Seventy-five mountain lions in the Black Hills are sporting collars. No, the collars aren’t for making a fashion statement or having a jingling bell like the one you might see on your dog or house cat, but instead are for research.

An estimated 250 mountain lions are believed to roam the Black Hills, and about 1 of every 4 wears a collar. You’re probably wondering how someone actually manages to put a collar on a puma. There’s no “here kitty, kitty” inovlved. The huge cats are captured with snares, leghold traps and cages, and fed a sedative which makes them pass out for about an hour. During their sleep, the collar is attached.

Why track the movement of mountain lions? This allows researchers to study mortality rates, litter sizes and the range of lions’ territory. Some lions have been recorded to have migrated as far as Saskatchewan, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Chicago. The data can also be used to determine the limit for mountain lion hunting season and help study their eating habits and how their prey is affected.

To date, some 270 cougars have been collared and tracked since 1999. Older collars emit radio signals, while the newer collars are capable of giving up-to-the-minute GPS location. Interested in buying one of these high-tech collars for your own pet? Well, each costs $5,000!

For more information about mountain lions in the Black Hills, take a look at this article in the Chicago Tribune and the SD Game Fish and Parks website