Felidae Conservation Fund

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May Feature Felid

Puma
Puma concolor

With such a wide natural range—formerly found throughout the Western hemisphere from Canada to the southern tip of South America—it’s not surprising that Puma concolor has acquired many common names over the centuries: mountain lion, puma, cougar, catamount, painter, panther. Christopher Columbus was one of the first to call it a lion when he encountered it
in the New World.

Pumas have tawny, unspotted coats, lithe bodies, and unusually long hind legs, enabling them to leap distances of 20 to 30 feet. They live alone, except during mating and when raising kittens. Females spend 70 percent of their lives pregnant or raising their young. The young live with the mother for up to two years, then begin to seek out their home range. Males establish a larger range than females and prefer not to overlap territory with other males.

Pumas are shy, retiring animals, much more likely to flee from humans than fight. Sightings are rare, although as development encroaches on mountain lion habitat, confrontations are increasing. Pumas are most active at dawn and dusk.

Pumas mostly prey on deer in North America, and hares and large rodents in tropical areas, but they’re opportunistic feeders who will hunt almost any animal in a vulnerable position. Rather than outrunning their prey, they prefer to conceal themselves and ambush from the side or from behind. They often cover their kill with leaves and feed off it for several days.

The puma population is stable but vulnerable. (In Florida, where they were reintroduced after being extinguished, they’re endangered.) Threats are loss of habitat (and prey), fragmentation of habitat, disease, vehicles, and hunting. In many states, livestock owners who have had an animal killed by a puma can obtain a depredation permit, allowing them to hunt the puma. In California and South Dakota, however, they are fully protected and no hunting is permitted.

Join The Felidae Community

Welcome to Felidae Conservation Fund

The Felidae Conservation Fund aims to protect the 37 felidae species and their habitats globally by supporting and participating in international conservation, partnering in excellent science, and generating powerful education and outreach programs.

Felidae supports strategic research studies that clearly define a process to understand more about human impact on wild cats and steps we can take to minimize the devastation. The goal is to prevent further extinction of felidae species, and to preserve complete ecosystems around the world. Our contributions build new outlooks toward wild cats and the preservation of global ‘wildness’.

Felidae Conservation Fund is committed to spawning compelling educational messages through stories, visuals and outreach campaigns that pilot a healthy coexistence of humans and felidae species around the world.

Two New Puma Research Projects Launched

We are excited to announce the launch of two new puma research projects. The Bay Area study has begun its pilot phase in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Patagonia puma project is off to a great start with the successful collaring of three puma's. Learn more about these studies here.

A Few of Our Research Projects

We select strategically critical global projects to support sustained biodiversity for all Felid species in their natural habitats. We strive to preserve 37 Felidae species in the wild for our future generations, and to involve local communities at all levels, to understand the significance of felidae species in every global ecosystem. Visit our projects to learn about Felidae collaboration on some exciting research work here.

In Memory of Eric York

Felidae Conservation Fund remembers Eric York. Eric, a highly respected wildlife biologist, worked tirelessly on behalf of research and conservation efforts around the world, and retained an uncanny connection to wildlife. We are honored to have his valuable contributions to our work and we will greatly miss his generous spirit and easygoing manner. This is a tragic loss for wildlife conservation and those who were touched directly and indirectly by Eric York. Read more.

Grand Opening

Felidae Conservation Fund has moved to our new home at
116 Main Street, Tiburon CA. We will be holding a grand opening reception on June 6th. Please check back for more details.