In addition to the possibility that captive cougars are periodically being released throughout Northeastern wildlands, recent confirmed reports of cougars in Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Maine, and Vermont intrigue us with the possibility that occasional transient animals from source populations in western Canada are moving here. Scattered individuals do not add up to viable populations, however. Hundreds of breeding individuals are a necessary foundation upon which healthy populations can expand their numbers, occupy suitable habitat, persist in the face of natural and sometimes catastrophic mortality factors, and remain genetically diverse. For cougars to once again roam the wildlands of the Northeast, it is vital that conservation planning occur on a landscape level.
Habitat connectivity is key.
We must research suitable landscape linkages that facilitate movement within the entire eco-region, including southeastern Canada. Such movement corridors and core wildlands must be preserved while we still have the opportunity, Our willingness to embrace and act upon this responsibility will determine the future success of cougars as well as other endangered species including the Eastern Timber Wolf and the Canada Lynx.