The eastern cougar has been declared extinct, according to a
report issued Wednesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The eastern cougar has been on the endangered species list since
1973. After a formal review of the available information and, in
a report issued today, federal biologists have concluded the
eastern cougar is extinct and recommends the subspecies be
removed from the endangered species list. "We recognize that
many people have seen cougars in the wild within the historical
range of the eastern cougar," said the Services Northeast Region
Chief of Endangered Species Martin Miller in a press release.
"However, we believe those cougars are not the eastern cougar
subspecies. We found no information to support the existence of
the eastern cougar." Read the complete story at
charlotteobserver.com