 Young adults leave their mother to attempt to establish their own territory at around two years of age and sometimes earlier ; males tend to leave sooner . One study has shown high mortality amongst cougars that travel farthest from the maternal range , often due to conflicts with other cougars ( intraspecific competition ) . Research in New Mexico has shown that " males dispersed significantly farther than females , were more likely to traverse large expanses of non @-@ cougar habitat , and were probably most responsible for nuclear gene flow between habitat patches . " 
 Young adults leave their mother to attempt to establish their own territory at around two years of age and sometimes earlier ; males tend to leave sooner . One study <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>has</mark></a> shown high mortality amongst cougars <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>that</mark></a>travel farthest from the maternal range , often due to conflicts with other cougars ( intraspecific competition ) . Research in New Mexico <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>has</mark></a> shown that " males dispersed significantly farther than females , <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> more likely to traverse large expanses of non @-@ cougar habitat , and <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> probably most responsible for nuclear gene flow between habitat patches . " 
Young adults leave their mother to attempt to establish their own territory at around 2 years of age and sometimes earlier ; males tend to leave sooner . One study done shown high mortality amongst cougars travel farthest from da maternal range , often due to conflicts with other cougars ( intraspecific competition ) . Research in New Mexico done shown dat " males dispersed significantly farther than females , was more likely to traverse large expanses of non @-@ cougar habitat , and was probably most responsible fa nuclear gene flow between habitat patches . "