Staying Safe Around Mountain Lions & What To Do if You Encounter One

The nonetheless photos of the mountain lion above come from a video shot by a hiker in Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, in fall 2020. For six minutes, a feminine grownup cougar stalks the hiker, displaying intense aggression and feigning prices. The not-quite-an-attack was instigated by the hiker’s unlucky shut encounter with the lion’s cub. You possibly can view the unique video right here. In the event you analyze the video from begin to end, you’ll witness all the pieces it’s best to (and shouldn’t) do when you encounter a mountain lion — however extra on that later.

Picture courtesy Tennessee Wildlife Sources Company

Mountain lion assaults are comparatively uncommon. Like most wild animals (together with bears), the American lion is elusive; it prefers to keep away from human contact. However the American wilderness is house to tens of hundreds of mountain lions throughout the west coast and Midwest. Unconfirmed sightings have been reported as far east as New York, and the wilderness all through the contiguous United States qualifies as appropriate cougar habitat. In the event you frequent the Rockies, or another pacific or Midwest nationwide park or forest, there’s a probability you could possibly encounter a lion. Right here’s find out how to play it protected in mountain lion nation, and what to do when you run into one.

Learn how to Keep away from a Lion Encounter

Just like the video referenced above, many mountain lion encounters are the results of man and beast encountering one another unexpectedly — which normally leads to the lion, caught unawares, performing aggressively in opposition to the offending particular person. Cut back the percentages of a shock run-in with an enormous cat by following these steps.

Make some noise. Making frequent noise on the mountaineering path and saying your presence to wildlife is the easiest way to keep away from an encounter with elusive predators like mountain lions. These cats usually tend to keep away from a loud, unknown intruder than transfer nearer to analyze.

Journey with firm. A lone hiker or camper is way extra more likely to encounter a mountain lion. These predators are opportunistic, and naturally really feel inclined to dimension up single, remoted creature as potential prey. Touring with a gaggle of individuals eliminates any probability of inadvertently presenting your self as simple prey to a stalking lion.

Follow marked trails. You’re extra more likely to encounter a lion when you stray from trafficked mountaineering trails and established campsites. The mountain lion’s pure sources of meals — deer, elk, and small critters – wish to keep away from locations that folks frequent, and lions are inclined to observe their prey. So, the additional away you keep from the prey’s habitats, the much less doubtless you might be to run right into a lion.

Separate meals from camp. Mountain lions primarily stalk and hunt prey animals. However juvenile lions, which are sometimes accountable for reported encounters, are extra opportunistic and curious. They could really feel inclined to analyze the scent of meals — like the meat jerky or smoked venison you stuffed in your backpack. To keep away from encounters with any wildlife, it’s a good suggestion to maintain your foodstuffs distant out of your campsite.

Avoid lion cubs. The unlucky Utah hiker who handled a hissing lion wound up simply meters from the lion’s cub, which spurred the lion’s aggressive posturing. Lions sometimes delivery one to 4 cubs at a time, and their inhabitants progress is accelerating. Lions with cubs are additionally more likely to enhance their vary in quest of meals.

Meaning you could possibly run right into a pack of lions — an grownup with cubs. However this kind of encounter is assured to ask aggressive conduct, and probably a defensive assault. In the event you see lion cubs, instantly exit the world in the identical course you got here.

What To Do If You Encounter a Mountain Lion

In the event you love the outside and you reside in lion nation, you’re certain to cross by the territory of an enormous cat a few times. Probability encounters usually are not unusual. Lest you grow to be the subsequent hiker to seize some shaky cellular phone footage of an indignant cougar someplace in a canyon, observe these steps throughout an encounter.

Don’t run. Working into a big predator within the wilderness will immediately set off your fight-or-flight instincts. Observe the previous; don’t ever flip and run from a cougar. That is sure to set off the cat’s predator response — they nearly universally take prey by chasing and attacking from behind.

Look huge. Make your self look larger to the cat. Open your jacket, increase your arms and unfold your legs, and face the lion always. In case you have trek poles or any objects useful, wave them round — and be ready to make use of them to defend your self.

Make noise. Communicate loudly, and make as a lot noise as attainable. There are many anecdotes of individuals scaring away mountain lions with loud music (Metallica, specifically) performed from a speaker or smartphone.

Preserve eye contact. You could have been advised that staring down an animal is taken into account a problem that might invite an assault — particularly with canine — however, on this case, sustaining eye contact with the lion is a finest apply.

Stand your floor. If the lion challenges you by approaching from a distance, stand your floor. To the lion, solely prey animals retreat. Lions don’t acknowledge a standing human as a typical prey animal. Standing your floor reinforces this truth.

Throw objects and retreat. But when the space between you and a curious mountain lion closes to an uncomfortable diploma, it’s time to behave in self-defense: Throw rocks, sticks, and different close by objects within the cat’s course, and slowly stroll backward to place house between you and the cat.

If a Mountain Lion Assaults

Do all the pieces to battle again. Grownup male lions weigh 135 to 175 kilos, whereas females weigh between 90 and 105 kilos. These are highly effective creatures with sharp claws and powerful bites, however they aren’t insurmountable — and, when you’re attacked, there’s nothing higher to do than to battle again. Mountain lions normally assault the pinnacle and neck; do your finest to guard these areas by remaining upright and going through the cat through the assault. Use any weapon obtainable to you. A pointy crack to the cranium with a rock, or a blow to the physique with a pocket knife or another sharp implement, might be sufficient to finish the assault.

Instantly Report All Sightings

In the event you see a mountain lion close to any space frequented by folks, instantly contact your native authorities. In the event you’re close to a state park or forest, contact park officers or your state’s Division of Wildlife. If no contact info for rangers or DNR companies can be found, or when you see a lion close to an city space, contact your native sheriff’s workplace or police division — they’ll both reply instantly, or contact the suitable wildlife service.

Travis Olander

Travis is a retired Joint Fires NCO, firearm collector, and long-range shooter with a penchant for outdated militaria. He evaluations weapons, knives, tactical equipment, and tenting and mountaineering gear.