Did you know Ohio used to be home to some of the most feared cats? Mary paws up some facts about these ferocious felines, including cougars and bobcats.
Class Discussion Questions:
1) What challenges would cougars cause for modern-day Ohio residents?
Read the Script:
Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a cat person. Anyone else? I figured it wasn't just me, and it makes sense because here in Ohio, we used to be cat country — and I'm talking big cats.
Check this guy out — Cougars, also called mountain lions, used to roam most of the United States, including Ohio. They grow to be about five feet long with tails that are two to three feet long too. Native Americans believe that a cougar's tail could whip up waves and storms. So yeah, they were a pretty scary predator, for the Native people and for new settlers. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in 1770 when President George Washington had Ohio land surveyed, they found cougars, along with wolves and bears.
Cougars are pretty savvy hunters though. They only need to hunt about once a week. They'll feast on deer until they're full and then cover their meal with leaves, so they can return to eat more when there hungry later. Pretty smart. Even though deer is their biggest food source, they will eat just about anything they can get their paws on.
Unfortunately, hunting and changes in land use resulted in the extirpation of cougars from Ohio. Extirpation means local extinction. So while these big cats have been pushed out of our state, they continue to live on the Western side of the country and in Canada.
But we still do have some cats around that are quite fierce. Well, he might not look it, but the bobcat is a fast pouncer. They're only a little bigger than your average house cat, growing about three feet long. They've got short tails that are black on top and white on the bottom.
For awhile, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources thought bobcats were gone from the state, but since 1990, there have been more and more sightings of them in Southeast Ohio. Here's a clip of one traveling through Ohio, caught on a trail camera. See the different shades on his tail? Bobcats love to roam huge areas, nearly 90 square miles by themselves. When they find the purr-fect spot, they'll lay in wait for prey to pass by before they leap in for the kill.
Instructional Links
Website Article: Ohio History Connection, Natural History Blog, Ohio’s Secret Killers
Website Article: Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Wildlife Center, Bobcat
Website Article: Enchanted Learning, Saber-toothed Cats | Info with printable illustration