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Mountain Lion Attacks: Problem or Fantasy Until recently, an attack by a mountain lion in this country was so rare that it was hardly considered a real possibility. Even now it's more likely that you'll be hit by lightning. To some people that may mean they shouldn't worry because it isn't going to happen to them. I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of times lightning has come close enough to me to give me a good jolt, and one time it was close enough to knock me back about six feet. I'm about to run out of fingers for my lightning count. If you spend time in the outdoors, lightning is a real danger. So now that mountain lion attacks are becoming an equivalent threat, I'm interested in knowing how to prevent them. Mountain lions, unlike bears, usually go after people with the intention of eating them, not for territorial reasons or in competition for food. Mountain lions stalk people for a long time before they present themselves as attackers. They think it out. Big cats typically attack from behind, but many survivors report face to face confrontations. That may mean the lion isn't sure of whether this is a good idea and is in the process of testing out the human's defenses. Usually, the human has none. People have run off the big cats by blustering, yelling and throwing whatever sticks and stones were handy. In a few instances that wasn't enough, the cat didn't take them seriously, and after a quick struggle the lion won. In other cases, lions are suspects in disappearances. Where there is no evidence, there is no provable predation. Lions have attacked joggers, hikers, and even campers sleeping in tents. When one does attack, it's a life or death fight. Critical of a couple who were awakened one night in their tent by a full grown cougar trying to eat the man involved, an animal rights group threatened a lawsuit against his wife for dispatching the animal with a butter knife that happened to be handy. According to the lion's defenders, the situation could have been simply avoided if when attacked the couple had chosen to walk back to their car. Some people are idiots, and if I were a lion I'd fire my lawyers and look for better legal counsel. As a human, sometimes tasty looking, I want more practical solutions. In other times, people built campfires at night and tended them carefully. Most animals are afraid of fire and will stay outside that circle of light. Modern campers don't have that defensive luxury. Open fires are banned, because we tend to let them get away and ravage the countryside. When you sleep in a tent at night, there's nothing between you and a wandering predator but a millimeter of nylon cloth. Keeping a real knife at hand, not just an accidental butter knife, is very sensible. Level of Concern If you don't have any cougars where you hike, it isn't a problem. The official range includes the Rocky Mountains, Cascades and much of Canada. East of the Mississippi in the U.S. the only official population is in the Everglades of Florida. Most attacks have taken place in the western states. Even though numbers are small, there has been an alarming upsurge of attacks in recent years. Human behaviour contributes as much to the problems as does cougar behaviour. With cougars, predation is learned. Humans aren't actively pursued unless they make themselves easy targets. In the hundred years prior to 1990 approximately fifty attacks on humans were reported in North America. Between 1990 and 2004, that number nearly doubled. The death rate remains stable, with around twenty percent of attacks fatal. The Cougar's True Range In my home range, the Ozark Mountains, the cougar does not officially exist. Although sightings are fairly common, and some cats preying on livestock have been shot and killed, those numbers are not included in any census. Farmers are reluctant to report that they've shot an endangered species, and at least where I come from, people don't concern themselves with what outsiders think. Cougars have been seen here in Indiana, and although extinct in the Appalachians a park ranger friend of mine tracked one only a few years ago in the Smoky Mountains National Park. Wherever cougars used to live, you may still find them. They've survived by staying away from people and keeping to remote areas. As we become more common visitors in those remote areas and cougar populations recover, expanding to follow the deer herds, encounters increase. |
Lion Defense |
When confronted by a lion the standard advice is to hold your ground, bluster and yell, and throw rocks and sticks at the animal until it runs away. That's reasonable. It will help if you have rocks and sticks handy, and if you don't you'll look pretty silly. Shuriken throwing is an old military skill and encompasses many more items than throwing stars. One current expert in the art recommends golf balls -- small, hard and accurate. They aren't heavy, and a small pouch of Titleists could be all you need for that chastening confrontation. Don't Run. Predatory cats prefer to attack from behind. Mountain lions typically go for the back of the neck or the base of the skull, so don't give them that target. Fighting a Big Cat may not work out well unless you do have a weapon. To keep it away from your throat you'll probably have your hands on its neck. The handiest vulnerable point is the windpipe. Use your thumbs to press instead of squeezing the throat. Prevent Trouble by using good sense. Running alone in areas where big cats are known to roam has been known to draw their attention. There is safety in numbers. Small pets and small children are tempting targets. Adults should lead and bring up the rear. Don't let anyone lag behind for a bathroom break, intending to catch up to the group later. Everyone should stop and wait. The Silly Mask has actually been effective against tigers. In some national parks in India, woodcutters have a high mortality due to tiger attack, sharing the forest with the predators. Predation on humans declined dramatically when woodcutters and other intruders were encouraged to wear halloween style masks on the backs of their heads. Tigers prefer to attack from behind, and if you are facing both ways, they can't quite figure it out. Although it hasn't been proven effective against American lions, eternal artificial vigilance could be one of the simplest answers to coexistence. Pepper Spray works on grizzlies. It should work equally well on cougars, even though no field studies have been done. Real bear spray systems like the product CounterAssault are floating airborne defense systems, not focused streams. Buy the real thing, not the pocket self defense canister. The best defense system available today, CounterAssault should be standard equipment for any hiker, anywhere. Collapsible Batons Several people attacked by cougars in recent years were jogging alone in remote areas. Most trail runners travel light, and in these situations have had to fall back on found weapons for defense. There are always plenty of rocks and sticks until you actually need them. Having one with you beats having to scrounge for one while a cougar checks you out. Although convenient, legality of this common police baton for civilian use varies from area to area. Unless you have a permit for concealed carry, keep it in plain sight. |
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