In the early 19th century wild cougars, wolves, and bears once roamed the vast Iowa prairies, but today they're nowhere to be found. Where did they go, and where are they now?
During this hour of Talk of Iowa host Charity Nebbe talks with Emeritus Associate Professor of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State University, Jim Pease, about the history of Iowa's native wildlife and some of its oldest predators.
There are two main reasons why these predators are gone, social stigma and road construction. While these critters have been sighted in Iowa, they rarely stray outside of their current natural habitat.
