The cougar – also known as the mountain lion, puma, panther and more – once roamed throughout the Americas, from as far north as Canada to nearly the tip of South America. Now, their range in the US has decreased from all forty-eight continental states to fifteen in the west and a small area in Florida. But their presence is once again expanding eastward, and with that expansion comes an increase in the chance of conflict with humans.
Cougars are naturally elusive animals that, for the most part, want nothing to do with humans. But with our ever-expanding cities and roads comes an increase in contact with these shy but dangerous predators. And of course, contact often goes hand-in-hand with conflict. Humans are ever-expanding on wildlife habitats, and the results are often deadly.
Figure 1. A cougar in California. Image by Jason Klassi.
Safety First
Although normally shy around humans, cougars can attack if threatened. The best way to survive an attack is to avoid an encounter in the first place. They are mostly crepuscular, which means they’ve most active during dawn and dusk. Hiking is best done during the daytime, with other people or at least a dog. While hiking, you want to avoid accidentally sneaking up on a cougar. A good way to avoid doing so is to make noise so they can hear you. You will also want to keep an eye on any children: Cougars are ambush predators and are drawn to what they perceive as “easy prey.”
If you do come across a cougar, do not try to run or crouch down. This would trigger its prey drive and make it see you as its next meal. You want to look as big and dangerous as possible, and become far more trouble for the cougar than it’s worth. Speak loudly, raise your arms, and back away if needed. If you are attacked, don’t back down: Fight back, using whatever you have available to defend yourself with.
Fortunately, cougar fatalities are very rare. There have only been about thirty fatal attacks in over 150 years. Remember that we are the ones encroaching on their territory, and it is our actions which push them closer and closer to human settlements.
Figure 3. A cougar in the Verdugos Mountains of California.
Human-Cougar Conflict
Human-wildlife conflict is the negative interaction between humans and the wildlife that shares our space. As we encroach on more and more wild spaces, this conflict is only going to increase.
Deer hunting is a relatively common recreational activity in the United States. Unfortunately, deer are the primary food source for cougars, leading to competition with humans for food. Often, they must travel elsewhere – frequently ending up closer to human settlements. Cougars that become desperate will sometimes turn to preying on livestock. Of course, humans rely on livestock for their livelihood, and will often retaliate against cougars in the area – even if the cougar isn’t at fault.
People at the highest risk of human-cougar conflict are often those who live and work in remote areas, and who may not have socioeconomic opportunities to relocate. It is crucial to reduce the amount of human-cougar conflict as best we can and to learn how to co-exist with all wildlife around us.
There are many strategies we can use to keep cougars away from our homes. Because their main prey is deer, one such strategy would be to make houses and farms uninviting by trimming bushes and plants back. There are even plants that can repel deer – cayenne pepper, marigolds, even mint. If you do own outdoor animals, it is important to keep them safely enclosed at night and make sure to bring in food and water. Guard dogs make excellent deterrents, not only against cougars but predators in genera
Cougars are beautiful but deadly animals. Through our ever-expanding settlements, we are pushing cougars farther out of wild spaces. We must learn to coexist before we lose any more of these beautiful animals.
Sources
Figure 1: https://mountainlion.org/2024/04/06/risk-and-recreation/
Figure 2: https://www.npca.org/articles/1877-wild-beasts-of-the-urban-jungle
https://sites.tufts.edu/gis/files/2020/07/DeNino_Liana_MCM591_Fall2019.pdf
https://mountainlion.org/about-mountain-lions/
https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/mountain-lions
https://www.nps.gov/articles/mountain-lion-safety.htm
https://www.fws.gov/story/mountain-lion-safety
https://mountainlion.org/2017/05/22/so-you-think-you-saw-a-mountain-lion/
https://felidaefund.org/news/general/what-is-human-puma-conflict-and-what-can-we-do-about-it
https://mountainlion.org/2024/04/06/risk-and-recreation/
*Published by Eryn Meeker on 06/17/2025*