Eastern Cougar

by Chris Bolgiano (Editor), Jerry Roberts (Editor)

The first book to cover the history and current status of the mysterious big cat. Investigates the controversial question of whether wild cougars still inhabit the eastern United States. Collects written accounts from the settlers who first encountered the animals and includes contributions from leading figures in the field. When European settlers first reached the shores of North America, eastern cougars were plentiful, ranging up and down the coast of the present-day United States. By the beginning of the twentieth century, they had been almost entirely wiped out, victims of the same rapacity and ignorance that decimated wolf and bison numbers elsewhere in the country. Today, the continued existence of wild cougars remains hotly disputed, as do proposals to reintroduce cougars to the East. This groundbreaking anthology brings together accounts of early settlers and explorers, presents pro and con arguments on the wild cougar question, and examines the social and environmental implications of reintroduction. More than just a study of a single animal, this fascinating anthology probes America's troubled history with large predators and makes a vital contribution to the wildlife management debates of today.

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2005

Reviews

[Charlie Newfell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit older now- especially since the Eastern Cougar has been classified as extinct. But the book opens up a lot of still unanswered questions. Was there really an Eastern variant at all? Was there only one across the USA? We will probably never know, since no DNA exists to compare with the current population. What is clear is that more and more cougars are being seen east of the Mississippi. Migrating west or a remnant and growing population? Still open.

[Ganglion Bard-barbarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a creature is wiped extinct from the surface of the Earth, it leaves an indelible mark on the human psyche, as evidence by the emotional resonance we feel from stories about dragons, gryphons, sasquatches, and other characters with an eerie resemblance to creatures in our fossil record.

In the case of the Eastern Cougar, the culprit of the demise was European settler capitalism. The settlers hated and feared the mountain lion as much as they hated and feared the indigenous humans of North America, and thus they perpetrated an insidious quest of extermination against this epic and noble beast that stood in the way of parasitic settler "agriculture".

What I find most telling is that the eastern cougar was given a distinctly feminine power by the malicious rumors of the zoophobic settlers. Pumas were alleged to imitate the cry of a woman in distress, luring men to their doom. (In truth it is very rare for a puma to hunt humans)

Even if the pumas are physically extinct, (and this book makes the case that some eastern cougars still physically survive out in the wilderness) they still exist in some spiritual form and in the cultural legacy of Appalachian folklore.

End the rape of our eco-system, overthrow The Man!

[Brian Mumford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book providing compelling evidence about the possible existence of the eastern cougar. Like other books of this genre, the vast majority of this book focuses on the evidence and not the cougars themselves. I would have given it five stars if it spent more time focusing on cougar behavior--but that's just me. Lacking zoological content, I almost gave it three stars, but, to be fair, the book isn't quite marketed that way.

[Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative about the big cats that people claim to have seen. While I thing I too have seen one for sure and maybe another. The question remains, is the CT DEP not talking because of the endanger act would require protecting the deer which would stop public hunting.

[Kris Unger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yah, cougars are awesome. Too bad they're gone.