Five cougars (Felis concolor) were captured and an adrenal response te
st was administered by injecting synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone
and monitoring plasma cortisol levels at 15-min intervals for 120 min
. Three were selected for treatment and chased 5 or 6 more times to si
mulate the stress they might experience during a pursuit-only season;
the other two served as controls and were chased only once more, at re
capture. The adrenal response test was administered again at recapture
. The cougars in the treatment group had a lowered plasma cortisol pro
file after the simulated pursuit season, indicating an altered physiol
ogical response of the adrenals to the stress of repeated chases.