Explore the biology and ecology of cougars, the history of predator management and conservation including myths that are often perpetuated, and suggest a framework for modernizing predator management that promotes conservation.
Biologist Rick Hopkins will also discuss the recent cougar sightings in the South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County areas. He is co-owner and senior conservation biologist at Live Oak Associates Inc., an ecological consulting firm in California. He has a doctorate in wildlands resource ecology from UC Berkeley and an master’s in biology from San Jose State University. He conducted a 12-year study on the cougar in the Diablo Range.