JACKSON, Wyo. — Seen any mountain lions lately?
Mountain lions are present in both Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. They are known to be elusive, and they tend to travel solo, preferring rocky, rugged territory.
“Nothing surprises me when it comes to mountain lions,” Wyoming Game and Fish Department Large Carnivore Specialist Dan Thompson told Buckrail last year.
Mountain lions — also known as pumas, cougars, catamounts or panthers — are typically active around dawn and dusk, coinciding with deer activity. The carnivores are also known to eat porcupines, rabbits, squirrels, marmots, skunks and other small mammals.
Aggressive encounters with humans are not common for these animals, but surprising a mountain lion in its habitat might result in injury.
“The main thing with a mountain lion is to let them know you’re not a prey item,” Thompson said. “They’re very good at what they do.”
The National Park Service advises the following safety procedures in the event of a mountain lion encounter:
- Do not approach a lion. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
- Do not run from a lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion’s instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If small children are around, pick them up if possible so that they don’t panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over or turning away from the mountain lion.
- Do not crouch down or bend over. A human standing up is just not the right shape for a lion’s prey. Conversely, a person squatting or bending over resembles a four-legged prey animal. In mountain lion country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over, even when picking up children.
- Do everything possible to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Again, pick up small children. Throw stones, branches or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. The idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.
- Fight back if attacked. A hiker in southern California used a rock to fend off a mountain lion that was attacking his son. Others have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools and their bare hands. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.
Thompson advises that all mountain lion sightings be reported to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “It’s really important that people let us know if they have a lion lingering around where they live, and if they have an aggressive encounter with a lion, we really need to know,” he said.
Report any sightings to the Jackson office at 307-733-2321.
