Cougar Facts

About the cougar

Cougars range from Canada's Yukon, British Columbia and Alberta through the Rocky Mountains and western United States, then south through Mexico to the southern Andes of Patagonia and the Amazon rainforest. They adapt to most habitat types in the Americas, favoring thick underbrush and rocky spots for stalking, but they also use open country. Other names include catamount and panther.

This is an ambush hunter. Deer and other hoofed animals are its main prey, though it also catches rodents. Cougars live alone, hold territories and occur at low densities. Whether they are active by day, night or twilight depends on other predators, prey, livestock and people nearby. They usually avoid humans, and fatal attacks are rare, although they rose in North America as people moved into cougar country.

Did you know?

• Despite its size, the cougar sometimes gives up its prey to other predators.
• Cougar home range size depends on terrain, vegetation and how much prey is around.
• Hunting after European colonization caused cougar numbers to fall in much of their old range.