Minnepolis (Northland's NewsCenter) -- New research conducted by
a group of University of Minnesota scientists, show that
American mountain lions, or cougars, are re-emerging in areas of
the United States. The study raises new questions such as how
humans can live alongside the cougars. "The cougar population
declined dramatically from 1900, due to both hunting, and a lack
of prey, leaving the remaining population isolated to the
American west," said Michelle LaRue, a Ph.D. student at the
University of Minnesota. "Here we represent the hard evidence
that the western population has spread, with cougar populations
re-establishing across the Midwest." The research includes
confirmed sightings, carcasses, tracks, photos, video, DNA
evidence and cases of attacks on livestock. Three main cougar
populations exist in the Midwest, which are centered around the
Black Hills in South Dakota. One male cougar from the Black
Hills was found to have traveled 2,900 kilometers through
Minnesota, Wisconsin and New York, before