Finis. "Future Imperfect: Puma concolor", 18 x 24
Available in my room (Room 183) at Western Masters, March 19-22, Great Falls

Recently, two researchers at the University of Montana (right here in Missoula) co-authered a study with other scientists around the world which finds that most of the world's large carnivores - including cougars - are declining in number. (A lay summary of the study can be read here, and the full text here.) This has large ramifications for their respective ecosystems; effects can already be seen in West Africa, where olive baboons have proliferated due to the decline in lion and leopard numbers - and the baboons are having a deleterious impact on small ungulates, livestock, and crops.

In Montana, the "trophic cascade" effects of the removal - and reinstatement - of wolves are well-documented. Once wolves were gone, deer and elk increased in number and in browsing of vegetation, disrupting birds, small mammals, and other parts of the ecosystem. A different cascade effect occurred with the near-extinction of sea otters - sea urchins proliferated, drastically reducing kelp, with negative effects on habitat for other sea life and on coastal waves (kelp help dampen these.)

I have had the priceless privilege of seeing some of these predators in the wild (including lion, leopard, black bear, grizzly bear, sea otter, and wolf) and cannot imagine wild landscapes without these signature species. This is the first image in a series I plan to do honoring - and hopefully helping - the predators in decline; this cougar is asking what we will do about the situation.