IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Fitzhugh, E.L.; Fjelline, D.P. | |
| Suggested human responses to different puma behaviors Abstracts Fifth Mountain Lion Workshop 27.02.-01.03., 1996 Bahia Hotel, San Diego, California | |
| 1996 Conference Proceeding | |
Pumas (felis concolor) attacked nine people in eight incidents in California since 1985. In the previous 96 years, three people were attacked in two incidents. Five of the 12 people died as a result of the attack. Possibly lowering the recent attack rate, 10 Pumas were killed in 1994 to protect public safety. The increase in incidents per year from two incidents in 96 years to eight in 10 years is 3,840 percent. A similar increase in attacks has occurred throughout the western United States and Canada, along with a large increase in reports of close encounters between humans and pumas. Agencies and others have supplied instructions regarding what people should do to protect themselves during close encounters with pumas. The foundation for these instructions, and an elaboration on suggested human responses is presented here in the context of 7 different puma behaviors. We tried to identify some inappropriate suggestions that have been made and explain why and under what circumstances they may be inappropriate. The principles involved are: 1) most puma attacks on humans seem to have been predatory in nature; 2) cats in general are threatened and intimidated by large objects approaching rapidly from above; 3) cats are stimulated to attack by smaller objects moving rapidly across or away from their line of travel. Several attacks on humans, both in captive situations and in the wild, have been stopped when the victim fought back. We know of no instance anywhere in which an attack, once contact was made, was stopped when the victim feigned death. |
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