Mountain Lion, Cougar
Wildlife is a wonderful thing, you can't get a better experience in life than viewing wildlife in it's natural habitat. Doing the things that wild animals do to survive. One of those special wild animals is the Mountain Lion. This big and aggressive cat is also known as a Cougar, Panther or Catamount. This beast is the Largest wild cat in North America. These large cats are quite agile and can jump as high as 15 feet and as far as 40 feet.
Mountain Lion Diet
These large cats are not that picky when it comes on to getting their pound of flesh, as longs as they can bring it down they will eat it. They hunt deers, rabbits, beavers, squirrels, raccoon and some have been known to hunt and eat man.
Population
Mountain Lions are approximately 30,000 in numbers. But they used to double that amount. But hunters and poachers have always tried to see to our beautiful animals becoming extinct. There is a particular breed of mountain lions called Florida Panther which is dwindling out of existence as we speak. That species have a population of less that 100.
Habitat
The Mountain lion's range is quite vast. They have the largest range of most land animals within the Western Hemisphere. Mountain Lions have habitats in America, Argentina, British Colombia, Canada, Texas, California and in Mississippi.
Behavior
Mountain lions like any other big cat is quite territorial. They are solitary hunters and prefer to live a sharp secret life. However when the mating season arrives, they will actively seek out partners to reproduce. They are aggressive if provoked and are quite sneaky critters.
Reproduction
After mating and the females become impregnated. She will go through a gestation period of 82-96 days. She will deliver anywhere from 2-4 kittens. The male mountain lion soul duty is simply to supply the sperm. The female is the only one of the two who actively takes care of the young. After the kittens nurse for two months and have began to fester some strength and agility, they then begin to journey with their mom. This journey is not a walk to ice cream land. During this travel with their mom, she teaches them survival skills, hunting and how to avoid being hunted. Mommy is their soul protector at this point as they may even encounter other male mountain lions who will try to kill the offspring to force the female to mate.
Mountain Lion Diet
These large cats are not that picky when it comes on to getting their pound of flesh, as longs as they can bring it down they will eat it. They hunt deers, rabbits, beavers, squirrels, raccoon and some have been known to hunt and eat man.
Population
Mountain Lions are approximately 30,000 in numbers. But they used to double that amount. But hunters and poachers have always tried to see to our beautiful animals becoming extinct. There is a particular breed of mountain lions called Florida Panther which is dwindling out of existence as we speak. That species have a population of less that 100.
Habitat
The Mountain lion's range is quite vast. They have the largest range of most land animals within the Western Hemisphere. Mountain Lions have habitats in America, Argentina, British Colombia, Canada, Texas, California and in Mississippi.
Behavior
Mountain lions like any other big cat is quite territorial. They are solitary hunters and prefer to live a sharp secret life. However when the mating season arrives, they will actively seek out partners to reproduce. They are aggressive if provoked and are quite sneaky critters.
Reproduction
After mating and the females become impregnated. She will go through a gestation period of 82-96 days. She will deliver anywhere from 2-4 kittens. The male mountain lion soul duty is simply to supply the sperm. The female is the only one of the two who actively takes care of the young. After the kittens nurse for two months and have began to fester some strength and agility, they then begin to journey with their mom. This journey is not a walk to ice cream land. During this travel with their mom, she teaches them survival skills, hunting and how to avoid being hunted. Mommy is their soul protector at this point as they may even encounter other male mountain lions who will try to kill the offspring to force the female to mate.
What To Do Facing Mountain Lion Danger
- Make Safe Decisions Early: Whenever you're setting out for a day of mountain activity, take a few precautions that will help to decrease your risk of wildlife attack. Never hike alone. While mountain lions are not likely to approach humans, they are even less likely to approach a more threatening larger group. Children should always stay close to adults and never be out of eyesight.
- Spotting a Mountain Lion: While they may seem threatening, mountain lions are beautiful and magnificent creatures. Tawny-colored with black tips on its ears and tail, mountain lions are one of North America's largest cats. While males can grow as long as eight feet and weigh up to 150 pounds, females are a bit shorter and lighter at seven feet long, weighing up to 90 pounds.
- Taking Extreme Measures: In most all cases, your presence alone will scare off a nearby mountain lion. In the event that the lion does not escape, avoid your instinct to run. Running will increase the animal's own instinct to chase you. Stay calm and make eye contact with the lion. Avoid squatting or bending as mountain lions are more likely to go after shorter prey. In fact, do what you can to appear large by raising and waving your arms or opening your jacket. Throw stones, branches, and yell at the mountain lion in a loud, firm voice so that it begins to understand that you are not prey, but that you actually pose a danger. In the extreme case that a mountain lion attacks, do all you can to fight back with a rock, stick, jacket, or any other items you might have at your access.
Mountain Lions are magnificent creatures. Once you spot one and the conditions may seem unfavorable to you, always call a ranger before trying to confront any wild animal.
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