Cougar: facts, danger and how to survive it
A silent ambush hunter. It stalks from cover, then pounces. The scream is its warning and its challenge.
About the real animal
The cougar, also called the puma or mountain lion, is the largest cat of the Americas except the jaguar. It is a solitary ambush hunter. It stalks very slowly and quietly from cover, waits until it is a few metres from its prey, and then pounces with long, powerful hind legs that can carry it several metres in a single leap. Cougars cannot roar; they scream, hiss, growl and purr. They are most active at dusk and during the night, and they cover their kills with leaves and return to eat.
In the game
The cougar is a silent ambush hunter. It stalks you from cover and then pounces. Its scream is a warning and a challenge. If you hear it, face it: if you turn and run, you give it what it wants. Fire and a good weapon keep it away. It hunts deer, rabbits and other small animals, and it will fight a wolf.
Quick facts
| Found in | rocky cliffs, pine forest, mixed woodland |
|---|---|
| Active | at night |
| Eats | meat |
| Temper | stalker |
| Strength | 70 health |
| Speed | walks at 1.8 m/s, runs at 11 m/s (you walk at 4 m/s and sprint at 7.5 m/s) |
| Attack | about 30 damage a hit, reach 2.1 m |
| Yields | 3 to 4 meat, 2 to 3 hide |
What to do
If you hear it, face it. Do not turn and run.
More from this group
- 🦊FoxA shy hunter of rabbits, squirrels and birds.
- 🐺WolfPack hunters that spread out and circle.
- 🐗Wild boarSturdy and short-tempered, rooting in the undergrowth in family groups.
- 🐻BearBig, strong and usually calm.
- 🐻Sloth bearA shaggy, black bear with a pale V on its chest and long claws, made for raiding termite mounds.
- 🧸Bear cubA small bear that stays near its mother.
- 🐍King cobraLies coiled with its hood spread when it is still, hisses as a warning and strikes if you step too close; it uncoils and glides away when it sets off.
- 🦔Indian crested porcupineA slow night forager with long banded quills.
Back to all animals, or read the survival guide.