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What is a cougar? |
A cougar is a very big cat! Africa and Asia have lions and tigers. In North and South America we have the cougar. It goes by many names including “mountain lion,” “puma” and “panther.” It’s the second heaviest cat in the Americas, second only to the jaguar!
Like all big cat relatives, the cougar is a hunter. They are quick, but they like to hide and sneak up on animals before they attack. At up to 8 feet long and 160 pounds, they can hunt deer, cattle, horses and hogs. They’ll even eat insects. They’re not too picky!
Cougars aren’t the top hunters in North America though. Bears tend to hold that title!
Cougars can sometimes attack people - luckily it’s not too common. In the United States most cougars live west of the Mississippi River, with the exception of a small group that lives in Florida. If you live where cougars live (and this is true even if you don’t) you should never go off into the woods, climb mountains or play in canyons alone. It’s always safer to be with a group of people.
Like most wild animals, cougars just want people to leave them alone. Ask a grown-up what you should do if you ever run into a cougar. If you live in cougar territory, your local department of fish and wildlife probably has some good ideas of what to do and how to be safe.