SUPPORTING COEXISTENCE ACROSS COUGAR HABITATS
For the first 4.5 years of our organization's inception, we prioritized programming in the state of California, with a focus on Southern and Central Coast cougar populations, where cougars are candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).
While we continue our work with California communities, we now also provide coexistence support throughout the cougar’s range, offering resources and educational opportunities to communities seeking to prevent or resolve conflicts that may arise between cougars and people in the landscapes that we share together.
The CESA-designated boundary remains a key focus area for our work in California to conserve the following subpopulations:
- Santa Ana Mountains (SAM)
- Santa Monica Mountains (CC-S)
- Eastern Peninsular Range (EPR)
- San Gabriel/San Bernardino (SGSB)
- Central Coast Central (CC-C)
- Central Coast North (CC-N)
Human-COUGAR Conflict TASK FORCE
Human-Cougar Conflict Task Force
Our Human-Cougar Conflict Task Force conducts work remotely and on-the-ground to intervene, directly assist, and empower local communities through training and education before and after human-cougar conflicts occur. The Task Force collaborates across multiple agencies, with local scientists, and with a coalition of organizations in order to achieve effective and long-lasting conflict resolution.
Our Services
- Conflict Prevention Visits
- Post-Conflict Visits
- Cougar-Proof Enclosure Consultations
- Hands-On Training
- Technical Assistance
Our team provides expert advice on the available conflict prevention measures as well as the efficacy of such tools, based on the property and specific geographic area. Community members are given site-specific recommendations for reducing human-cougar conflict in their backyard or neighborhood. Our team assists communities with hands-on training and technical assistance such as landscaping practices, remote camera deployment, and cougar-proof enclosures.
Education & Outreach
Outreach & Education
- Public presentations & participation in community events
- Human-Wildlife Conflict Workshops. Participants are informed on the basics of conflict theory and participate in hands-on-training sessions that focus on practical mitigation tools.
- Meet with local government and policy makers to discuss the prevention and mitigation of human-cougar conflicts in their districts
california endangered species act petition
We support the petition to list Southern and Central Coast mountain lions under CESA.
Prior to founding the Cougar Conservancy, our Director Korinna Domingo co-led efforts with the Mountain Lion Foundation and the Center for Biological Diversity to list Southern and Central Coast mountain lions under the California Endangered Species Act. In April of 2020, these imperiled populations were granted temporary protected status.
The Cougar Conservancy will be supporting this listing effort by engaging in the listing process at key intervals, galvanizing public support, building diverse coalitions, and generating supportive media.
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP FOR COEXISTENCE
The Cougar Conservancy offers wildlife coexistence support as an official partner of the National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign.