Natural Resources office studies Kirtland's cougar population Published April 24, 2014 By Adam Bailey Nucleus staff writer KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Kirtland's Natural Resource office is in its third year studying the cougar population on base. Lead by a group from Furman University in South Carolina, the study is designed to take a look at cougar habitat and behavior. "It's one of our projects where we aren't concerned about the cougars going extinct, but like to manage them and see what we can learn," said Dustin Akins, natural resource specialist. Part of the study involves capturing cougars using a snare trap, fitting them with a collar and releasing them so the animal can be traced. The collar sends data every two hours over a 12-hour period. It then shuts down for several hours before it begins another 12-hour cycle. It has enough power to run for 70 weeks. "Tracking them with a collar allows us to see where they have their kill sites, dens and how far they travel," Akins said. The study has shown that male cougars are more territorial than females. It also has shown that, among females, territories sometimes overlap, which is not true of the males. "Cougars are very elusive and solitary. It's rare to come across one in real life," Akins said. The study also shows that males tend to go to the places where they can find females, but females are found near the resources they need. "The study tends to open up more questions about cougars, but helps come up with ideas for more studies to conduct in the future," Akins said. The cougar study is funded through the Department of Defense, which supports natural resource conservation on military bases. The team at Furman University is conducting cougar studies at two other locations in New Mexico: Bosque del Apache and Ladder Ranch. The natural resource office is also conducting snake surveys and collecting data on the local bird population.