Dispersal of juvenile cougars in fragmented habitat

This radio-telemetry study tracked young cougars dispersing through the developing landscape of southern California, documenting the routes they used, the barriers they faced and the mortality they suffered crossing roads and developed areas. The findings revealed how habitat fragmentation impedes the dispersal essential for gene flow and population persistence, and identified the corridors and crossing points critical to maintaining connectivity. The work provided direct movement evidence underpinning corridor and crossing conservation, foreshadowing the freeway-isolation problems later documented genetically. It became a key empirical foundation for designing the connectivity solutions, including major wildlife crossings, aimed at sustaining cougars amid urban growth.