_____
Title: Big Cat Comeback.
Authors: Michael Tennesen
Source: Backpacker; Jun2000, Vol. 28 Issue 5, p33, 3p, 2 diagrams, 2c
Database: MasterFILE Elite
BIG CAT COMEBACK
(Making sense of the increasing reports of cougar attacks.)
On April 30, 1998, Andrew Peterson, 24, was hiking down the trail from
the summit of Carpenter Peak in Roxborough State Park, south of Denver.
When he spotted the cougar about 15 yards away, Peterson's first
reaction was elation at such a rare wildlife encounter. That elation
quickly turned to fear as the cougar's gaze locked with his. Peterson
took out his pocketknife, picked up a rock, and started backing up the
hill. That's when the cougar leapt, its front paws slamming into his
chest. Peterson, all 130 pounds of him, wrestled with the animal, and
managed to gouge the cougar in the eye with his thumb while stabbing it
in the throat. The cougar let go, some hikers who came upon the scene
helped Peterson to park head quarters, and he eventually recovered.
More and more, it seems, stories like Andrew Peterson's are making
headlines all over the American West, and unconfirmed big cat sightings
persist even in New England and the Southern Appalachians, where the cat
was considered wiped out by the 1920s. But questions abound: Are
backwoods attacks really on the rise? Or are the incidents simply being
reported more frequently? Or is a sensationalist media just looking for
a gory headline?
Two trends are certain. Since the 1960s, when most bounty hunting
programs on cougars (or mountain lions, pumas, catamounts, and panthers,
as they're also known) ended, their populations have risen in the
western United States. In California alone, the state's Department of
Fish and Game estimated in 1997 that the cougar population had grown to
more than 6,000 resident animals, up from an estimated 2,000 when cougar
hunting was banned in 1972. At the same time, the number of humans in
cougar country (both hikers and urban dwellers who now live in what was
traditionally big cat terrain) has increased, leading to more
encounters.
According to statistics compiled by federal and state agencies in the
United States and Canada, cougar attacks--defined as encounters that
involved verifiable human injury--have risen from 17 (including 5
deaths) from 1890 to 1969, to 66 (15 deaths) during the period from 1970
to 1996. After analyzing all available accounts of cougar attacks on
record for his 1999 book Cougar! (Ohio University Press), wildlife
researcher and writer Harold Danz reports that all but one of the
twentieth-century fatalities occurred in what would be considered rural
or "frontcountry" settings. It's also true that any accounting of cougar
encounters relies on incidents actually being reported to the proper
authorities, which may have been somewhat less commonplace at the turn
of the last century.
Even so, some authorities still believe that attacks are on the rise.
Rick Yates, wildlife biologist at Montana's Glacier National Park,
believes expanding deer populations have had a lot to do with the
human-cougar encounters. "Deer do well in urban interfaces where they
feed on ornamentals [plants] and where hunting isn't allowed. Cougars
are attracted to these deer, since they're plentiful and less wary." In
fact, because of this phenomenon, Yates theorizes that backpackers are
more likely to encounter cougars at frontcountry edges than they are
deep in the backcountry.
To be sure, your chances of being a cougar attack victim are slim.
"You're more apt to get killed in an accident driving to the trailhead
than attacked or killed by a cougar," says Janet George, a wildlife
biologist with the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Add to that the fact
that statistically, more people die from bee stings and you should have
good level of comfort--if you handle yourself properly when in cougar
land.
"The odds may be long that you'll be struck by lightning, but at the
same time a backcountry user should know what to do in a lightning
storm," says Steven Torres, a California Fish and Game biologist and
author of Mountain Lion Alert (Falcon Publishing). Translation: Use such
statistics to allay unreasonable fears, but be safe, be prepared, and
don't invite trouble. Here's some general advice:
Watch your children: Most attacks have been on children, which resemble
the size of the cat's typical prey, though cougars are marvelously
adapted for killing animals larger than they are, including elk and
cattle. Yates advises keeping a close eye on youngsters, particularly in
wooded areas and also at dusk and dawn when cougars are active. "Don't
let your children run willy nilly in the woods," he cautions.
Learn to read prints: The best way to know if there are big cats around
is to learn to differentiate cougar paw prints from other animals.
Cougar prints are about the size of a human palm, rounded, and normally
don't have claw marks (see the illustration on page 35). If you come
upon lots of prints, or a deer carcass that's partially eaten or hidden
under leaves or grass, give the area a wide berth. By all means don't
camp there!
Do your homework: According to Torres, because cougars are furtive and
secretive and often unseen, there's a perception that they're rare.
Truth is, cougars are not rare in certain parts of the country (see the
map below). To be safe, when doing your pretrip research, ask the land
management officials if there are cougars in or near your chosen
destination.
Know how to respond: According to Kevin Coates, a wildlife biologist
with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, "With a cougar, get tall and if
you're attacked, fight back (versus playing dead with a bear). Hitting a
cougar with a stick or even a fishing pole may be enough to tell him,
'Whoa, this isn't your regular easy prey item.'" Torres advises that you
carry a stout hiking stick, pepper spray, even a hunting knife when
hiking through cougar habitat that supports lots of deer. Be prepared to
use any weapon aggressively in the event of an attack.
For most people, cougar encounters occur at a safe distance and result
in a sense of wonderment and not danger. Just as you can thrill at the
spine-tingling power of a thunderstorm while perched on a safe spot, you
should also treasure a fleeting glimpse of a tawny cat or a fresh track
in the mud. "How dull would our American wilderness be without the wolf,
the bear, or the cougar?" Danz asks. "Humans, and the spirit of the
wilderness, need the cougar." Just make sure you look out for the cat,
and that it's not the other way around.
Staying Safe In Cougar Country
* When hiking in cougar country (see the map below), travel in
groups and carry a walking stick, pepper spray, knife, or other weapon.
Keep small children close. Be particularly watchful at dusk and dawn.
* Never run down a trail, especially when alone or if you're small
in stature. The swift movement, along with your size, mimics a deer.
* If you see a cougar more than 50 yards away, gather your
children and walk away. Biologist Torres recommends maintaining
nonthreatening eye contact with the cougar. You want to let the cat know
you're aware of it without being aggressive.
* If the animal is less than 50 yards away, staring intently,
crouching and creeping, it may be sizing you up. The latest research by
cougar authorities indicates that you should maintain direct, aggressive
eye contact with the cat while talking to it in a loud, firm voice.
Don't run because you may stimulate the cougar's instinct to chase and
attack. Don't let children panic and run. Throw stones, branches, or
pots directly at it. Use anything that will make a negative impression
and possibly deter the animal.
* If the cougar attacks, fight back with everything you have,
including fists and fingers. Try to stay on your feet, and get back up
if knocked down. The chances of your surviving are good, especially if
you let the animal know you're dangerous, too.
Biggest Of All
The cougar is by far the largest of North America's wild cats, weighing
in at up to 150 pounds, with its tail adding another 2 1/2 to 3 feet to
its total length. Bobcat (top), lynx (left), cougar (right).
BODY LENGTH
Bobcat (24".32")
Lynx (30".40")
Cougar (60".96)
Michael Tennesen is a freelance writer living in Lomita, California.
-- End --