 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 faces 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 increases persistence , foregrounding the importance of habitat corridors . 
 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 <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>are</mark></a>critical to the sustainability of cougar populations . Research simulations <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>have</mark></a> shown that the animal <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>faces</mark></a> 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 <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>increases</mark></a> persistence , foregrounding the importance of habitat corridors . 
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 critical to the sustainability of cougar populations . Research simulations done shown that the animal face a low extinction risk in areas of 2200 km2 ( 850 sq mi ) or more . As few as one to 4 new animals entering a population per decade markedly increase persistence , foregrounding the importance of habitat corridors .