Cougar (Puma concolor)

The cougar’s ability to travel long distances occasionally brings these cats into seemingly inappropriate areas, even places densely settled by humans. Such appearances are almost always brief, with the animal moving along quickly in its search of a suitable permanent home. However, when humans occupy areas in or near wildlife habitat, and people choose to keep livestock animals such as goats, sheep, and chicken cougar sightings and attacks on livestock and pets may occur.

Cougar attacks on humans are rare. In Washington state, there have been two fatal cougar attacks and approximately 20 other recorded encounters that resulted in human injury in the last 100 years.

If you are living in cougar country, prevent a conflict with them by using the following management strategies around your property, and, if possible, encourage your neighbors to do the same.

Modify the habitat around your home. Light all walkways after dark and avoid landscaping with plants that deer prefer to eat. Where a deer goes, a cougar may follow. Shrubs and trees around kids’ play areas should be pruned up several feet to prevent cougars from hiding behind them.

Although costly and not 100 percent effective, a chain-link or heavy woven wire fence that is 10 feet high with 3-foot extensions installed at a 65-degree angle on each post may keep cougars out of an enclosed area. To increase effectiveness, string barbed wire or four electric wires between the extensions, alternating positive and negative wires.

Don’t feed wildlife and feral cats (domestic cats gone wild). This includes deer, raccoons, and other small mammals. Remember predators follow prey.

Close off open spaces under structures. Areas beneath porches and decks can provide shelter for prey animals.

Feed dogs and cats indoors. If you must feed outside, do so in the morning or midday, and pick up food and water bowls, as well as leftovers and spilled food, well before dark. Pet food and water attract small mammals that, in turn, attract cougars.

Keep dogs and cats indoors, especially from dusk to dawn. Left outside at night, small dogs and cats may become prey for cougars.

Use garbage cans with tight-fitting lids. Garbage attracts small mammals that, in turn, attract cougars.

Livestock and small animals, such as goats, sheep, and chickens, are attractants to cougars. Outdoor livestock should be kept in secure pens and away from forest boundaries. For a larger property, consider using a guard animal. There are specialty breeds of dogs that can defend livestock. As with any guard animal, pros and cons exist. Purchase a guard animal from a reputable breeder who knows the animal he or she sells. Some breeders offer various guarantees on their guard animals, including a replacement if an animal fails to perform as expected.

Download our Discover Washington's cougars brochure (PDF).

Download our Coexisting with cougars in Washington: a guide for small livestock owners. (PDF)

Coexistencia con los pumas en Washington: guía para pequeños granjeros (PDF)

与 Washington 的美洲狮 和谐共存： 告小型牲畜主人知 (PDF)

Cùng tồn tại với báo sư tử ở Washington Hướng dẫn dành cho các chủ chăn nuôi nhỏ (PDF)

Encountering a cougar

Relatively few people will ever catch a glimpse of a cougar much less confront one. If you come face to face with a cougar, your actions can either help or hinder a quick retreat by the animal.

Here are some things to remember:

• Stop, pick up small children immediately, and don’t run. Running and rapid movements may trigger an attack. Remember, at close range, a cougar’s instinct is to chase.
• Face the cougar. Talk to it firmly while slowly backing away. Always leave the animal an escape route.
• Try to appear larger than the cougar. Get above it (e.g., step up onto a rock or stump). If wearing a jacket, hold it open to further increase your apparent size. If you are in a group, stand shoulder-to-shoulder to appear intimidating.
• Do not take your eyes off the cougar or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide.
• Never approach the cougar, especially if it is near a kill or with kittens, and never offer it food.
• If the cougar does not flee, be more assertive. If it shows signs of aggression (crouches with ears back, teeth bared, hissing, tail twitching, and hind feet pumping in preparation to jump), shout, wave your arms and throw anything you have available (water bottle, book, backpack). The idea is to convince the cougar that you are not prey, but a potential danger.
• If the cougar attacks, fight back. Be aggressive and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back using anything within reach, including sticks, rocks, shovels, backpacks, and clothing—even bare hands. If you are aggressive enough, a cougar will flee, realizing it has made a mistake. Pepper spray in the cougar’s face is also effective in the unlikely event of a close encounter with a cougar.

Professional assistance

Wildlife offices throughout Washington respond to cougar sightings when there is a threat to public safety or property. Cougars involved in human conflict may be live-trapped by trained fish and wildlife personnel and moved to more remote areas, or removed.  However, both are expensive, time consuming, and do not address the root cause of the problem. It is common that husbandry practices need to be addressed to avoid a repeated conflict.

Contact your local wildlife office for additional information, and in the case of an immediate emergency, call 911 or any local law enforcement office, such as the state patrol.

Cougars and kids

• Talk to children and teach them what to do if they encounter a cougar.
• Encourage children to play outdoors in groups, and supervise children playing outdoors.
• Consider getting a dog for your children as an early-warning system. A dog can see, smell, and hear a cougar sooner than we can. Although dogs offer little value as a deterrent to cougars, they may distract a cougar from attacking a human.
• Consider erecting a fence around play areas.
• Keep a radio playing when children are outside, as noise usually deters cougars.
• Make sure children are home before dusk and stay inside until after dawn.
• If there have been cougar sightings, escort children to the bus stop in the early morning. Clear shrubs away around the bus stop, making an area with a 30-foot radius. Have a light installed as a general safety precaution.

Precautions for hikers and campers

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While recreating in a cougar’s territory, you can avoid close encounters by taking the following precautions:

• Hike in groups and make enough noise to prevent surprising a cougar.
• Avoid hiking after dark.
• Keep small children close to the group, preferably in plain sight ahead of you.
• Do not approach dead animals, especially recently killed or partially covered deer and elk.
• Be aware of your surroundings, particularly when hiking in dense cover or when sitting, crouching, or lying down. Look for tracks, scratch posts, and partially covered droppings.
• Keep a clean camp. Reduce odors that might attract mammals such as raccoons, which in turn could attract cougars. Store meat, other foods, pet food, and garbage in double plastic bags.

Public health concerns

Cougars rarely carry any communicable diseases that are regarded as threats to humans in Washington.

Feline distemper (Feline panleukopenia) antibodies have been documented in Washington cougar populations, but the degree that the Feline panleukopenia virus causes cougar mortality, or is transferred to domestic cats, is unknown.

Legal status

Because the legal status, hunting restrictions, and other information relating to cougars change, contact your local wildlife office for updates.

Cougars are classified as game animals and an open season and a hunting license are required to hunt them (WAC 220-400-020). A property owner or the owner’s immediate family, employee, or tenant may kill a cougar on that property if it is damaging domestic animals (RCW 77.36.030). No permit is required.

The killing of a cougar in self-defense, or defense of another, should be reasonable and justified. A person taking such action must have reasonable belief that the cougar poses a threat of serious physical harm, that this harm is imminent, and the action is the only reasonable available means to prevent that harm.

The body of any cougar, whether taken under the direct authority of RCW 77.36.030, or for the protection of a person, remains the property of the state and must be turned over to the Department of Fish and Wildlife immediately.