On Thursday, October 30th, Bill Betty will give a presentation about mountain lions in New England. This powerful predator roams the Americas, where it is also known as a mountain lion, puma, cougar, and catamount. This big cat of many names is also found in many habitats, from Florida swamps to Canadian forests. In 2005, Bill started giving presentations in CT at the request of one of the Audubon Centers and it soon expanded into a campaign to educate New Englanders about nature’s perfect predator. Most of the presentations were for land trusts, AMC Chapters, or at Audubon sanctuaries, environmental or nature centers, high schools or colleges, and public libraries. His presentation covers all aspects of mountain lion behavior, tracking, sightings, maps and so on. Mountain lions like to prey on deer, though they also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons. They usually hunt at night or during the gloaming hours of dawn and dusk. These cats employ a blend of stealth and power, stalking their prey until an opportunity arrives to pounce, then going for the back of the neck with a fatal bite. They will hide large carcasses and feed on them for several days. Mountain lions once roamed nearly all of the United States. They were prized by hunters and despised by farmers and ranchers who suffered livestock losses at their hands. Subsequently, by the dawn of the 20th century, mountain lions were eliminated from nearly all of their range in the Midwest and Eastern U.S. Please join us at the SKLT Barn, 17 Matunuck Beach Road. Pot Luck Dinner at 6:00pm followed by the program at 7:00 pm. Please register at jane.baumann@sklt.org.
