MEMORANDUM

TO:  Wildlife Biologists, Researchers, Natural Resource Managers, and other Parties Interested in the Puma

FROM:  Jay Tischendorf DVM

              Director

              American Ecological Research Institute (---AERIE)

              Post Office Box 1826

              Great Falls, Montana 59403

              Telephone:  406 453-7233

              E-mail:  Jay_Tischendorf@Merck.com        or      TischendorfJ@Hotmail.com

DATE:  October 2004

SUBJECT:  Problem Pumas---Capture, Immobilization, and Disposition

     The growing incidence of puma confirmations in areas outside their established range poses both opportunity and challenge for agencies and individuals engaged in wildlife, land, and natural resource management.  As this trend continues, it is highly likely---as was the case involving a young male puma in Omaha in Autumn 2003---that the decision will be made to humanely capture and remove some of these animals from the wild for translocation or other final disposition.  Such activities inevitably are subject to close scrutiny on many fronts.

     In such scenarios the American Ecological Research Institute (---AERIE) is committed to providing discreet, capable, professional service.  No two puma-related incidents are identical.  Accordingly, the ---AERIE on-call, rapid response team includes experts in puma tracking, snaring, and live-trapping; proven trailing and treeing hounds; and wildlife professionals experienced in puma behavior, immobilization, handling, and examination.  The skill set of the unique ---AERIE team spans a wide spectrum of contingencies, ranging from simple presence or absence determinations to intensive puma tracking, general research, or special capture operations. 

     Members of the ---AERIE team have safely conducted puma capture efforts in high-human-use areas.  They have also performed sensitive removal operations for depredating pumas.  This includes pumas involved in attacks upon, and mortality of, both livestock and humans.  ---AERIE personnel have coast-to-coast field expertise across a vast array of habitats and conditions, including intensive experience with a variety of large and/or endangered predators and other wildlife including red and gray wolves, jaguars, and both black and grizzly bears.  Additionally, ---AERIE maintains close associations with well-respected, USDA-inspected facilities available to provide humane temporary or permanent care and housing for captured pumas.

     If  ---AERIE service would be of value to you, your agency, or your land or wildlife management program, please contact me to discuss the details.