A new study on sometimes fatal encounters between people and mountain lions suggests one conventional wisdom -- never try to run from one of the big cats -- might not always be the best advice.Staying put might make a person more desirable as potential prey and prompt an attack, said researchers at the University of California, Davis.
"Immobility may be interpreted by the mountain lion as a sign that you are vulnerable prey, either because you are unaware of its presence, or because you are disabled and not capable of escaping," said the study's lead author, psychology professor Richard Coss.
"Even though we found evidence that pumas will indeed chase and capture people who run, we also found that people who stand still are possibly more endangered," said Coss, an expert on predator-prey relationships. "There are more serious injuries when you're standing still."
The study's findings has raised the eyebrows of some wildlife experts in Nevada and California, who stand by previous recommendations when it comes to encounters with cougars. Among them: Do not run. If attacked, fight back.
"Backing away, yelling and screaming, trying to look bigger. That's generally considered standard procedure," said Kevin Lansford, a predator biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
"Turning and fleeing? I don't know," he said. "Turning and running since you really can't outrun one isn't really sensible."
With most lion attacks, people never see trouble coming, he said.
Mountain lion attacks in Nevada are extremely rare. Last December, a woman in the Virginia City foothills suffered minor injuries when she was attacked by a cougar when she tried to stop a fight between the cat and her dog. In 1991, another woman suffered minor injuries when attacked by a cougar at the Nevada Test Site north of Las Vegas.
In 1998, a female mountain lion and her two yearlings were shot after being spotted near homes and within a quarter mile of Verdi Elementary School. Experts determined the cougars posed a threat because they were using the area as a hunting ground. ... Read More
By Jeff DeLong • jdelong@rgj.com
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