“Our cultures are built around stories, right? We connect through stories, we learn through stories and stories are often stronger when they have characters, characters we can connect with. And I think that that been a struggle for many, many animals, all kinds of animals, that they don’t have a face or a character that people can connect with.” – Mark Elbroch

Before I met Mark Elbroch and read his book, The Cougar Conundrum: Sharing the World with a Successful Predator, I thought I knew at least a little bit about mountain lions. After meeting him and reading his book, I realized that I had actually known very little and much of what I thought I knew was wrong. Mark on the other hand, knows a lot about mountain lions, more than just about anyone on the planet.

Mark is an ecologist, author, storyteller and the Director of the Puma Program for Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization. He’s also an animal tracker working to preserve ancient skills and elevate their applications in our modern world. His research has challenged everything we thought we knew about the social lives of mountain lions.

Maybe you know a thing or two about them, but I would bet that just about anyone who listens to this conversation learns a great deal about these mysterious and extraordinary animals.

LINKS:

Mark Elbroch: The Secret Lives of Mountain Lions