Cougar Predation

[Balam]

(12-11-2020, 01:46 AM)pardusco Wrote: https://www.facebook.com/DavisMountains/...456268644/
This is an aoudad (AW-dad), and it’s quite a survivor. Do you notice anything peculiar on its right side?
Scars tell stories, and these scars likely tell the story of an attempted takedown by a mountain lion. Certain mountain lions in the Davis Mountains have shown a preference for aoudad, and on average aoudad make up 4% of recorded mountain lion prey in this region. This underscores the importance of protecting mountain lion populations in managing exotic invasive species.
For obvious reasons, we’re calling this aoudad ram “Lucky”.
Aoudads are a non-native species of sheep/goat that were brought from the northern coast of Africa to the Texas Hill Country after WWII. Aoudads have since exploded in population across Texas, with an estimated 20,000+ across the central, northern and western reaches of the state.
We have multiple aoudad herds that range in and around the park. This aoudad was in Limpia Canyon Primitive Area at a water trough.

*This image is copyright of its original author

This information is also from Davis Mountains State Park in Texas

*This image is copyright of its original author

This is an excellent find, cougars are great at controlling the numbers of invasive ungulate species across North America. A similar trend can be noticed with feral hogs, at least in Florida they have shown to have had a positive impact in the conservation of Florida panthers that rely on them heavily as a source of food.

One large male I posted here some time ago from that same area in Texas, apparently fed in oudad pretty frequently, as a result he was extremely ripped and muscular, they gave him the title "Chuck Norris". Reply