Dealing with Cougars in Texas

Lois Balin Urban Wildlife Biologist Texas Parks and Wildlife

Photo from TPWD

Goals:
Proactive guidance for living in lion county Guidance for dealing with nuisance or dangerous lions How to reduce the risk of attack on humans.

Adults are a unspotted large tawny-colored cat Males up to 81/2 feet; 61/2 feet in females Males up to180 lbs; females 100 - 130 lbs

Historic Geographic Range of Cougars

Cougar Habitat

Montane, coniferous forests Lowland tropical forests Swamps Grasslands Dry brush country Desert

Social System and Communication

Solitary Nocturnal Use visual, olfactory, and vocal signals

Diet

Deer Javelina Elk Bighorn sheep Other mammals Grasses Other plants

Reproduction

Year-round breeding Mature 2.5 3.0 years Gestation 90 99 days

Reproduction

Birth in dens, usually 2-3 kittens Coats are spotted for 6 months Disperse at 1 2 years old

Siblings stay together 2-3 months after leaving their mother

Lion Tracks compared with Dog Tracks

from Puma Field Guide, The Cougar Network

Upper 1.8 to 2 Lower 1.6 to 1.8

Photo from Puma Field Guide, The Cougar Network

Lion Kill Sign

Photos from Puma Field Guide, The Cougar Network

Nuisance Wildlife

The Far Side

Cougar Attacks on Humans in the U.S. & Canada

Photo from TPWD

Attacks on humans are exceedingly rare, but have increased in recent decades

Attack Statistics for 101 years (1890-1991)

 

10 fatal attacks on 10 humans 44 nonfatal attacks on 48 humans

Paul Beirer (1991)

Current Cumulative Attack Statistics

16 fatal attacks 92 nonfatal attacks

Photo from TPWD

Victims were mainly unsupervised children 30% of all attacks were near developed areas Most victims did not see the lion

Speculative Causes of Increased Attacks

Reduced cougar habitat Encroachment by humans Increase in cougar numbers Habituation to humans

Characteristics of Attacking Cougars

Underweight and yearlings 42% under 2 years of age 57% were underweight

Trends in Frequency of Attacks (1970-2011)

1970-1980: 0.5 human attacks/year 1981-1990: 2.5 human attacks/year 1990-2003: 3.5 human attacks/year

2004-2011: 4.4 human attacks/year

Put in perspective with other types of attacks

5,000 rattlesnake bites/yr with 12 deaths/yr 40 deaths/yr from bee stings 3 deaths/yr from black widow spider 18-20 deaths/yr from dog attacks 86 deaths/yr from lightning strikes

Texas Parks and Wildlife Conducts Statewide Status Surveys (2003 current)

To Discover : Cougar distributions Population status Management needs

Reporting Categories

Sighting - human observation Encounter - unexpected and neutral meeting Incident interaction requiring action from the human Attack human is chased, injured, or killed

What to do if You Encounter a Cougar

STAY CALM; talk in a confident yet calm voice IMMEDIATELY PICK UP ALL CHILDREN NEVER RUN! DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK ON THE LION Face the lion and remain upright Back away from the lion, slowly

If the Cougar does not leave:

DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENLARGE YOUR IMAGE SHOUT LOUDLY AT THE LION PICK UP ROCKS AND THROW THEM AT THE LION FIGHT BACK

Precautions to Take if You Live in Cougar Country

Refrain from feeding pets outside Refrain from leaving water outside Bring pets in at night Encourage your neighbors to do the same

Precautions to Take if You Live in Cougar Country

Closely supervise children Keep kids inside before or near to dusk or dawn Teach them what to do

Prevention is far better than confrontation

Precautions to Take if You Live in Cougar Country

DO NOT FEED WILDLIFE USE NATIVE PLANTS in landscaping REDUCE HIDING COVER AND SPACES for cougars

What to do if you see a cougar?

Report any sightings (location) of cougar Document with photo Report nuisance/dangerous lion behavior
To report a sighting or encounter call: TPWD Game Wardens 834-7050 TPWD Urban Wildlife Biologist 774-9603

To report an incident or attack: call Police 911

Questions, contact: Lois Balin lois.balin@tpwd.state.tx.us (915) 774-9603