Cougar Conservation and Coexistence Plan

First Introduced in Santa Clara County

Cougars fill an important ecological role in the American landscape.  As a keystone species, their presence or absence has a significant impact on the surrounding biological community. For example, where cougars are present, deer and elk will alter areas they graze to avoid predation. This keeps them moving around the landscape, so that no one area is over-grazed, which in turn helps with the formation and maintenance of grassland ecosystems that support many associated species.

However, human expansion and land conversion for suburban, urban, commercial and agricultural development are causing continual fragmentation of cougar habitat in North America. Conflicts occur when young and inexperienced cougars disperse to establish new territories and inadvertently wander into human-use areas, or when cougars depredate free-ranging livestock on public lands, and along the rural-wildland fringe where people have created free-food opportunities by not practicing good livestock husbandry.

To date, 99% of cougars that depredate livestock or have wandered too close to human habitation have been killed.

There are proven, more effective methods for eliminating human-cougar conflict that ensures human safety and does not require the killing of any cougars.

Little Blue Society’s Cougar First Response Protocol was designed to help municipalities safely and effectively manage sightings and encounters in human-use areas.

We also design comprehensive cougar coexistence plans that ensure conservation of the species, and protect human lives and livelihoods.

AREAS WE HAVE PROVIDED TRAINING

Lupin Resorts, Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

Woodside Hills, CA

Woodside, CA

East San Jose, CA

South San Jose, CA

Palo Alto, CA

Santa Clara County, CA

To find out more information about this Plan, please contact us at:
info@littlebluesociety.org Back to Model Programs