Cougar Portrait

The cougar is one of the most magnificent animals in North America, and it is one of the great cats of the world. Although its range was formerly most of the continent in many different habitats, competition with man had pushed it back to a few of the more remote forest areas.

As usual, man does not tolerate competition from another powerful animal, therefore, the cougar has been hunted and killed even beyond the areas where it was a problem for livestock.

At present, its most secure domain is the big northwest rain forest. Much of it is mountainous and steep and almost inaccessible to man. It is here that his other name, 'mountain lion' is particularly apt.