Characteristics Of Cougar Mortalities In The Black Hills Of South Dakota
Daniel J. Thompson, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007; (605) 688-6121; FAX (605) 688-4515; djthompson4@hotmail.com
Dorothy M. Fecske, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007
Jonathan A. Jenks, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007
Although nearly extirpated from the Black Hills during the bounty period of the late 1800's, cougars (Puma concolor) have reestablished themselves to the area through immigration and remnant populations. The objective of this study was to document mortality of cougars in the Black Hills of South Dakota. All known mortalities of cougars were recorded by state wildlife officials along with attaining mortality of radiocollared cougars from a concurrent research project documenting survival and dispersal of cougars in the Black Hills. A total of 51 cougar mortalities have been recorded in the Black Hills since 1996. The majority of cougar mortalities (n = 37, 71.2 %) have been human induced, including: vehicle interactions (13), removal of problem animals (8), legal kills (5), illegal kills (5), accidental snaring (4), and other (2). Natural mortality has been documented from interaction with other cougars (4), along with two instances of starvation in kittens, asphyxiation during a forest fire (1), and drowning (1). Six mortalities were unknown or indeterminable as to cause of death. Ages of cougars at time of death ranged from 2-3 months to 9 years. Necropsies were conducted when possible, providing insight to diet, prevalence of parasites, and overall condition; along with providing tissue samples for genetic and disease testing.