Honoring a Cougar Researcher
Celebrating Maurice Hornocker’s Conservation Legacy With an Endowed Chair
Article by Kelsey Evans, CNR Editor
Photos and video provided by Maurice Hornocker and Wilbur Wiles
Cougars on the Cliff recounts the early years of Hornocker’s research in the late 60s and early 70s, when he tracked mountain lions following scent hounds and cat tracks in the snow, before telemetry was available. Hornocker was first to learn that mountain lions living in stable populations limit their own numbers through territoriality and a concept he called “mutual avoidance.” This insight flew in the face of long-held beliefs that cougars were prolific and wanton killers that needed to be controlled as vermin. Thanks to Hornocker’s work, today cougars can be found throughout the West and have even started to reclaim their place in the eastern United States.
Alum Toni Ruth Reflects on Tribute
“Earlier this Fall, I spent a week in Moscow reveling in sharing stories and belly laughs with many friends and colleagues as we gathered to pay tribute to our mentor, friend and carnivore conservationist extraordinaire, Hornocker. I was so honored to serve on a small planning team of Hornocker Disciples including Dale Miquelle, Michael Tewes, Gary Koheler and Kathy Quigley, who worked with the College of Natural Resources to recognize the lifetime achievements and impact Maurice had on so many of us.
Maurice is a wildlife biologist best known for advancing knowledge of the elusive mountain lion’s behavior and ecology. During his 55 years of research in 幸运快三 and around the world, he published numerous scientific papers and books. At U of I, he served as Unit Leader of the 幸运快三 Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit from 1968-85, and also established the Hornocker Wildlife Institute in Moscow.
