Knowledge About Mountain Lions Can Counteract Natural Fear
Durango Herald, February 8, 2004
Lisa Branner

Mountain lion along a ledge

With the recent California mountain lion attacks fresh in my mind, the sight of large cat tracks in my snowy driveway was not a welcome one. It made every hair on my neck stand at attention! But this visceral reaction was soon overpowered by excitement at having seen signs of the elusive Klandagi.

Also known as the cougar, panther, or puma, the mountain lion’s scientific name is Felis concolor, Latin for “cat of one color.” The Cherokee call it Klandagi, or “Lord of the Forest,” a fitting moniker for one of North America’s biggest cats.

The mountain lion has a tawny brown coat, with black-tipped ears and a long, graceful tail. Males typically weigh 110 to 150 pounds and can measure up to 8 feet in length. They have extraordinary vision, are remarkably fast, and can leap 15 vertical feet and 40 horizontal feet.

Mountain lions have the largest geographic range of any native American mammal other than humans—from western Canada to Argentina. There are an estimated 4,500 to 5,000 in Colorado. Near Durango, they’re found in piñon, juniper, oak scrub, and ponderosa habitats.

In a healthy ecosystem, mountain lions are a top predator, helping to balance wildlife populations. Deer are their primary food source, but they also prey on rodents, porcupines, raccoons, livestock, and pets. Lions are most active at dusk and dawn. They ambush their prey, stalking through cover and pouncing from behind. Lions will bury a partially eaten carcass and return to feed on it later.

Mountain lions are solitary animals and generally avoid human contact. Attacks on people are rare, with fewer than a dozen fatalities in North America in the past century. Compare this with the number of people killed by lightning (15,000), bees (4,000), or rattlesnakes (1,300), and it’s obvious that the risk of a mountain lion attack is slim!

However, since increasing numbers of people live and recreate in lion country, here’s how to avoid a confrontation with this stealthy cat:

• Reduce vegetation near your home.
• Install motion sensor lighting.
• Make lots of noise when outdoors at dusk/dawn.
• Store garbage securely and don’t feed pets outside.
• Bring pets inside at night and close livestock into sheds/barns.
• Landscape with plants that are unpalatable to deer.
• Hike in groups and keep children close.

Should you see a mountain lion:

• Don’t run or crouch down.
• Make yourself appear larger—raise arms or use a coat.
• Back away slowly.
• Speak calmly but firmly.
• If you are attacked, fight back!

With these principles in mind, you can keep yourself safe near home and in the wild.