By SCOTT WALTER | Viola
I’m writing this letter in response to Stacy Myers’ letter, which appeared in last week’s issue of this newspaper.
On Nov. 18, Dr. Eric Anderson from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point presented a short lecture on the ecology of Wisconsin’s three native cat species (bobcat, lynx and cougar) and their historic and present distributions in the state.
Anderson’s talk was very well attended, and as someone who was present, I found it to be very informative, engaging and at times even humorous. Judging by the relaxed and jovial atmosphere that prevailed throughout the talk, it was clear most audience members were similarly satisfied.
Certainly nothing Dr. Anderson presented could be considered controversial; he was simply reporting on what is known about these three cat species in our state. With regard to the current distribution of cougars, however, Mr. Myers’ letter suggests that the facts as presented by Dr. Anderson have been misrepresented or misinterpreted since the night of the talk. I hope to rectify this herein.
Most folks who keep tabs on Wisconsin’s wildlife hear of the occasional cougar “sighting” and, given the large, secretive, and predatory nature of cougars, these “sightings” rightly spawn lots of local interest. Mr. Myers suggests that Dr. Anderson rejected these sightings out-of-hand, stating that he “stood in front of all of you who were there and called you liars.” This was most assuredly not the case. Dr. Anderson simply stated that many supposed cougar sightings are either hoaxes (often photos of cougars taken in other states being passed off as having been taken in Wisconsin) or misidentifications (bobcats, coyotes, dogs, etc.). Dr. Anderson and biologists with the Wisconsin DNR catalog reports of cougars throughout the state each year. A summary of these possible cougar sightings can be found at http://www.uwsp.edu/wildlife/carnivore/Cougar%20sightings%20in%20Wisconsin.pdf.
However, reports of any rare animal cannot be verified without solid evidence that the species reported was actually the species observed, evidence such as a carcass, photograph, a hair, blood, or scat sample, or tracks. There are simply too many misidentifications, and too many people, apparently, who seek fame by falsely reporting the presence of a rare animal. I’ve often heard people claim how difficult it would be to mistake a cougar for anything else, but such misidentifications tend to be common when possible cougar sightings are investigated. Some photographs of other species submitted to the DNR as cougar photos can be seen at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/cougar/mistaken_for_cougars.htm. Such mistakes are common, likely more so by people who spend relatively little time in the woods.
More troubling are the hoaxes that seem pervasive when it comes to cougars. Someone will come across a photograph of a cougar taken elsewhere and claim it was taken on their trail camera, or on their deck, or by their brother-in-law, right here in Wisconsin. Why someone might do this, I have no idea, but these photos spread on the Internet like wildfire, and soon everyone knows about the cougar near Ithaca, or Watertown, or wherever in Wisconsin, when the photograph may have been taken in Wyoming. If you don’t believe this happens, here’s another Web site, which documents a litany of these fake stories: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/cougar/hoaxes.htm.
So, it’s clear why Dr. Anderson, or anyone sincerely interested in Wisconsin’s wildlife, would be skeptical of any specific sighting unless solid evidence is presented. Mr. Myers referred to a number of cougars seen by his family and friends in our area. A number of audience members at the Nov. 18 lecture spoke of similar sightings. Unfortunately, until solid evidence is presented, none of these can be considered verified sightings, given the above misidentification/misrepresentation issues. It is this note of caution that Dr. Anderson suggested during his talk: he was certainly not discounting individual sightings out of hand, and was in no way questioning the honesty or ethics of those in attendance.
More troubling to me are Mr. Myers’ assertions that “Mr. Anderson’s paycheck most certainly comes from the DNR” and that “it seems as though our beloved DNR is intent on keeping the hush-hush on these cats.” If Mr. Myers had actually attended the meeting he so sternly critiques, he would have seen Dr. Anderson clearly excited when discussing the two recent (and verified!) cougar sightings in the state, and would have heard him state his belief that, given the high number of sightings, it’s likely there are more cougars in the state than we know about. He was definitely not trying to “convince us that these cats don’t exist.” Far from it. Dr. Anderson is an accomplished carnivore ecologist who is likely more excited than anyone about the reappearance of these cats in the state.
Mr. Myers criticisms are totally unfounded and unfair to a man who carved a half-day out of his busy schedule and drove three hours in rotten weather to share his knowledge of Wisconsin’s wildlife with a group of interested Kickapoo Valley residents. The root of Mr. Myers’ crass and unfounded statements is the same you find when many issues pertaining to Wisconsin’s wildlife are discussed — a hypercritical and paranoid view of the people — DNR and university personnel — who spend their careers attempting to understand, manage, and protect the resources we all cherish.
These professionals pursued careers in natural resource management because they care deeply about the health of our fish, forest, and wildlife resources and are genuinely excited to pass their knowledge and experience on to others. Period. There are no hidden agendas. No conspiracies.
Unfortunately, it seems that for some citizens, it’s more entertaining to fabricate DNR-led conspiracies and behind-the-scenes machinations than to ask a question, listen, and learn something.
