A study published in Current Biology suggests that bringing cougars, or mountain lions as they are also known, into town could reduce deer-related car accidents by up to 76%.
The researchers found that the presence of these big cats in areas with roads cutting through forests caused deer to avoid those regions. As a result, there were fewer traffic collisions involving deer.
Cougars are native to the Americas but their range has significantly reduced due to habitat loss and hunting after European colonization. They now can be found mostly in western US states and a small part of Florida.
In contrast, deer have flourished over the past century with fewer predators and expanded habitats. Deer-related car accidents have increased as both human and deer populations grew, leading State Farm to report 1.8 million claims between 2022 and 2023.
The study focused on the Olympic Peninsula where a cougar monitoring program has been in place since 2018. Researchers found that deer were more likely to avoid areas with roads known for cougar activity, spending time deeper into wooded areas and being more active during daylight hours.
