The mountain lion, also known as a cougar or puma, is an apex predator. While these animals are highly elusive and generally avoid human contact, the expansion of residential areas into their habitat means encounters, though rare, are a possibility that requires preparedness. Understanding proper safety protocols is important for anyone living or recreating in mountain lion country.
Minimizing Risk During Outdoor Activities
One of the most effective strategies for avoiding an encounter is to travel in groups, as mountain lions are significantly less likely to approach multiple people. Keeping children and small pets close is equally important, as their smaller size can make them appear more like natural prey to an opportunistic lion. Young children should always be kept within arm’s reach while hiking or camping in areas where mountain lions are known to roam.
Making noise while moving through dense vegetation or around blind corners gives a mountain lion advance warning of your presence, allowing it to retreat before a surprise encounter occurs. Talking, singing, or occasionally clapping are simple ways to announce your location. Avoid wearing headphones, which can reduce your awareness of surrounding sounds and movements, including the quiet approach of a large cat.
Mountain lions are naturally crepuscular, meaning they are most active during the hours of dawn and dusk, which are the riskiest times for outdoor activities. Scheduling hikes, jogs, or bike rides for the middle of the day, when the animals are typically resting, can substantially lower the risk of an encounter. If you must be outside during these low-light periods, increase your vigilance and consider carrying a noise-making deterrent like an air horn or whistle.
Dogs, even large ones, can be perceived as prey or competition by a mountain lion, making it important to keep them secured. All dogs should be kept on a leash, preventing them from roaming freely where they could attract a lion’s attention or lead you toward a den or kill site. Leaving a dog at home may be the safest option when recreating in high-risk areas.
Learning to recognize and avoid signs of mountain lion activity is an important layer of prevention. Look for large, rounded tracks, typically three to four inches long, which lack visible claw marks due to the cat’s retractable claws. Scat often contains hair and bone fragments of prey, while large scrapes of dirt or leaves signal recent territorial activity.
Discovering a cached kill—a carcass, often a deer, partially buried under a pile of debris—indicates a lion is likely nearby and will return to feed. If you find such a sign, immediately leave the area without disturbing the cache. Report the location to local park authorities or wildlife officials.
Securing Your Home and Pets
Securing the home environment involves removing factors that attract mountain lions or their prey. Since deer are the primary food source, landscaping or feeding practices that draw deer onto your property increase the likelihood of a lion following. Avoid planting vegetation that deer prefer and never intentionally feed deer or other wildlife.
Securing food sources that might attract smaller prey animals, such as raccoons or rodents, is also an important preventative step. This includes securing garbage in sturdy containers with tight-fitting lids and immediately cleaning up fallen fruit from trees. Pet food and water bowls should never be left outdoors, as they can attract small mammals that a lion may prey upon.
Pets and livestock are vulnerable because they can be perceived as easy prey, especially during hunting hours. Cats and dogs should be brought indoors overnight. Livestock, such as goats or chickens, must be secured in fully enclosed barns or sheds from dusk until dawn, and pets should be supervised or kept within a secure, fenced area during the day.
Modifying the landscape around your home can reduce hiding spots where a mountain lion might ambush prey. Trim dense brush, tall grasses, and low-hanging tree branches to eliminate cover and increase visibility near the house. Installing motion-activated outdoor lighting can also startle a lion that approaches the property, making the area less appealing for stalking or hunting.
Direct Response Protocol During an Encounter
If you unexpectedly see a mountain lion, the immediate response is to stop and remain calm, never running or turning your back to the animal. Running can trigger the lion’s predatory chase instinct, increasing the risk of an attack. Instead, stand your ground and face the animal directly, making sure to maintain eye contact.
The next action is to make yourself appear as large and intimidating as possible to communicate that you are not prey. Raise your arms high above your head, open your jacket, or slowly wave a hiking pole or backpack to increase your silhouette. If you are with small children or pets, quickly pick them up without bending or crouching down, which could make you look smaller or vulnerable.
Speak loudly and firmly to the animal in a deep, authoritative voice, but avoid high-pitched screaming, which can mimic the sound of an injured animal. Use verbal commands to establish your presence and challenge the animal. If the lion does not retreat, slowly back away while continuing to face it, ensuring it has an easy escape route away from you.
If the mountain lion exhibits aggressive behavior, such as crouching, hissing, or flattened ears, you must be prepared to defend yourself. Throwing rocks, sticks, or any available objects toward the lion serves as a deterrent without requiring you to turn your back. The goal is to discourage the lion by convincing it that you are a threat.
If an attack occurs, fight back aggressively using any means necessary, including bare hands, trekking poles, or a pocketknife. Focus your counter-attack on sensitive areas like the eyes and nose. People have successfully fended off mountain lions by fighting back, and protecting the head and neck is paramount during this struggle.
Immediately report any aggressive mountain lion behavior, sightings in residential areas, or an actual attack to local wildlife authorities or law enforcement. Providing details about the animal’s appearance and behavior is important for officials to assess the situation and determine if the animal poses a continued threat to public safety.