Conservation threats to the species include persecution as a pest animal , environmental degradation and habitat fragmentation , and depletion of their prey base . Wildlife corridors and sufficient range areas are critical to the sustainability of cougar populations . Research simulations have shown that the animal face a low extinction risk in areas of 2200 km2 ( 850 sq mi ) or more . As few as one to four new animals entering a population per decade markedly increase persistence , foregrounding the importance of habitat corridors .