MOUNTAIN LION

ENCOUNTERS

• Standing your ground, yelling and waving your arms can deter a mountain lion from pursuing you. Making yourself as large as possible is also helpful; do not bend over or crouch down. Maintain eye contact with the cat whenever possible.

• Utilize your bear spray if the mountain lion shows aggression toward you. Remember that your bear spray reaches a maximum distance of 30 feet, so don't spray too soon.

• Mountain lions are stealthy and can be very quick and incredibly agile. Known as cougars, pumas or mountain lions, adults can run as fast as 40 - 50 mph, but only for short distances; they can maintain a 10 mph sprint for longer distances and can jump as high as 18 feet into a tree.

MOUNTAIN LION (Puma concolor) ECOLOGY

• Adult mountain lions can weigh up to 180 pounds, with their tails reaching a length of up to 3 feet.

• Mountain lions live in 28 different countries in the western hemisphere and their range extends from Alaska to southern Chile.

• Their carnivorous diet ranges from grasshoppers to moose. They are clever, silent hunters that utilize ambush techniques to capture their prey.

• Mountain lions mostly hunt at night.

• They are very efficient at climbing trees and will use this skill to avoid danger or catch their breath and recover.

• Mountain lions are solitary creatures, unless mating or parenting, and fiercely maintain territories that average 100 square miles in size.

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