"Cougar in area" caution sign, British Columbia, Canada
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 documented in [1]North America in the past 100 years, with 28 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.[2][3][4] Generally, humans are not considered as prey by carnivores, including cougars. Children, however, are particularly vulnerable. The majority of the child victims listed here were not accompanied by adults.
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 however may cause the cougar to consider a person easy prey.[5] 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.[6] 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 make you look smaller which could encourage the cougar to attack.[7][8] 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.
Before 1970
Date
Victim
Location — Circumstances
21 August 1868
Child, 3
USA, Oregon, Lane County — "Killed by a Cougar" The Oregon Harold of 24 August contains the following: "On the 21st instant, a little child three years old, of Mr. Patton, living on Rear Creek, three miles west of the Long Tom, in Lane county, was killed by a cougar. The child was playing in the yard and within, ten feet of the door of the dwelling, when the cougar sprang upon it from the bushes which grew near the house. The mother seeing the beast drag her child towards the timber, seized a stick and started in pursuit. She attacked the cougar with such resolution that it dropped its burden, and the heroic woman taking the lifeless body under one arm and her only remaining child under the other, made her way to a neighbor's house, a mile and a half distant. Mr. Patton was absent from home at the time."[9]
Mexico, Baja California — The body of a Norwegian carpenter was found by hunters east of the Santa Caterina Landing. It was partially eaten. The hunters killed a nearby cougar.[10]
1 March 1904
A. C. Marklein, age unknown, Male
USA, Kentucky, Magoffin County — Killed by a cougar in Bushy Cane Creek. The victim and a friend named McCarty both from New York state were attacked. Marklein received fatal injuries.[11][12][13][14][15][16]
31 January 1909
Child Brown, 2 or 14
*NOTE: Probable false report
USA, California, Balboa — It was reported that a boy was attacked and killed while in a tent near Balboa. News stories variously reported his age as 2 and 14. A local paper reported the following day that the story was a hoax. The paper confirmed the local coroner never received a report of a child suffering a violent death in this manner.[17][18]
5 July 1909
Isola Kennedy, 38, Female;
Earl Wilson, 10, Male
USA, California, Santa Clara County, Morgan Hill — A rabid cougar attacked a woman and child. Both victims died from rabies, not from the physical injuries. This is the only instance of a double fatality and the only instance where the victims succumbed to disease rather than the injuries sustained in the attack.[19]
Mexico, Tamaulipas, Tampico — The girl was attacked on a farm 20 miles from Tampico. She was dragged off by the mountain lion, only her clothes were discovered two days later.[23]
USA, Montana, Missoula County, near Evaro — Attacked and killed by a cougar while playing behind his home. The cougar was later killed, and a necropsy was performed at the Montana State University veterinary lab, establishing the cougar's role in the child's death.[29]
USA, California, Orange County — Attacked, killed and partially devoured while mountain biking at Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. It is believed his chain fell off and the cougar attacked when he bent down to repair his bicycle. His family Terri, Gary and Dona started the Mark J. Reynolds Memorial "Children's First Bike Fund" which provides bicycles and helmets to underprivileged children.[33][38]
24 June 2008
Robert Nawojski, 55, Male
USA, New Mexico, Pinos Altos — Searchers found his partially devoured body on this date near his mobile home. Investigators concluded that he had been attacked, killed and eaten by a cougar several days earlier.[39][40][41]
2010s
Date
Victim
Location — Circumstances
19 May 2018
S.J. Brooks, 32, Male
USA, Washington, near North Bend — Killed by a cougar while biking in the foothills near North Bend. Another bicyclist was injured, and the cougar was found and killed later that day.[42][43][44]
USA, California, El Dorado County, near Georgetown — A cougar jumped and killed a 21-year-old who, in company with his 18-year-old brother, was out looking for shed ungulate antlers in a forested area. The brother was also injured during the attack.[46]
"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.
