science

List of fatal cougar attacks in North America

List of fatal cougar attacks in North America is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of fatal cougar attacks in North America rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of known or suspected fatal cougar attacks that occurred in North America by decade in chronological order. The cougar is also commonly known as mountain lion, puma, mountain cat, catamount, or panther.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

This is a list of known or suspected fatal cougar attacks that occurred in North America by decade in chronological order. The cougar is also commonly known as mountain lion, puma, mountain cat, catamount, or panther. The sub-population in Florida is known as the Florida panther. Over 130 attacks have been reported in North America in the past 100 years, with 29 attacks resulting in fatalities. Fatal cougar attacks are extremely rare and occur much less frequently than fatal snake bites, fatal lightning strikes, or fatal bee stings. Whereas adult humans are not usually viewed as prey by cougars, young children can be considerably more vulnerable. The majority of the child victims listed here were not accompanied by adults. As of 1991, Beier documented only 9 fatal attacks (and 44 nonfatal attacks) resulting in 10 human deaths since 1890. Those not confirmed by Beier are indicated by a question mark (?). Some of the sources, particularly older ones and local newspapers, might not be reliable. Up to 1990, the fatal attacks on Vancouver Island which are listed in this article agree with Beier's study. Fatal attacks in the US might be over-reported. For example, a case of "apparently killed and eaten" assumes killed by a cougar, yet could have been another animal. Another possibility is that a body was scavenged by various animals after an accidental death. Twenty (38%) of the fifty-three attacks (total) between 1890 and 1990 occurred on Vancouver Island (British Columbia). There were 10 attacks in mainland British Columbia, 5 in Texas, 4 in California, 3 each in Alberta and Colorado, 2 each in Arizona, Montana, and Washington, and 1 each in New Mexico and Nevada. (These figures include non-fatal attacks.) As with many predators, a cougar may attack if cornered, if a fleeing human stimulates their instinct to chase, or if a person "plays dead". Standing still may cause the cougar to consider a person easy prey. Exaggerating the threat to the animal through intense eye contact, loud shouting, and any other action to appear larger and more menacing may make the animal retreat. Humans are capable of fending off cougars, as adult humans are generally larger. It is even possible for humans to win a fight against a cougar, such as the case of Travis Kauffman, who strangled a starving juvenile cougar to death when attacked while jogging. Fighting back with sticks and rocks, or even bare hands is often effective in persuading an attacking cougar to disengage, though one should be careful when bending down as it makes you look smaller which could encourage the cougar to attack. A person should walk away backwards when confronted by a cougar rather than turning your back on it and a person should avoid getting near a mother cougar's kittens. ? = cases not confirmed by Beier

Before 1970

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

See also Animal attacks List of fatal alligator attacks in the United States List of fatal bear attacks in North America List of fatal dog attacks List of fatal snake bites in the United States List of wolf attacks List of wolf attacks in North America Man-eater Death of Jaryd Atadero

References

Notes "Fatal Mountain Lion Attacks". Southeastern Outdoors. Retrieved 31 August 2007. "List of Mountain Lion Attacks on People in California". Retrieved 31 August 2007. "Mountain Lion Killing Baby a Faked Story" Santa Ana Register, Santa Ana, California. 1 February 1909. Page 5. Retrieved 30 January 2019, via Newspapers.com.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of fatal cougar attacks in North America

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of fatal cougar attacks in North America claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of fatal cougar attacks in North America before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of fatal cougar attacks in North America ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of fatal cougar attacks in North America

In research: List of fatal cougar attacks in North America appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of fatal cougar attacks in North America in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of fatal cougar attacks in North America is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Animal attacks in North America, Deaths due to cougar attacks, Lists of deaths due to animal attacks, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of fatal cougar attacks in North America outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

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Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

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Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

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