He did not run, which is one of the worst things you can do with a mountain lion because that will trigger that chase response if you run,' said Klima.

If the worst-case sceВnario comes to life and the cougar attacks, fight back and aim for the eyes and theВ face.вЂњHe did so many good things right. The goal: make sure the cougar sees you as a threat, not as prey. Keep makВing yourВself as large as posВsiВble, and start thinkВing about what potenВtial weapons you might be able to use-a walkВing stick is a good option. If it folВlows you or acts aggresВsiveВly, donвЂ™t back down: be loud, bareВ your teeth, and mainВtain eye conВtact. If the cougar scoots off, then get out of the area quickВly. You want to make yourВself look as large asВ possible. Ensure that kids are proВtectВed, and back up slowВly, keepВing your eye on the wildВcat. Make sure that the cougar isnвЂ™t backed into a corВner: give it a chance to escape. If you do come across a cougar in the wild, stay calm. Talk among your group, carВry a bell, and get extra loud when the wind is blowВing strong or around loudВ water.Д«y now, youвЂ™ve figВured out that avoidВing the cougar altoВgethВer is the best stratВeВgy. If she thinks that you might be a threat, she wonвЂ™t hesВiВtate to proВtect her litВtleВ one.ДЄs with bear terВriВtoВry, itвЂ™s a good idea to be noisy to avoid starВtling a cougar. Odds are pretВty slim that youвЂ™ll encounter a baby cougar in the flesh, but if you do, back away! DonвЂ™t be temptВed to sneak closВer for a phoВto op-where thereвЂ™s a baby, thereвЂ™s a mama. If thereвЂ™s been a report recent cougar sightВing, best to leave your pup atВ home.Д«aby aniВmals are adorable, and cougars are no excepВtion. Keep your pooch on a short leash at all times in cougar terВriВtoВry. Though cougars typВiВcalВly keep their disВtance from humans, the same canВnot be said of houseВhold pets. If you see someВthing that sigВnals that a cougar might be in the area, conВsidВer makВing a UвЂ‘turn before you encounter oneВ face-to-face. Keep your eyes peeled for cougar tracks (four toes, and usuВalВly no claw prints since their claws are retractable) and dropВpings, and scan trees for fresh claw marks. Lessons learned: hike in a group, espeВcialВly when youвЂ™ve got litВtle ones inВ tow.Д¬ougars are all-star stalkВers, but you might be able to spot othВer signs that they are in the area. We do know this: cougars are more likeВly to go after lonВers than hikВers in groups, and theyвЂ™re more prone to attack kids under 16 than adults.

UnforВtuВnateВly, the вЂњwhat we donвЂ™t knowвЂќ is a litВtle eerie: we havenвЂ™t quite figВured out why cougars attack, on the rare occaВsions that theyВ do. In fact, cougars very rarely interВact with peoВple. HereвЂ™s what we do know: cougars very rarely attack peoВple. It is said that if you spot a cougar while on the trail, thereвЂ™s a good chance that the cougar wantВed you to spot it-and that itвЂ™s been hot on your trail for the past half hour.В Gulp. These active hunters typВiВcalВly travВel alone and can covВer sigВnifВiВcantВly large areas up to 370 square miles. RoughВly 30,000 cougars live in the westВern UnitВed States. The likeВliВhood is rare, but hereвЂ™s what you need to know to avoid cougarВ attacks. Yeah, a cougar encounter doesВnвЂ™t necВesВsarВiВly lead to an attack, but it hapВpens.

PlanВning on hikВing in the westВern UnitВed States or CanaВda? Arm yourВself with some cruВcial knowlВedge first.

Mountain lion chases hiker