North Carolina Endangered and Threatened Species

Eastern Cougar (Puma concolor couguar)

Description: The eastern cougar is described as a large, unspotted, long-tailed cat. Its body and legs are a uniform fulvous or tawny hue. Its belly is pale reddish or reddish white. The inside of this cat's ears are light-colored, with blackish color behind the ears. Cougars feed primarily on deer, but their diet may also include small mammals, wild turkeys, and occasionally domestic livestock, when available.

Habitat: No preference for specific habitat types has been noted. The primary need is apparently for a large wilderness area with an adequate food supply. Male cougars of other subspecies have been observed to occupy a range of 25 or more square miles, and females from 5 to 20 square miles.

Distribution and Range: Sightings of large cats have been reported in many areas of North Carolina. However, most of these reports are unconfirmed as cougars, and none have been the eastern subspecies. The eastern cougar is considered by many to be extirpated from North Carolina.

Listing: The Eastern Cougar was listed as Endangered on June 4, 1973 under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (as amended).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Seeks Your Help...

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is beginning a review of scientific and commercial information to determine the status of the endangered eastern cougar, the first review the Service has done since publishing a recovery plan in 1982.

As part of the review, the Service is seeking information on the status of the eastern cougar in the 21 states -- from Maine to South Carolina and west from Michigan to Tennessee -- where the Endangered Species Act protects it. Lacking definitive evidence of the species' existence, the Service has presumed the eastern cougar to be extinct. It is improbable that a small cougar population persisted in the eastern states for over a century. Most of the confirmed cougar records since 1950 (animals killed, good quality photos/videos, genetic evidence) are known to be escapes of captive origin. There may be thousands of captive cougars in the eastern United States.

Anyone wishing to submit information regarding the eastern cougar may do so by writing to:

Eastern Cougar
Northeast Regional Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, MA 01035

or by email to EasternCougar@fws.gov. Information must be received by March 30, 2007, for the status review, although the Service will continue to accept new information about eastern cougars at any time.

For additional information on the eastern cougar, see www.fws.gov/northeast/ECougar.

Questions related to the Service's endangered species program or other program activities can be addressed to the appropriate staff from our Asheville or Raleigh Field Offices.