OutdoorNebraska

lions that stretches from the northern plains to the Pacific Ocean. There are a few hundred mountain lions in Wyoming and South Dakota within a hundred miles of the Pine Ridge, so females – which typically disperse shorter distances – Confirmations are made through physical evidence of mountain lions including tracks, a live captured or dead cougar, photographs and DNA evidence. MAP DATA PROVIDED BY THE COUGAR NETWORK – COUGARNET.ORG The 2014 population estimate for the Pine Ridge Unit was unchanged from the 2012 estimate. Given that three mountain lions were harvested in that unit, and a number of mountain lions were killed by vehicles or other means, why didn't the population estimate go down? T R e w Q: The simple answer is that populations of animals are always changing. Populations grow with each new birth and they decline with every death. There are some animals that leave populations and some that come in from other areas. It wouldn't be very accurate only to subtract animals without also accounting for additions through births and immigration. The time frame is also very important to consider. There were two years between the 2012 population estimate and the 2014 survey (see sidebar, page 3), so the population likely grew from births or immigration and then declined back down to 22 after mountain lions were harvested or Distribution and Recent Expansion of Mountain Lions 4 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission • Mountain Lions in Nebraska Confi rmations outside of established breeding range (1990 to July 2015) Established breeding range KEY P ublic safety is the first concern whenever a mountain lion – or any large wild animal – wanders into a town or city. Since 2004, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission policy has been to kill mountain lions that are found within municipalities. Several factors weighed into this decision. Unlike mountain states to the west, Nebraska has no large areas of public land where a mountain lion could be released and not be expected to quickly move off the area onto private property. Over the years, Game and Parks biologists have repeatedly tried to find a zoo or other licensed facility willing to take mountain lions, but these efforts have been unsuccessful. Without a suitable area to release them or facility to place a captured mountain lion, lethal removal is the appropriate response. ■ Urban Areas can make it from those populations from time to time. The farther you get from established populations, the fewer female dispersers you're likely to get, so we would expect females to reach the Niobrara and Wildcat Hills populations less often. ld anim l al wanders

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