CHANGE OF VENUE: Tuesday, December 1st, 7:00pm AT THE LIBRARY. The cougar, or Puma concolor, once roamed free and wild all across the Northeast. It was extirpated from this region around 1890; however, there have still been sightings and some field evidence of the cougar’s existence, even as local wildlife officials continue to tell us that they do not exist. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the species extinct in the Northeast in May of 2011, yet only a month later, a 140 pound male cougar was struck and killed in Milford. Do cougars still exist in the Northeast, and is there evidence to support this information? Robert Tougias will answer these questions and will discuss the future of the large carnivore here in Connecticut. He will also open his discussion to answer any questions the audience may have.
Robert Tougias is a nature author and has been studying the eastern cougar story for two decades. He is considered by many wildlife biologists to be one of the few experts on the subject. Robert’s interest in the cougar peaked when he discovered large cat tracks near his family’s cabin in northern Vermont. His new book “The Quest for the Eastern Cougar” is now available. He is also the author of “Birding Western Massachusetts – a Habitat Approach” (New England Cartographics) and presently has a column appearing in the New London Day Newspaper. Robert will have books on hand for sale and signing.
