Cougar In the west, large ungulates are the major covering an area from southeastern Alaska Description & Biology food item for cougar, but in New to southern Argentina and Chile. Brunswick, moose and deer would be their Cougars are the biggest representative of main prey. Other animals included in the the cat family in North America; they can cougar’s diet are snowshoe hare, reach 2 m in length. They are generally porcupines, mice, and certain birds. tan in colour, and have a long cylindrical tail with a black tip. Distribution
Documented occurrences of cougar in the The Eastern Cougar is a source of province have been rare. Scat and tracks mystique and controversy in New believed to be that of cougar were located Brunswick. There exists little concrete near Deersdale in 1992. Previously, the proof that it is a permanent resident of the most recent proof available had come from province, even though there are often a cougar caught close to the Maine- reports of sightings. Therefore, the little Quebec border in 1938. There was also a NB Distribution we do know does not allow us to case where a cougar had been shot in of Cougar determine if the Eastern Cougar actually Kent County in 1932. exists as a separate population that is distinguishable from other populations of There have been numerous unconfirmed cougar. observations of cougars in New
Brunswick, though they have sometimes Habitat & Survival been confused with other animals such as Most of our understanding of the ecology fishers, coyotes, lynx, and domestic dogs. of the cougar in New Brunswick is based The state of the population is equally on observations from the western vague in Nova Scotia, southern Quebec population of cougars. The cougar’s and southeastern Ontario. habitat varies, but it tends to occupy large forests where human disturbance is Cougar still has the most extensive range minimal. It is a solitary animal except of any mammal in the western hemisphere; during mating season. It is also territorial and the males can occupy regions from 2 200 to 1800km .