How is The Cougar Fund helping to reduce conflicts between cougars and people?
Reducing conflicts between cougars and humans benefits people and cougars alike, and is crucial for cougar conservation. We are working to reduce conflicts by educating the public about cougars, by promoting the use of best management practices when living or recreating in cougar country (e.g., sound husbandry practices, put pets in at night, etc.), and through increasing public appreciation and tolerance for cougars as essential parts of the ecosystem. We believe that people who live or recreate in cougar habitat have a responsibility to learn about cougar ecology and behavior and the ways they can reduce the likelihood of negative interactions with them. There are a number of prudent measures recommended by cougar scientists and game and fish agencies that people can take to further reduce the already low risk of an adverse encounter with a cougar (LINK). Research shows that cougars usually avoid human dominated landscapes and rarely pose a threat to human safety. However, the only w
