Mountain lions (cougars) are being squeezed into increasingly fragmented habitats in North America, causing welfare harms from road mortality, conflict killing, and restricted movement.
Mountain lion welfare suffers most acutely from habitat fragmentation. Animals trapped in habitat islands by roads and development cannot move to find mates, food, or fresh territory. Inbreeding reduces fitness and immune function. Road strike injuries, if not immediately fatal, cause prolonged suffering. Conflict killings often target individual lions that have entered areas with poor coexistence management. Wildlife crossings and improved livestock husbandry practices are the most direct welfare and conservation interventions.