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Habituation: Because they tend to be
nocturnal creatures relying on stealth, for the most part
mountain lions are seldom seen. However, in an increasing number
of communities, they have learned to live near humans, frequently
and boldly showing themselves at all hours of the day to a
creature which continues to show them no threat. A few
years ago a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service put GPS Global Tracking devices on several lions in
Southern California. He tracked one lion who would hide in
the heavy brush and watch hikers walk by on a popular hiking
trail. During a testing weekend, dozens of people passed
within a few feet of the lion but no one saw him.
Daylight attacks common:
Because we are out and about in the daytime, keep in mind that
biologist and cougar researcher Paul Beier's
Table of Attacks
shows most attacks on humans occur in daylight hours.
The Role of Protections: With protections in place for
them at the same time that urban
areas provide easy and tempting prey such as housecats and dogs,
intelligent, opportunistic cougars are found more
and more in populated areas as well as in more remote regions.
As a result of the current trend to protect and manage
lion populations, increases in the numbers of these predators
have resulted in more damage complaints and human encounters.
Even a
small mountain lion is able to injure or even kill a person.
With physique and lungs designed for sprinting not endurance,
they are ambush predators.
Pound for pound they are rated as the strongest of all the big
cats and that includes African lions. A 150-pound mountain lion
can take down and kill a 1,000-pound bull elk within a matter of
minutes.
Unlike a wild animal which may attack a human because it is either
surprised or feels threatened and/or feels its young is threatened,
experts say a mountain lion more often attacks because you are
basically food.
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