Most people are hoping to avoid encounters of the large and toothy kind when they abandon their heated living rooms and voice-operated virtual assistants to venture out into the wild.
But for Jim Williams, it’s his job.
In his debut book, Path of the Puma: The Remarkable Resilience of the Mountain Lion, Williams shares stories and lessons learned from 27 years as a wildlife biologist that has taken him throughout North American puma territory, from the Rocky Mountains to the far south of Argentina.
Whether called panthers, mountain lions or cougars, Williams speaks about the animals with fascination and respect for the cats’ prowess, calling them “the most efficient predator in the Americas, hands down.” He also notes that even in wild places with populations of mountain lions and other large predators, dangerous human encounters with these animals are rare.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has reportedly confirmed 14 sighting of a mountain lion in Arkansas since 2010.
Williams shared the following tips for what to do if you encounter a cougar in the wild.
Go in a group
“Hiking alone is always a concern and running alone is always a concern, because you can have that short range encounter with a bear. And then the outcome’s up to the bear unless you’ve got bear spray to defend yourself. And, with a cat, typically you’re more vulnerable alone. Hiking in groups, three or more, seems to be very safe.”
Communicate
“Have communication. Let people know where you’re going, and when you’re coming back. Have a phone. You can use a phone almost everywhere now, and just plan ahead of time.”
Don’t run
“Running from these large carnivores is not advised ... if you run you can excite that predatory response in any predatory animal.” nWhattodoifyouseea cougar
“If you do see one and it is following you, we recommend yelling, screaming, raising your arms, make yourself look big, take your jacket off, hold it in the air if you have one, grab a stick and start making a lot of noise ... Let them know you’re not on the menu if you’re fortunate enough to see the cat first.” n Fight back if you have to
“If all else fails, fight back to have a chance ... Throw sand and rocks. They have large eyes. They see the world with large eyes. They hunt at dawn and dusk and at night, so they’re a creature of vision so to speak as compared to a bear that sees the world through their nose.”
Carry bear spray
“Bear spray works on lions too if you can deploy it. Because their eyes are so big and it’s gonna burn. And it’s easy to hit your target. Bear spray’s just a wonderful thing to carry with you. There are multiple brands and it’s pretty lightweight.”
Avoid meal times
“Dawn and dusk for mountain lions is the time when they’re out and they’re looking for a meal, or at night. During the middle of the day, not so much.”What about bears?
“Typically bear spray, again, works, but fight back.”