Field Researcher: Mountain Lion is Most Adaptable Animal on Earth

To the Editor:

After being an active field researcher since 1965, I can say with authority that state wildlife officials only have one goal: keep denying, denying, denying the presence of wild, free-roaming cougars in their state. Because due to the big cat's natural instincts and abilities, it is almost impossible to rid an area of the American lion unless you kill it. 

Since 1965, when first becoming involved with the "phantom cougar" of the Gunpowder River that crisscrossed Harford County in north central Maryland, we handled some 45 calls from citizens who could only get action from the State Police after Maryland's Game Commission refused to respond on citizens calls because the cougar was NOT native to the state.   

During that time, I, along with zoologist Ted Roth and naturalist Bob Chance were the unofficial first responders for the MD State Police to the dozens of citizens calls being called into the Benson Barracks in Harford County. All the MD Game Commission did was continue to deny, deny, deny citizens complaints ... even though some tracks had been confirmed as a cougar and identified by Dr. Ted Roth, a certified zoologist, who later became the assistant director of the Baltimore Zoo.  

I've heard every possible excuse by state/federal wildlife officials, as to why "there can't be a free-roaming cougar" in the area. But they are the most adaptable land mammal on earth. They do not need large tracts of woods to vanish within. All a wild cougar needs is three things almost ever area has: adequate water (ponds, pools, streams, rivers), prey: deer, rabbits, fish, snakes, etc. and 3) habitat: moderate tracts of woods, abandoned/old foundations, caves and/or large trees.    

Since 1965, we have collected more than 11,000 sightings of those "pesky, none-existant wild, free-roaming cougars" who continue to silently roam the eastern United States. If you were closer in miles distance, I'd say come on down to look over our thousands of files and reports. 

I am 70 years of age and not really profecient in sending out reports on the internet. Our files were featured on History Channel's MonsterQuest series in 2007, which generated more than 7,500 responses from vindicated witnesses of those other "none-existant cougars" in every eastern state.

John A. Lutz, Eastern Puma Research Network

HC 30 Box 2233 Mayville, WV 26833. (304) 749-7778, epuma@hardynet.com