The rarity in cats is the occasional jaguar that wanders up from Mexico into southern Arizona or SW New Mexico. These have been recorded on trip cameras as far north as just south of Tucson.

Now the large black cat I saw with Bob Mantz back in October 2003, remains a mystery. We don’t think it was a panther (melanistic jaguar) but rather a black mountain lion. This is supposedly impossible. The Malpai Ranch group near Douglas, Arizona responded to my e-mail in late 2003, stating they had seen mountain lions with darkish or chocolate tinged fur.

In 2003, one was captured near the intersection of 114th & West Dodge in Omaha, NE–which, aside from being well into the city, is a very busy area.

For more details, see here.

I love to go to good zoos to study cats that I will never see in the wild. Since both Cincinnati and Louisville have world-class zoos, with large, comprehensive collections of cats, and both are within a few hours drive of my home, I visit them as often as I can.

I’ve always known that predators are more interested in children, but I was amazed at how much differently big cats perceive them. The first time I noticed this was accidental. I had taken my nephew, who has ADHD, to the Cincy zoo with me. I was trying to get a good photo of a snow leopard that was lounging on a cliff in its outdoor habitat. It totally ignored me, even though I made my best efforts to get its attention. Then my nephew, who was about 8 years old at the time, ran by me making some kind of kid noise. That cat was up in an instant! It began to stalk my nephew and seemed to almost flow over the rocks as it manuevered to hide behind rocks and keep my nephew in view. I got some of the best shots I have ever seen of a captive snow leopard that day. Then later that day I was trying to get a closer look at the “white” lions. They did not budge from where they were lying at the far end of their enlclosure. Then my nephew and some other kids started acting up and chasing each other. Those lions immediately raised up and took notice. Then they got up one by one to come investigate the intriguing little noisy primates.

Since then I always try to take at least one child with me when I go to the zoo. I have watched the cats carefully as the cats watch the kids. Even the cats that are behind glass notice children’s movements more than adults.

Children are nearer to the size of cats’ natural prey, and children have high pitched voices that sound more like the noises that prey animals make. Also children tend to make quick movements that attract cats’ attention.

I would never, ever take children walking in an area where pumas are known to be, or apt to be, unless there were at least two adults with the group for every one child. Even here in eastern Kentucky, where pumas officially don’t exist (but we know they’re here), I won’t let kids wander ahead or lag behind in the woods.

As much as I love wild cats, I recognize that they are, first and foremost, predators. And while I know that many times pumas follow people just from feline curiosity, where children are concerned it just does not pay to take chances.

I’m in GB, we had a cat around a few years back. (it may have moved on) several people I knew saw it. One saw it in his garden, just the street over from me, These animals aren’t pets but they seem to like a varied environment, and they certainly are not bothered by going into a built up area.

Pumas are well known to be expanding their range. Also, as one of my friends commented, there are an “awful” lot of pet big cats in the US. (but these animals are most definitely wild)

It would be easy to get hold of a cat and release it where you pleased.

the valley that is the phoenix metro area stretches from very dry desert in the far west to the areas served by the Verde and salt rivers in the east to the foot hills in the north that get snow in the winter, mind you only a dusting bit it happens a few times. you will be surprised how wet some parts of the desert are. especially in the north and eastern part of the valley. after all the hohokam made a living here long before modern humans did and they did so without the dams and reservoirs we have now. so these areas are more likely than others to have large predators. especially those that draw prey.

in the far north and east parts of the valley you have a sort of melting of the city into the desert. you have black bears mule deer lots of coyotes and many mountain lions. especially in times of drought and especially in areas we humans build to draw in wild life to look at.

so yes there are probably mountain lion in the area from time to time.

if there is one thing we here who like the study or learn from this field is that we dont listen to fish and game. they will deny it till you drag a body [either a lion or unfortunate human victim] in and dump it at their feet.

one thing most city people dont realise is on the edges of the city or urban areas is the undeveloped country side. they often mix together.

mountain lions are sen in the mountainous suburbs of the LA area that are surrounded by other cities. they provide lots of cover water and spot the cat and Fido the dog to eat.

Good survival tips. I canceled a solo hike in the Rockies once when cougar warnings were posted at the trailhead.

It is true that these big cat sitings can be somewhat compared to Sasquatch sitings in that wildlife professionals often don’t believe eyewitnesses.

I live in Northeastern Manitoba in a rural area on the edge of two provincial parks that extend north until almost the treeline. All kinds of animals live in this Boreal forest- wolves, moose, bears — even an occasional Sasquatch has been sited.

When a woman who lives a mile north of us told the authorities that she and her child saw a “lion-like” cat, they pooh-poohed her and said that there are no mountain lions or cougars around here.

Did anyone warn the neighbors so they could warn and watch their children? No. My husband, a native American who spent many years on a trapline, told me not to go near any wooded areas and to not let my stepdaughter play near trees, and I passed along word to all my neighbors. Better safe than sorry.

I would add:

Keep dogs on leashes and pay attention to their body language when hiking with them. If the dog seems very intent on something, especially if it seems afraid, look around and try to see what is bothering it. If you can’t see anything and the dog still acts afraid, leave the area.

Remember, when a puma encounter is the result of a puma stalking a person, and not just a chance meeting, the person almost never sees the puma until it hits them - usually from behind or (rarely) from above. You may not get the chance to make yourself appear large and threatening. It’s still important to fight! Fight as if your very life depended on it, because it does. Fight, twist, thrash, and especially kick. Most puma attacks on people are by adolescent or young adult pumas which are still learning to hunt confidently for themselves. If attacked, make them know that people are not easy prey. When their prey fights back, that is often enough to make a puma give up and hunt for something else that is easier to catch.

If the puma has already knocked you down, try to maneuver your body so that you face the puma, and try to get your legs up to kick forcibly (the way another puma would fight). Pumas don’t usually eat other pumas, and that might make it realize that you are not prey and leave you alone.

If the puma does get its jaws on you, especially on your head or neck, try to get something, anything, even if it’s just your arm or hand, between its jaws and your head or neck. Better to have a lacerated or mangled hand than a shredded or broken neck. If a person can thrust a fist back into an animal’s throat the animal has to back off or choke.

Of course avoiding attacks in the first place is best. If a puma has been sighted in the area, do not go hiking alone or with one dog. Take a cell phone with a GPS feature if you do go into the woods so that help can find you if you are attacked and hurt. And it’s worthwhile to consider wearing a hat or cap and maybe a scarf, so that if a cat attacks there will be something between your neck and head and its teeth. If a cat grabs your head and the cap comes off in its mouth, it gives you a precious few seconds to turn around and make yourself look threatening.

Considering that there are literally thousands of pumas in the United States, attacks on people are extremely rare. You’re much more likely to be attacked by a neighborhood dog than by a puma. But it pays to be prepared.

People should be aware that cougars can and do make appearances in urban areas. In Victoria, B.C. in 1992 a cougar was shot (tranquilized) in the underground parking garage of the city’s conference centre (green roof at the left of this picture).