Cougars have not been seen in Alabama since 1947. There have been four sightings of cougars in Tennessee just in the past year. Recently, multiple people have come forward saying they have seen a cougar on their property in Alabama.
These sightings have started to cause worry among Alabama citizens, but many people who report these findings are often mistaken.
"A lot of people who think they have seen cougars frequently mistake them for bobcats or other animals," said Bill Gray, wildlife biologist for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Todd Steury, professor in forestry and wildlife sciences, said the movement of cougars coming east is mainly just the outcome of basic population growth.
“Cougars have been expanding east for some time now, and it is typical for males to disperse far and wide and for the females to settle in close to home,” Steury said. “This is an evolutionary trait that reduces inbreeding, and it is very common in mammals.”
Male cougars move east much faster than females, and the females slowly follow behind, Steury said.
Steury did his graduate research in the mountains of Idaho for two years and never saw a cougar.
“I saw signs of cougars, like scat and dead elk, but I never saw one myself," Steury said. "Cougars are very good at hiding. The odds of someone seeing one are very slim."
Gray said he would need legitimate evidence of a cougar sighting in Alabama to verify these sightings, but that it is possible that these animals are here.
If you come across a cougar, do not approach the animal. Report the sighting to the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries at 334-242-3465.
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