Encountering a cougar, also known as a mountain lion or puma, can be a startling experience in their natural habitats. Understanding how to react during such an encounter is important for personal safety. This article provides guidance on what to do if you come across a cougar.
Avoiding Encounters
Minimizing the chance of a cougar encounter often involves understanding their behavior and preferred environments. Cougars are most active during dawn, dusk, and nighttime hours, often preferring areas with dense vegetation for cover. Staying on marked trails and being aware of your surroundings can reduce the likelihood of surprising one.
Making noise while hiking, such as talking loudly or singing, can alert wildlife to your presence, giving cougars time to move away. Hiking in groups also significantly reduces the risk of an encounter, as larger groups are more intimidating to wildlife. Keeping children and pets close, ideally on a leash, prevents them from wandering into unseen areas where a cougar might be resting or hunting.
Properly securing food and garbage when camping or recreating in cougar country is also important. Storing food in bear-resistant containers or hanging it from a tree away from your sleeping area prevents attracting smaller animals, which in turn might attract cougars seeking prey.
Responding to a Sighting
If you spot a cougar, the primary goal is to convince the animal that you are not prey. It is important to remain calm and avoid any sudden movements that might startle it. Running away can trigger a cougar’s natural chase instinct, as they are ambush predators adapted to pursuing fleeing animals.
Immediately pick up small children and pets to protect them and prevent them from running. Face the cougar directly and make yourself appear as large as possible by raising your arms above your head, opening your jacket, or standing on a rock. Maintaining direct eye contact can also signal that you are aware of its presence and are not an easy target.
Speaking firmly and loudly, rather than screaming, can help reinforce your presence and assertiveness. The aim is to project confidence and demonstrate that you are a potential threat, not a vulnerable food source.
Dealing with Aggressive Behavior
Should a cougar exhibit aggressive behaviors like stalking, hissing, or a mock charge, it indicates an escalation in its intent. It is important to continue maintaining direct eye contact, as breaking it might signal vulnerability. Increase your apparent size even further, perhaps by waving your arms slowly above your head.
Shouting loudly and aggressively can sometimes deter an approaching cougar. If safe and available, throwing objects such as rocks or sticks towards the cougar, but not directly at it, can help reinforce your assertiveness and create a distraction.
Slowly back away from the cougar, giving it space to retreat, but never turn your back. Turning away can be perceived as an invitation to attack, as cougars prefer to ambush from behind. Continuing to face the animal while slowly increasing distance helps maintain your dominant posture.
Surviving an Attack
In the extremely rare event of a cougar attack, fighting back aggressively is the recommended course of action. Unlike bears, cougars do not typically engage in defensive attacks; an attacking cougar views you as prey. Playing dead is not an effective strategy against a cougar.
Use any available objects to defend yourself, such as sticks, rocks, a backpack, or even your bare hands. Aim your blows at the cougar’s face, specifically targeting its eyes and nose, as these are sensitive areas. This direct and forceful resistance can often deter the cougar and increase your chances of survival. Your aggressive defense signals that you are not an easy meal, often leading the cougar to disengage and seek an easier target.
Reporting and Post-Encounter Actions
After any cougar encounter, especially one involving aggressive behavior or an attack, it is important to report the incident immediately. Contact local wildlife authorities, such as park rangers or your state’s fish and wildlife department. Providing details helps officials track cougar activity and assess potential risks to public safety.
Reporting also aids in identifying cougars that may have become habituated to humans or are exhibiting unusual aggression, which might necessitate intervention by wildlife management. If an attack occurred, seek medical attention promptly, even if injuries appear minor, to address any potential wounds or infections.