The Elusive Eastern Cougar Is No More

05:58

March 18, 2011

This 2009 picture provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, shows a mountain lion in a tree west of Spooner, Wis. The cougar was eradicated in the Eastern U.S. years ago. (AP)

The Eastern Cougar — also known as a Catamount, Puma, Mountain Lion and, perhaps most fittingly, a Ghost Cat — is no longer with us. Despite numerous reports of sightings over the years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the cat extinct and recommended that the cat be removed from the nation's endangered species list.

What happened to this elusive cat and why are so many people convinced that they've seen one?

Guest:

Tom French, assistant director, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

This segment aired on March 18, 2011.