How to Protect Yourself from Mountain Lions

Be aware of signs of imminent attack. If a mountain lion stands less than 20 meters away from you and stares at you, this is a sign that it is about to attack. It will lower its body to the ground with its tail swinging back and forth.

Slowly step backwards. Experience shows that you should not run away in front of a mountain lion because this action will trigger the lion’s hunting instinct and it will rush to bite you in the neck. However, recent research shows that standing still in front of a mountain lion puts you at a higher risk of serious injury or death than taking a slow step back or even running away. Taking a slow step back can reduce the risk of death to a minimum. ^[1]

• If you choose to run (not recommended), you should consider the terrain first to make sure you can run fast. If you have to run through rough terrain or steep slopes, the lion will assume you are injured and are good prey.

Make noise. If you decide to stand still in front of the lion, don’t just stand silently. Speak loudly in front of the lion, you can even scream to scare it. Don’t scream like you’re scared, but scream loudly.

Make the body look bigger. Stand up straight and raise your arms above your head, extending your jacket to make your body look bigger, more intimidating. If you have a small child next to you, pick it up (then you will look bigger and at the same time protect the baby). Puff out your chest and lean your shoulders back. Do not bow down in front of the mountain lion as it sees it as a sign of weakness.

Use weapons to defend yourself. If you have a walking stick, a hunting knife, a stone or other weapon that can be used to scare away a lion, use it for self-defense. Pepper spray is also an effective repellant.

• If the mountain lion shows an aggressive expression, throw rocks at it so it sees you as a danger.
• You can also shoot the lion with a shotgun or pistol if it rushes towards you. You should initially fire a warning to drive the lion away before it attacks.

Protects neck, throat and head. When attacking, mountain lions almost always try to crush your head or bite your throat. Try to protect your eyes and face while fighting the lion. In general, do everything you can to keep the lions away.

• An adult can generally resist a lion attack because mountain lions are quite small. Aim for the lion’s head, mouth and eyes when fighting back.

Report mountain lion sightings. As soon as possible, report this to the authorities.