Louisiana had another confirmed Puma sighting, during the Thanksgiving holiday week(11/23/16) in the northeastern sector of the state..........Other recent confirmed sightings occurred in Vernon(2011) and in Allen, Winn and Vernon Parishes(2008)--as well as a shot and killed Bossier City Puma in 2008.................Still to be determined is if the "Thanksgiving Puma" is a wild animal or someones escaped "pet"..........As many of you are aware, South Dakota and Nebraska are the easternmost breeding colonies of Pumas(save the 100 or so Florida animals) and if this recent "Bayou" Puma is a wild cat, it is likely a male prospector from one of the Dakota/Nebraska locales............Amazingly, there are still prospecting Pumas coming out of this region in spite of the stepped up hunting quotas that the nimrod South Dakota and Nebraska politicians have allowed to be implemented

http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2016/12/wildlife_fisheries_confirms_co.html

Wildlife & Fisheries confirms cougar sighting in Northeast Louisiana

Todd Masson, NOLA.com;12/21/16

For years, Louisiana residents who reported cougar sightings were considered just barely a notch above those who shared morning coffee with extraterrestrial visitors on flying saucers. But another confirmed cougar sighting late last month indicates the big cats make at least occasional forays into the Bayou State.


A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist conducted a site investigation, and determined a trail-camera photo submitted to the agency was legitimate. The sighting occurred in Northeast Louisiana.

Maria Davidson, manager of the department's Large Carnivore Program, said area hunters should be on the lookout for the cougar.

"It is quite possible this animal could be photographed on other trail cameras placed at deer feeders," she said. "It is unlikely this cougar will remain in any one area longer than it would take to consume a kill. It is impossible to determine if the animal in the photograph is a wild, free-ranging cougar or an escaped captive."

Owning cougars is illegal in Louisiana, but it's possible the one in Northeast Louisiana got out of a pen or cage.

The recent sighting is one of several documented by the department in recent years.

The first was in 2002 by an employee of Lake Fausse Point State Park. It was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site.

Three confirmed trail-camera photos were taken of a cougar in Allen, Vernon and Winn parishes in 2008.

A cougar was shot and killed in a neighborhood by the Bossier City Police Department on Nov. 30, 2008. The DNA from that cougar confirmed it originated from a New Mexico population.

2008 Bossier City killed Puma


Another confirmed trail-camera picture was submitted in August of 2011 from Vernon Parish. There have been no additional reports since then until the recent sighting.

The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are all names that refer to the same animal. Its color ranges from light tan to brownish grey. The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common.

Although the department has received many calls about black panthers, there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.

The department said it receives calls reporting sightings of cougars throughout Louisiana.  Many of the calls are found to be cases of mistaken identity, with dog tracks making up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.

Because of the lack of physical evidence, the agency has concluded Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kill.

The recent sightings of cougars in Louisiana are likely animals dispersing from existing populations. An expanding population in Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles, seeking their own territories.

Penalties for killing a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and a $100,000 fine.  Anyone with any information regarding the killing of a cougar may call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-442-2511. Callers can remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.

To report sightings of cougars with physical evidence such as photos, tracks or scat, contact Maria Davidson at 337-262-2080 or mdavidson@wlf.la.gov.

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click on this link
Cougars and Black Bears Are Protected in Louisiana

Mar 18th, 2009 by CRF(Cougar Rewildling Foundation)

“Cougars located in Louisiana are protected under state and federal law and penalties for killing one may include up to one year in jail along with a possible $100,000 fine.”

Sightings of Pumas in the Texas/Arkansas/Louisiana tri state area

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Trail cam image confirms the existence of a cougar in Louisiana

September 4, 2011 by retrieverman

From Outdoor News:

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) haa received photographic evidence of the presence of a cougar in Vernon Parish.

A private citizen sent LDWF a trail camera picture taken Aug. 13, 2011. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager Maria Davidson and biologist Brandon Wear conducted a site investigation that confirmed the authenticity of the photograph.

“It is quite possible for this animal to be captured on other trail cameras placed at deer bait sites,” Davidson said. “Deer are the primary prey item for cougars; therefore, they are drawn to areas where deer congregate.”

It is unlikely this cougar will remain in any one area longer than it would take to consume a kill. Cougars do not prefer to eat spoiled meat and will move on as soon as the Louisiana heat and humidity take its toll on the kill.

“It is impossible to determine if the animal in the photograph is a wild, free-ranging cougar, or an escaped captive,” Davidson added. “Although it is illegal to own a cougar in Louisiana, it is possible that there are some illegally held ‘pets’ in the state.”

LDWF has documented several occurrences since 2002. The first cougar sighting was in 2002 by an employee at Lake Fausse Point State Park. That sighting was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site. Three trail camera photos were taken of a cougar in Winn, Vernon and Allen parishes in 2008. Subsequently on Nov. 30, 2008, a cougar was shot and killed in a neighborhood by Bossier City Police Department.

The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are names that all refer to the same animal. Their color ranges from lighter tan to brownish grey. The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards are native to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common. Although LDWF receives numerous calls about black panthers, there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.

The vast majority of these reports received by LDWF cannot be verified due to the very nature of a sighting. Many of the calls are determined to be cases of mistaken identity, with dog tracks making up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.

The significant lack of physical evidence indicates that Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kills.

The recent sightingsof cougars in Louisiana are believed to be young animals dispersing from existing populations. An expanding population in Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles seeking their own territories.

Cougars that occur in Louisiana are protected under state and federal law. Penalties for taking a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and/or a $100,000 fine. Anyone with any information regarding the taking of a cougar should call the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511. Callers may remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.

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click on link to read full historical article

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwict-3wyYjRAhVIiVQKHYSuA4EQFggmMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Flibraries.uark.edu%2Faas%2Fissues%2F2001v55%2Fv55a3.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFm3sYgG2cYRqhp9Vd4zpNDGiUJYQ&sig2=egGGsDUOfAEtJjRTe0ZdAg&bvm=bv.142059868,d.cGw

Early History ofthe Wolf, Black Bear, and Mountain Lion in Arkansas(which was part of Louisiana Territory)
Annalea K.Bowers, Leah D.Lucio,David W.Clark, Susan P. Rakow, and Gary A.Heidt
Department of Biology
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
LittleRock, AR 72204


Abstract
During the nineteenth century settlement of Arkansas, the red wolf (Canis rufos), black bear {Ursus americanus), and moun
tain lion [Puma concolor) were not only the three largest and most dangerous predators, they also stirred the imaginations cf
explorers and settlers. References to these species appeared prominently in the journals of early explorers such as George W.

Featherstonhaugh (1844) and Frederick Gerstaecker (1854), and their presence inspired voluminous collections of stories and
tall tales. Black bears were so common that alarge trade developed inpelts, oil,and other body parts, and Arkansas became
commonly known as "The Bear State."

Wolves and mountain lions also were common and were despised for their suspectedpredation on livestock and their threat to human life. As a result, the General Assembly of the Arkansas Legislature enactedlaws that provided bounties for killing these animals. The species were overexploited, and all three nearly were extirpated from the state by the 1920s- 1930s. 

A stable bear population has now been restored (due to a restoration program in the White
River National Wildlife Refuge and re-stocking programs in the Interior Highlands undertaken by the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission), the red wolf is considered to be extinct from the state, and the status of the mountain lion is uncertain