Science Sunday: Masters of Concealment

Colby Anton, Ph.D. Candidate, Environmental Studies, UCSC Biologist, Yellowstone Cougar Project

In honor of Earth Day, we take a special look at our country’s first national park.

What does it take to track down one of the most elusive species in some of America’s harshest winter environments? For many years, biologists in Yellowstone National Park have been searching the backcountry for signs of wild cougars. Like most predators in western North America, cougars suffered widespread population declines following intensive predator eradication in the early 1900s. Despite this, cougars persisted due to their secretive behavior and the inaccessibility of the vast wilderness in the Yellowstone area.

Join Colby Anton on a visual journey to Yellowstone National Park where scientists have been at the forefront of large carnivore conservation for decades.