East Coast Residents Show Support for Puma Reintroduction, USGS Study Reveals
A recent study published โคin July by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) indicates significant public support for โreintroducing pumas to Eastern states, โฃexcluding Florida wich already has a panther population. The survey assessedโ public opinion across โseven Eastern states regarding the potential restoration of thesโค large carnivores.
According to researcher Mark Elbroch, โsupport for puma reintroduction varied by location, with residents in the northeastern statesโ demonstrating the strongest positive views. Specifically, individuals in Maine expressed greater support than those inโ Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and West Virginia.
“Social tolerance is โessential to any accomplished carnivore reintroduction program, as small โขcarnivore populations are soโข susceptible to declines under human pressure,” Elbroch explained. “Pumas are habitat generalists and so we have great flexibility in where thay โขmight thrive. However, our research to date suggests that a greater majority of people may be more โwilling to live with pumas in the northeastern U.S. rather than the eastern-central states.”
The study also noted a โsubstantialโ number of โneutral responses, which Elbroch attributedโข to the topic notโฃ being widely discussed. He โemphasized the long-term ecological benefits of puma reintroduction, stating, “Certainly pumas are among those โhighly interactive species โwith the potential toโ positively influence biodiversity and ecosystem health, but these โeffects โwill be subtle and take a long time before they are apparent.” He addedโข that benefits also includeโ “righting past โฃwrongs” and fulfilling a role as conservation stewards.
If a reintroduction effort were to proceed, pumas would likely beโ sourced from Western populations. Elbroch clarified that genetic research confirms the Eastern and Westernโ puma populations are the โคsame subspecies, meaning a reintroduction would โขbe returning a native โฃspecies to its historic range. He estimated that an initial population would requireโ approximately 50 animals,โ followed by another 50.
The USGS study highlights the importance of government support in wildlife restoration, citing successful programs like the reintroduction โฃof gray wolves in Western states and the restoration of species such as the wild turkey, Palos Verdes blueโค butterfly, river otter, and fisher. The Eastern Ecological Science Center reported that the United States has reintroduced and relocated over โค1,000 species in the last 125 years.
The widespread public support revealed in the studyโ suggests increased momentum for puma โฃrepopulation efforts in the surveyed Eastern states.