Cougar

The predatory activities of the cougar are legendary, and prey species in British Columbia range from large animals to mice, and include deer, porcupine, beaver, varying hare, moose, elk, wild sheep, mountain goats, black bear (cubs), grouse, coyote, other cougar, domestic stock, and household pets.

The cougar is, in part, an opportunist when looking for food. A study of the winter food habits of cougar in south-central British Columbia concluded that mule deer was the staple winter food, but a variety of other species were taken. When a population of varying hare was at a peak the hare were preyed upon frequently, domestic stock, when available, were eaten, as were moose. Adult mule deer bucks (1 1/2 years and older) were selected over anterless mule deer, and, in general, very old animals were taken by cougar in a greater proportion than were represented in the mule deer population.

There are few authentic instances of cougar attacking humans. Normal behaviour is one of human avoidance, although cougar often displays a harmless curiosity toward the actions of man. They have been observed sitting at a vantage point and watching, sometimes for hours, people either working or playing out of doors. Hunters, and others, have reported the tracks of a cougar following their own in the snow. The infrequent attacks on humans are usually attributed to old, starving cougar, or to cougar which are defending their young.

When hunting the larger ungulates, cougar do not crouch over or near a game trail waiting for the unsuspecting prey to pass nearby. The kill is usually made following a careful stalk of the intended victim. Cougar hunters have observed that cats must make a kill within two or three jumps, usually 20 to 50 feet after their stalk. If the prey escapes, the cougar will rarely follow, and the stalk will be repeated upon a different animal. The kill follows a sudden leap from the ground onto the shoulders and neck of the prey. The most effective kills are made when the cougar holds the head with a forepaw and bites down through the back of the neck, near the base of the skull.

Kills are not always quick or successful and the larger prey, particularly large elk, moose, or deer, will struggle violently to escape. Instances where cougar have been seriously hurt following such encounters are infrequent, but not unheard-of.

Porcupine, despite their troublesome quills, are not an insurmountable obstacle to a cougar. Cougar tend to avoid the quills by flipping the porcupine on its back and eating the underparts first. It is not necessary however, to eat the flesh only, as cougar stomachs containing quills in varying stages of digestion have been encountered. There appears to be little ill-effect from these quills, although single quill may puncture the stomach wall and work into the abdominal cavity. Cougar are frequently found with quills in their paws and around the face, but these apparently are either pulled out, fall out, or, if they work under the skin, eventually dissolve.

Wasteful behaviour in the killing of prey is the exception and not the rule. Cougar generally eat about 70 per cent (by weight) of the carcass of a big-game animal, leaving most of the larger skeletal bones, the rumen, some viscera, and parts of the hide. They will make repeated visits to a carcass, take a meal during each visit, and usually cover the remains with dirt and debris after each feed.

Although there have been observations where a single cougar has killed several deer, domestic sheep, etc., at one time, detailed studies have shown an adult cougar needs no more than 14 to 20 average-sized mule deer per year. This will be less if the diet is supplemented by other foods.

BC Ministry of Environment http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/cougar.htm , Wildsafe BC