This month, The Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank joined the Olympic Cougar Project in the field on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, to get a firsthand look at Panthera’s cougar research and connectivity efforts, including research on the potential for cougars to return to the eastern U.S. (A recent study led by Panthera found strong support for reintroducing pumas to East Coast states.) In partnership with the Lower Elwha Klallam, Skokomish, Makah, Jamestown S'Klallam, and Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribes, the Quinault Indian Nation, and the Washington State Department of Transportation, Panthera is working on the Olympic Peninsula to increase cougar connectivity and uncover cougar ecology for the benefit and coexistence of human and wildlife communities alike. In collaboration with six local tribes, Panthera has tracked 160 cougars across Washington state.
Led by Panthera Puma Program Director Dr. Mark Elbroch, Milbank joined our team of scientists as they tracked and collared a puma. He wrote all about the experience; check out his article to learn more. And meet the star feline family featured in the piece below.
The matriarch of the family, Gwaʔa, named for the Quinault word meaning cougar, was collared by the Olympic Cougar Project in March 2025. She’s the mother of Orla and Pajamas.
These almost-grown siblings are about a year old and nearly ready to head off on their own. They’ll likely disperse come spring. Orla, a female, was collared in summer 2025, while her brother PJ was collared this September during Milbank’s field visit.
Pumas can be found far and wide, roaming from Alaska to Chile and inhabiting nearly every ecosystem imaginable from lush forests to montane deserts. Gwaʔa, Orla and PJ are coastal cougars.
Living near the Pacific Ocean (close to popular surfing and tide-pooling spots!), these cats enjoy sea-faring snacks like crab-eating river otters, seals and sea birds.
But seaside life can be precarious. Coastal cats may be at higher risk of contracting avian flu than cats who live farther inland — especially through raccoons that scavenge infected birds.
Most cougar deaths in the region stem from conflict with livestock. That’s why the Olympic Cougar Project works to facilitate co-existence between cougars and human communities. As part of this work, Panthera invests in research testing livestock protection strategies, including various night corral structures for livestock. By preventing cougars from preying on livestock, we can help prevent negative interactions between people and wild cats.
This summer, researchers launched a new project on the Olympic Peninsula testing different types of fencing and puma deterrents. Because Gwaʔa and her cubs live in this area, their movements in and around these fences will be part of the research. Tracking an entire cougar family gives us an opportunity to learn how these strategies impact real-world cougar behavior.
Pumas are a keystone species and ecosystem engineer. By shaping their habitats, pumas increase biodiversity. Their survival in Washington state helps ensure the health of ecosystems we all rely on. Social science research shows that people are more likely to tolerate and coexist with carnivores when they have effective tools to reduce risk and conflict. Research like this can help shift relationships from conflict to coexistence.
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© Sebastian Kennerknecht
