Pumas (mountain lions, cougars) face persecution, road mortality, and habitat fragmentation across their vast range. Coexistence strategies are essential for welfare and conservation.
Wild pumas experience welfare harms from vehicle collisions, snare injuries, and persecution by ranchers and hunters. Animals struck by vehicles but not killed immediately may survive with severe injuries and die slowly. Subadult males dispersing from natal territories must cross increasingly dangerous urban and agricultural landscapes, facing high mortality risk. In fragmented landscapes like Southern California, small isolated populations suffer from inbreeding depression, with health consequences including kinked tails, heart defects, and reduced reproductive success in the Florida panther. Wildlife crossings with appropriate vegetation and cover have been demonstrated to reduce puma road mortality by more than 90% in trial locations. The proposed Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Los Angeles would be the world's largest wildlife crossing, potentially saving the isolated Santa Monica Mountains puma population.