as is sightings continue to be reported:
- …a very large cat that was tan in color with a long tail (that I believe was a mountain lion) crossed the road in front of my car!
- We have seen a cougar/mountain lion in our small town on numerous occasions…
- I live in dickenson co. We have had a lot of sightings around here by numerous people…
- I saw a cougar in the mountains west of Woodstock (Zepp area) in the fall of 2010…
My guess is that sightings and evidence will continue to accumulate. Eventually the Fish and Wildlife Service may have to admit their error. It is not unusual for so-called extinct animals to be found again:
A study has found that a third of all mammal species declared extinct in the past few centuries have turned up alive and well.
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