Description - Cougars aka Mountain Lions, Pumas and Catamount is the second largest cat in the New-World after the jaguar. Secretive and largely solitary by nature, the cougar is properly considered both nocturnal and crepuscular, although daytime sightings do occur. Despite its size, the cougar is more closely related to smaller felines, including the domestic cat. Though closely related to the domestic cat, they are unlike them in size where they vary in length from 60-110 inches with a tail length 0f 21-36 inches. A Cougar has a height at the shoulder between 22-29 inches. A Cougar’s weight can vary greatly from 75 to 250lbs. They are known for having a small head with a long body, a short face and a long neck and tail.
No species preys upon mature adults in the wild. They are quiet, solitary and quite elusive and more often than not they try and avoid people.
Habitat – Cougars prefer habitats that are good for stalking such as areas with dense underbrush and rocky areas but can also thrive in open areas with little vegetation. They are also known to prefer steep canyons and escarpments, as well as coniferous forests. Male cougars have a habitat of approximately 150km with females being about half of that at around 75km.
Tracks and Scat
Key Features – A cougar’s sight is its most acute sense with a good sense for hearing, but is thought by many to have a rather poorly developed sense of smell. They also have larger hind legs than front legs and their ears are short and rounded.
Signs of Animal Activity - Cougars are known to leave a four – six inch mound of dirt and forest litter pulled together, where the Cougar will drop urine and scat which is used to mark their area.
Warning Signs - Cougars are known to scrape the ground with their hind feet, and then proceed to urinate over the area. This particular marking is usually associated with kill sites.
Did you know - Cougars can bound 40 feet while running, leap 15 feet up into a tree, climb a 12 foot fence, and sprint at speeds up to 50 mph. It is also a good swimmer but prefers not to enter the water.
Behaviors – Cougars often will often sleep on hard slopes, near cliffs and outcrops as well as in dense plant cover. In the winter they are known to bed down on south facing slopes.
Most Active Time - Cougars, like most predators are most active at dawn and dusk.
Mating Season and Young – Female Cougars usually breed at around the 2 year mark, with most litters consisting of 2-4 kittens. Babies are referred to as cubs or kittens. The cubs usually have spots on their coats for about a year. Coyotes have been documented preying on their young.
Diet – The Cougar is an obligate carnivore which means it must feed on meat to survive and is known as an ambush predator, with their primary food being ungulates, more specifically Deer, but they will also eat Coyotes, Porcupines, Beavers, Hares, Rabbits, Raccoons, and Grasshoppers. They kill their prey by stalking to within 30 feet give or take depending on terrain before pouncing from their hiding place. They usually leap on their preys back and bite into their neck. After a kill is made, a Cougar will drag its kill to a preferred spot, cover it with brush, and feed on it for several days. They begin eating in the stomach area directly behind the ribs.
Did you know that Cougars are known to direct register (hind feet step inside of where the front foot has landed) when walking, especially when moving through snow.
If you have a close encounter with a cougar, follow these steps below:
• Make yourself seem as large as possible – open your jacket, raise your arms
• Make a lot of noise – yell, shout, bang your hiking poles / walking stick
• Act defiant, but don’t antagonize it in any way – maintain eye contact, don’t bend over or crouch down, do not turn your back on a Cougar, throw rocks or branches if easily accessible without bending over
• Slowly create distance – assess your situation and make sure you are not between it and it’s kittens, prey, etc. Make sure the cougar has a way to escape, you don’t want to corner it.
*Bear spray will work just as well for Cougars as it does on Bears*
• Protect yourself – if you do happen to be attacked, fight back, but make sure to PROTECT YOU NECK AND THROAT. Use anything at your disposal, knife, tree branch, rock etc.
