Wildlife biologist: Mountain lions only have minor impact on wildlife populations
A leading wildlife biologist told a local audience Saturday that mountain lions have only a minor impact on deer and elk populations.Dr. Dave Mattson, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, is a specialist in mountain lions and grizzly bears. In a 2-1/2 hour presentation, Mattson showed graphs and cited repeated studies, including some of his own, to explain where mountain lions pose a danger and where they do not.
"Claims that mountain lions are going to have catastrophic effects on prey populations are not in any way, shape or form supported by scientific research," Mattson said.The severity of winter and the availability of habitat have far more to do with prey populations than do the number of mountain lions, who typically kill between 50 and 70 animals per year.
The talk was sponsored by the Black Hills Mountain Lion Foundation, a pro-mountain lion nonprofit.
Mattson also discussed the impact of mountain lions on livestock. He didn't have much data on attacks in the Black Hills, but said nationwide almost all mountain lion attacks on livestock appear in a few areas where livestock is spread out and unprotected.
In most cases, Mattson said, mountain lions don't appear to consider animals like cattle to be prey. But in cases where a lion does eat a cow, he said the predator is likely to do so again."These cats, once they get onto something, it is locked," he said.
Humans are another animal mountain lions rarely - but occasionally- consider to be prey. Citing a personal study of all documented mountain lion encounters since 1890, Mattson noted that attacks on humans are disproportionately made by unhealthy mountain lions.
"If (forest managers) know there's an unhealthy young lion in an area near people, that's probably grounds for action," he said.
Since 1890 there have been 29 documented incidences of a mountain lion killing a human, and the pace of fatal attacks has increased in recent decades as humans move into mountain lion territory.Children, who are closer in size to the mountain lion's typical prey, are much more vulnerable to attack, he said. Mountain lions are usually most active around dusk and dormant in the morning.
But Mattson said he doesn't consider mountain lions to be a serious risk to humans. He said he has often feared for his safety when studying grizzly bears, but not so with pumas."I am virtually never anxious about mountain lions," he said. "I genuinely don't feel there's a risk." When confronted by a mountain lion, Mattson said making loud noises is often the best defense, while freezing and not reacting is among the worst things to do.
"Claims that mountain lions are going to have catastrophic effects on prey populations are not in any way, shape or form supported by scientific research," Mattson said.The severity of winter and the availability of habitat have far more to do with prey populations than do the number of mountain lions, who typically kill between 50 and 70 animals per year.
The talk was sponsored by the Black Hills Mountain Lion Foundation, a pro-mountain lion nonprofit.
Mattson also discussed the impact of mountain lions on livestock. He didn't have much data on attacks in the Black Hills, but said nationwide almost all mountain lion attacks on livestock appear in a few areas where livestock is spread out and unprotected.
In most cases, Mattson said, mountain lions don't appear to consider animals like cattle to be prey. But in cases where a lion does eat a cow, he said the predator is likely to do so again."These cats, once they get onto something, it is locked," he said.
Humans are another animal mountain lions rarely - but occasionally- consider to be prey. Citing a personal study of all documented mountain lion encounters since 1890, Mattson noted that attacks on humans are disproportionately made by unhealthy mountain lions.
"If (forest managers) know there's an unhealthy young lion in an area near people, that's probably grounds for action," he said.
Since 1890 there have been 29 documented incidences of a mountain lion killing a human, and the pace of fatal attacks has increased in recent decades as humans move into mountain lion territory.Children, who are closer in size to the mountain lion's typical prey, are much more vulnerable to attack, he said. Mountain lions are usually most active around dusk and dormant in the morning.
But Mattson said he doesn't consider mountain lions to be a serious risk to humans. He said he has often feared for his safety when studying grizzly bears, but not so with pumas."I am virtually never anxious about mountain lions," he said. "I genuinely don't feel there's a risk." When confronted by a mountain lion, Mattson said making loud noises is often the best defense, while freezing and not reacting is among the worst things to do.
Read more: http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/wildlife-biologist-mountain-lions-only-have-minor-impact-on-wildlife/article_422568f8-eca9-11e0-89de-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1Zh4jFnio
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