This may begin to change as humans continue to move into their habitat, and it will be inevitable the number of encounters will increase. It is thought this is in part because they are not habituated to humans, and do not see them as prey. Even when living alongside humans, they rarely make their presence known. They are very solitary creatures who prefer to pass by unseen. Mountain lion attacks on humans are considered rare. In fact the names Puma, Panther, Painter, Mexican Lion, and Catamount, in addition to Mountain Lion and Cougar, are all different names for the same species.Īnd there are more names beyond that! Because of their historic wide distribution, each region came up with their own names for these big cats, no wonder they are known as “the cat of many names”. Yes, they are! The terms Mountain Lion and Cougar are interchangeable and refer to the same animal and species ( Puma concolor). 10 interesting facts about Mountain Lions 1. So in this article we’ll answer some of those common cougar questions, and learn some cool facts about Mountain Lions. Because these wild cats of North America can sometimes live near our own backyards, we obviously have some questions. Adult males can be up to 8 feet in length and weigh an average of 150 pounds.Mountain Lions are solitary and elusive creatures, they prefer to remain hidden and unseen. The elusive predators, which typically avoid humans, typically kill large herbivores like deer and elk. The agency is continuing to search the area and has posted signs asking the public to report any mountain lion sightings.Įstimates place the mountain lion population in Colorado at anywhere between 3,000 and 7,000 cats, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Sunday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed to CNN the mountain lion has not yet been located. “The couple did the right thing by making noise and shining a light on the lion.” “We think it’s likely the mountain lion saw the man’s head move in the darkness at ground-level but didn’t recognize the people in the hot tub,” said Shepherd in the release. It’s the 24th known attack of a mountain lion to cause injury to a human in Colorado since 1990. This was the first mountain lion attack on a human in Colorado in a year, says the department. They sat traps nearby the rental property. But “no mountain lion tracks could be found due to the freezing temperatures and frozen snow on the ground,” said the agency. Officers immediately began searching for the big cat, according to the release. Officers confirmed the scratches were consistent with mountain lion claws, according to the release. The victim had minor scratches on the top of his head and declined medical assistance. They called the owner of the rental property, who coincidentally happened to be an employee of Colorado Parks and Wildlife and alerted officers who came to the scene. The couple was able to scare the animal away and safely return to the rental home. “The victim’s wife grabbed a flashlight and shined it on the animal, which they then identified as a mountain lion.” “He and his wife began screaming and splashing water at the animal,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife in the news release. Another California mountain lion likely killed by a vehicle, authorities say
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