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THIS IS A BIG CAT. HIS NAME ISN’T FLUFFY OR TIGGER. HE’S OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS COUGAR AND HE CAN AND THIS TWO YEAR OLD MOUNTAIN LION RECENTLY TRAVELED MORE THAN 700 MILES ACROSS THREE STATES FROM AUGUST TO OCTOBER. PART OF THAT JOURNEY INCLUDED NEARLY TWO MONTHS ACROSS SOUTHERN IOWA THROUGH ADAMS UNION, CLARK, LUCAS, EAST MONROE AND WARBELOW COUNTIES. IT’S NOT UNCOMMON FOR YOUNG MALE MOUNTAIN LIONS WHEN THEY HIT THE KIND OF TEENAGE YEARS TO REALLY TAKE OFF AND GO HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF MILES. HIS JOURNEY STARTED IN NEBRASKA. WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE SAM WILSON AND HIS TEAM WITH THE NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS COMMISSION TRAPPED IN ATTACHED A GPS TRACKING COLLAR TO THE CAT BEFORE RELEASING HIM. BEING ABLE TO WATCH THESE ANIMALS MOVE ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE, DOING WHAT THEY NATURALLY DO IS REALLY FASCINATING. THAT TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS IOWA DNR BIOLOGIST VINCE EVERSON WEISER TO TRACE THIS CAT’S EVERY STEP THAT HELPS WITH LONGEVITY OF TRACKING AND EASE OF TRACKING EFFICIENCY OF TRACKING WITH GETTING REMOTE LOCATION POINTS ON AN ANIMAL THAT’S VERY SECRETIVE. MANY OF YOU ARE ALSO MONITOR THESE CATS. WHEREABOUTS? IOWANS REGULARLY SHARE WITH US THEIR OWN PICTURES AND VIDEOS OF MOUNTAIN LIONS. THAT’S CAPTURED ON TRAIL CAMERAS. ANYONE TEN HIMSELF MAY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT ON CAMERA IN VAN BUREN COUNTY. THE PEOPLE WHO SPOTTED HIM SAY THAT THEY’RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. THEY’RE BEAUTIFUL. BUT ARE THEY DANGEROUS? THE DNR SAYS THERE’S BEEN 63. INJURY IS NATIONWIDE WIDE OVER THE LAST 110 YEARS. NONE HERE IN IOWA. SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU SEE A MOUNTAIN LION? THE EXPERTS SAY TAKE OFF YOUR JACKET. MAKE YOURSELF LOOK AS BIG AS POSSIBLE. WAVE YOUR ARMS AND YELL AT IT. THEY DON’T WANT TO TYPICALLY PURSUE SOMETHING THAT ALREADY SEES THEM. BUT WHY ARE WE SEEING THESE BIG CATS MORE OFTEN ANYWAY? THE DNR SAYS MOUNTAIN LIONS WERE ONCE NATIVE TO OUR STATE, BUT THE POPULATION WAS WIPED OUT WHEN EUROPEAN SETTLERS MOVED TO THE MIDWEST IN THE 1850S AND STARTED KILLING THEM. THE POPULATION IN STATES LIKE NEBRASKA AND SOUTH DAKOTA FINALLY STARTED TO REBOUND 20 YEARS AGO. AND THAT HAPPENS. THE ODDS OF GETTING A DISPERSAL OR DISPERSING ANIMAL MOUNT LYON FROM THE WESTERN STATES COMING EAST INTO THE MIDWEST IS HIGHER. THE MALES ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW PLACE TO SETTLE DOWN IN HOPES OF FINDING A HABITAT WITH A LOT OF FEMALE CATS WHEN THEY’RE PASSING THROUGH IOWA. IT’S OFTEN JUST A PLACE TO STOP AND GET A GOOD MEAL. THE NUMBER ONE PREY ANIMAL OF MOUNT LYONS IS KNOWN TO BE DEER EVIL’S EYES OR HOPES HIS RESEARCH CAN LEAD TO ANSWERS ON WHY THE ANIMALS GO WHERE THEY GO AND EAT, WHAT THEY EAT. IF RESEARCHERS GET THEIR HANDS ON A CARCASS, IT CAN ANSWER THE MOST QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE ELUSIVE CREATURES. THE GENDER OF IT. THE SIZE OF IT, THE AGE OF IT. AS FOR OUR BUDDY AND 110, HIS TRIP ENDED IN ILLINOIS WHEN THE DNR THERE DECIDED THAT HE WAS A PUBLIC SAFETY THREAT AND TRAPPED HIM. HE WAS SENT TO THE EXOTIC FELINE RESCUE CENTER IN INDIANA, WHERE HE’S BEEN LIVING SINCE OCTOBER. IT’S SAD AND UNFORTUNATE THAT HE HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN INTO CAPTIVITY. AND SO WE ARE WE ARE TRYING OUR VERY UTMOST TO PROVIDE HIM WITH A LIFE THAT WILL BE AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE. JOE TAAFFE, THE FOUNDER OF THE CENTER, SAYS THE MOUNTAIN LION WAS COVERED WITH TICKS AND PARASITES WHEN HE ARRIVED, BUT IS NOW OKAY. THEY’RE BUILDING HIM AN ENCLOSURE AND HOPE TO GIVE ANYONE TENT A NEW IDENTITY BASED ON WHERE HE’S BEEN. WE’VE GOT OMAHA, CAPONE, NEIL FOR NEBRASKA, ILLINOIS. ABE LITTLE BUDDY, AND FOR SPRINGFIELD. SO WHAT’S NEXT WITH THESE BIG CATS? THE DNR SAYS THAT’S THE BOOK THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN AND IT COULD TAKE DECADES. BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS IS WILL THEY SETTLE DOWN HERE IN IOWA AND START A BREEDING POPULATION? TIME WILL TELL. NICO