Eastern cougar extinct
On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the eastern cougar (Puma concolor couguar) is extinct. A subspecies of the larger cougar family, the eastern cougar has been on the endangered species list since 1973. After a formal review, the Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that eastern cougars have likely been extinct since the 1930s. Cougar sightings in the eastern cougar's range, which stretches from Maine to Georgia, have been declared other types of cougar subspecies.The eastern cougar was considered a threat to livestock and was aggressively hunted by 19th century settlers. The last official record of an eastern cougar was made in Maine in 1938.
The confirmed extinction of the eastern cougar has refocused attention on the Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi), a different but related cougar subspecies whose numbers have also dwindled. Its habitat is extremely limited: Wildlife experts believe there are only 80 to 100 adult Florida panthers left, and they are confined to Lee, Collier, Hendry, Dade and Monroe counties. Because the population has been isolated in the wild, it has remained genetically distinct from other cougar subspecies.
In an effort to save the Florida panther and protect its shrinking habitat, the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge was established in southwest Florida's Big Cypress Basin. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has also created an online resource called PantherNet to raise awareness about the plight of the state's official animal.
Source: aolnews
Posts
