Mountain Lion walking through desert scrubWhere are mountain lions likely to be?
• Desert mountain areas with broken terrain. Cliffs and steep slopes are favorite vantage points for cats where they can easily pounce on prey from above. • Cats also conceal themselves in brushy areas where they can rush prey then drag their kill back into a protected area. Why would a mountain lion attack a human? Cougars are predators. They may not always discern “animals” from “humans” as prey. Although they kill for food, not all attacks are triggered by hunger. Big cats are opportunistic. Their predatory instincts are very strong and since they have no natural predators in the wild, they may not be easily spooked. Is “mountain lion” the same as “cougar?” Yes. Mountain lion, cougar, puma, catamount and panther are names for Felis concolor. What do mountain lions eat? Depending upon the area and species present, they most frequently eat deer, cattle, javalina, rabbits, rodents and desert bighorn sheep. In residential areas, they also have been known to prey on pet dogs and cats. Mo
