# Cougar — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771)*

> The cougar (Puma concolor) — also known as puma or mountain lion — is a large solitary cat native to the Americas, listed as Least Concern by the IUCN; it is the most widespread wild cat in the Western Hemisphere but faces habitat loss and human conflict in many regions.

**IUCN status:** Least Concern (IUCN, 2014)  ·  **WARN range:** Western North America, Central America, South America, Southern Canada

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Common names | Cougar, puma, mountain lion, panther |
| Weight | 29–100 kg (females smaller than males) |
| Diet | Carnivorous — mainly deer and ungulates |
| Social structure | Solitary except mothers with kittens |
| Lifespan | Up to ~13 years in the wild; longer in captivity |
| CITES | Appendix II (most populations) |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Carnivora
- **Family:** Felidae
- **Genus:** Puma
- **Species:** Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Least Concern globally (IUCN, 2014). The Florida panther subspecies is Critically Endangered; the eastern cougar was declared extinct in 2018.
- **Population:** No global estimate; tens of thousands across the Americas with stable or increasing trends in parts of western North America
- **Trend:** Stable globally; decreasing locally where habitat is fragmented
- **Assessed:** 2014
- **CITES:** Appendix II (most populations)
- Regional subspecies and isolated populations may warrant separate assessment.

## Key facts: Cougar
- Cougar, puma, mountain lion and panther all refer to the same species — Puma concolor.
- It is the most widespread wild cat in the Americas, ranging from Canada to Patagonia.
- Cougars are solitary ambush hunters, feeding mainly on deer and other ungulates.
- They are capable long-distance travellers; radio-tracked individuals have crossed hundreds of kilometres.
- Human conflict and road kills are the main threats in developed parts of their range.
- Cougars rarely attack people; incidents are extremely rare compared with domestic dog bites.

## Names, taxonomy and range
Puma concolor belongs to the genus Puma, separate from the Panthera big cats. Its many common names reflect regional history: 'cougar' from a Tupi word via French, 'puma' from Quechua, 'mountain lion' from early North American settlers, and 'panther' in the south-eastern United States. Eight subspecies are generally recognised, from the North American cougar to the smaller southern Andean forms.

The species once ranged across nearly all of North America but was eradicated from the eastern United States by the early twentieth century. Today, confirmed breeding populations exist again in parts of the Midwest and are occasionally documented east of the Mississippi.

## Ecology and hunting behaviour
Cougars are obligate carnivores and keystone predators. A single adult may require a deer-sized prey item every one to two weeks. They hunt by stealth, using cover to approach within striking distance before a short burst of speed. Kills are often cached under leaf litter or snow and revisited over several days.

Home ranges vary enormously: males may patrol 150–1,000 km² depending on prey density, while females occupy smaller territories, often overlapping with several males. Females raise kittens alone, teaching them to hunt over roughly 18 months before independence.

## Cougars and people
As cougars recolonise areas near towns and suburbs, encounters with people increase — though attacks remain statistically rare. Most incidents involve young, dispersing males or habituated animals near feeding sites. Wildlife agencies recommend securing livestock at night, removing deer-attracting food sources near homes, and never running if a cougar is encountered. Road mortality is a significant source of death in fragmented landscapes; wildlife crossings and reduced speed limits in known corridors reduce fatalities. Trophy hunting is permitted in some western US states and Canadian provinces under regulated quotas.

## Conservation status and threats
The IUCN lists the cougar as Least Concern globally because of its vast range and overall stable population. However, the eastern cougar subspecies (P. c. couguar) was declared extinct in 2018, and the Florida panther (P. c. coryi) remains Critically Endangered with fewer than 200 adults. Habitat fragmentation isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing inbreeding in small remnants such as the Florida panther. CITES lists most cougar populations on Appendix II, allowing regulated trade. Protecting connected habitat and reducing road mortality are the most effective conservation tools for regional populations.

## Related WARN guides
Cougars are American pumas — read WARN's jaguar guide for Neotropical forest cats, ocelot page for smaller spotted felids, and bobcat and lynx guides for North American relatives.

Lion, tiger and leopard hub pages cover other big cats; Florida panther recovery needs wildlife corridors.

Connected habitat and reduced road mortality protect regional cougar populations.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes this cougar guide as free public education. Our field work focuses on threatened species in partner countries; cougars illustrate how large predators persist alongside people when habitat remains connected and conflict is managed responsibly.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Cougar
### What is the difference between a cougar and a mountain lion?
There is no difference — cougar, mountain lion, puma and panther (in much of the Americas) all refer to Puma concolor, the same species. Names vary by region and history.

### Are cougars dangerous to humans?
Cougar attacks on people are extremely rare. In North America, fewer than two dozen fatal attacks have been recorded in over a century. Most encounters end without injury if people stand firm, make themselves look large and back away slowly.

### Where do cougars live?
Cougars live across the Americas from southern Canada and the western United States through Central America to the southern Andes of Chile and Argentina. They occupy forests, mountains, deserts and scrubland wherever prey is available.

### What do cougars eat?
Cougars feed mainly on deer, elk, moose and other ungulates. They also take smaller prey such as rabbits, raccoons and livestock where wild prey is scarce. A single kill may feed an adult for several days.

### How big is a cougar?
Adult males typically weigh 53–100 kg and measure 1.5–2.75 m from nose to tail tip. Females are smaller, usually 29–64 kg. Tail length alone can exceed 90 cm.

### Are cougars endangered?
The species is Least Concern globally, but the Florida panther subspecies is Critically Endangered, and the eastern cougar was declared extinct in 2018. Local populations face habitat loss and road mortality.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Puma concolor](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/18868/97216466)
- [CITES — Checklist of CITES Species](https://checklist.cites.org/)
- [Smithsonian National Zoo — puma facts](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/puma)

---
Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cougar