List of fatal cougar attacks in North America

Last updated

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

"Cougar in area" caution sign, British Columbia, Canada "Cougar in area" sign, Coastal Trail, East Sooke Regional Park, British Columbia, Canada 004.jpg
"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.

Contents

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

DateVictimLocation — Circumstances
21 August 1868Child, 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]
19 June 1890Arthur Dangle, 7, Male USA, California, Siskiyou County — Killed and eaten by two cougars while playing near his home in Quartz Valley.[ citation needed ]
11 November 1901Frank Cook, age unknown, Male 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 1904A. 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 1909Child 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 1909Isola 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]
21 August 1911Child, 3 USA, Texas, Beaumont — Killed by a cougar inside his family home. [20]
17 December 1924Jimmie Fehlhaber, 13, Male USA, Washington, Olema — Attacked and killed as he tried to outrun a cougar for about 100 yards (91 m). [21]
19 June 1949Norman Taylor, 7, Male Canada, British Columbia, Kyuguot — Killed and eaten while walking on a beach. [22]
1951Unknown, Female Mexico, Tamaulipas, Tampico — A woman was killed by a mountain lion. [23]
June 1953Elena Salzar, 5, Female 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]

1970s

DateVictimLocation — Circumstances
2 January 1971John Lawrence Wells, 12, Male Canada, British Columbia, near Lytton — Wells was attacked and killed by male cougar while he was playing with his sisters. [24]
20 January 1974Kenneth Clark Nolan, 8 or 9, Male USA, New Mexico, Arroyo Seco — Killed by a 3-year-old female cougar while on a hike. [25]
14 July 1976Mathilda Mae Samuel, 7, Female Canada, British Columbia, near Gold River — Killed by cougar while walking on a road. [26]

1980s

DateVictimLocation — Circumstances
16 May 1988Jesse Sky Bergman, 9, Male Canada, British Columbia, near Tofino — Stalked and killed by a four-year-old male cougar at Catface Mountain. [27] [28]
9 September 1989Jake Thomas Gardipee, 5, Male 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]

1990s

DateVictimLocation — Circumstances
14 January 1991Scott Lancaster, 18, Male USA, Colorado, Idaho Springs — Killed and eaten while jogging a familiar route on a hill above Clear Creek High School. [30]
5 May 1992Jeremy Williams, 7, Male Canada, British Columbia, Kyuquot — Attacked and killed by a young female cougar while playing in the school yard. [31]
23 April 1994Barbara Barsalou Schoener, 40, Female USA, California — Long distance runner and Placerville resident was attacked and killed while jogging on the American River Canyon Trail in Auburn State Recreation Area. [32] [33]
10 December 1994Iris M. Kenna, 56, Female USA, California — Killed while hiking alone near Cuyamaca Peak in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. [33] [34]
19 August 1996Cindy Parolin, 36, Female Canada, British Columbia, Tulameen — Mother killed while defending her 6-year-old son on a horseback riding trip. [35]
17 July 1997Mark Miedema, 10, Male USA, Colorado — Killed by an adult female cougar in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park while hiking when he got ahead of his family. [36]
2 October 1999 Jaryd Atadero, 3, Male USA, Colorado — Went missing during a religious hiking trip in the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest, partial remains discovered in 2003.

NOTE: this case is highly contentious and experts vary in opinion as to whether or not this was an official cougar attack.

2000s

DateVictimLocation — Circumstances
2 January 2001Frances Frost, 30, Female Canada, Alberta — This Canmore resident was killed by a cougar while skiing on Cascade Fire Road near Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park. [37]
8 January 2004Mark Jeffrey Reynolds, 35, Male 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 2008Robert 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

DateVictimLocation — Circumstances
19 May 2018S.J. Brooks, 32, Non-binary 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]
11 September 2018Diana Bober, 55, Female USA, Oregon — Killed by a cougar in Mount Hood National Forest on the Hunchback Mountain Trail. The first in Oregon’s recorded history. [45]

2020s

DateVictimLocation — Circumstances
23 March 2024Taylen Robert Claude Brooks, 21, Male 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. [33] [46]

See also

Related Research Articles

Phantom cats, also known as alien big cats (ABCs), are large felids which allegedly appear in regions outside their indigenous range. Sightings, tracks, and predation have been reported in a number of countries including Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. When confirmed, they are typically explained as exotic pets or escapees from private zoos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cougar</span> Large species of cat native to the Americas

The cougar, also known as the panther, mountain lion, catamount and puma, is a large cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North, Central and South America, making it the most widely distributed wild, terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most widespread in the world. Its range spans the Yukon, British Columbia and Alberta provinces of Canada, the Rocky Mountains and areas in the western United States. Further south, its range extends through Mexico to the Amazon Rainforest and the southern Andes Mountains in Patagonia. It is an adaptable generalist species, occurring in most American habitat types. It prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking but also lives in open areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Monica Mountains</span> Mountain range in California, United States

The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuyamaca Rancho State Park</span> State park in California, United States

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is a state park in inland San Diego County, California, United States, located 40 miles (64 km) east of the metropolitan area of San Diego. The park is situated near the southernmost reaches of the Cleveland National Forest, as well as the Cuyamaca and Laguna Mountains of the Peninsular Ranges. The park's 26,000 acres (11,000 ha) of land features pine, fir, and oak forests, interspersed with meadows, creeks and streams that exist due to the relatively high elevation of the area when compared to its surroundings. The park includes the 6,512-foot (1,985 m) Cuyamaca Peak, the second-highest point in San Diego County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States occupation of Nicaragua</span> 1912–1933 occupation as part of the Banana Wars

The United States occupation of Nicaragua from August 4, 1912, to January 2, 1933, was part of the Banana Wars, when the U.S. military invaded various Latin American countries from 1898 to 1934. The formal occupation began on August 4, 1912, even though there were various other assaults by the United States in Nicaragua throughout this period. American military interventions in Nicaragua were designed to stop any nation other than the United States of America from building a Nicaraguan Canal.

The Cougar Fund is a non-profit educational organization concerned with protecting the cougar throughout the Americas. It is based in Jackson, Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American cougar</span> Subspecies of carnivore

The North American cougar is a cougar subspecies in North America. It is the biggest cat in North America. And the second largest cat in the New World. It was once common in eastern North America and is still prevalent in the western half of the continent. This subspecies includes populations in western Canada, the western United States, Florida, Mexico and Central America, and possibly South America northwest of the Andes Mountains. It thus includes the extirpated eastern cougar and extant Florida panther populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern cougar</span> Extinct population of cougar in eastern part of North America

The eastern cougar or eastern puma is a subspecies designation proposed in 1946 for cougar populations in eastern North America. The subspecies as described in 1946 was declared extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2011. However, the 1946 taxonomy is now in question. The Canadian Wildlife Service has taken no position on the taxonomy. Cougars are currently common in western North America and may be expanding their range. Individuals are occasionally seen as vagrants in eastern North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Man-eating animal</span> Animal or mythical creature that feasts on human flesh

A man-eating animal or man-eater is an individual animal or being that preys on humans as a pattern of hunting behavior. This does not include the scavenging of corpses, a single attack born of opportunity or desperate hunger, or the incidental eating of a human that the animal has killed in self-defense. However, all three cases may habituate an animal to eating human flesh or to attacking humans, and may foster the development of man-eating behavior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruggs, Oregon</span> Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States

Ruggs is an unincorporated community located in the southern portion of Morrow County, Oregon, United States. Ruggs lies at the junction of Oregon Route 206, Oregon Route 207, Rhea Creek Road, and Upper Rhea Creek Road. The community is situated at an elevation of 2,136 feet (651 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grizzly bear</span> Subspecies of brown bear

The grizzly bear, also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of California</span>

The fauna of the U.S. state of California may be the most diverse in the United States. Of the lower 48 contiguous states, California has the greatest diversity in climate, terrain, and geology. The state's six life zones are the lower Sonoran (desert); upper Sonoran ; transition ; and the Canadian, Hudsonian, and Arctic zones, comprising California's highest elevations. California's diverse geography gives rise to dozens of ecosystems, each of which has its own native plants and animals. California is a huge state, the third largest in the U.S., and ranges broadly in habitats.

Henry W. Nash, was an Arizona pioneer who served as a Sergeant in Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders during the Spanish–American War. Later, he was one of the first Thomasites sent by the U.S. government to establish an English language-based public education system in the Philippines in the early 1900s.

A depredation permit allows a person in the U.S. to shoot certain birds and animals on their own property to protect crops, livestock, or domestic animals according to various rules and regulations. The U.S. Federal Government allows depredation permits for migratory birds on farmland. In the state of Florida deer depredation permits are granted to farmers. California has regulations for bear and bobcat depredation permits. Wild pigs and mountain lion and beavers have also been targeted by depredation permits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merritt H. Day</span> Dakotas settler, lawyer, militia leader (1844–1900)

Merritt Horace Day, sometimes called Col. M.H. Day, was an early pioneer, rancher, mine owner, and legislator in the Dakota Territory. Merritt Day was a "pronounced advocate for the division of Dakota," into the separate U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota, and Day County, South Dakota, is named in his honor. Day was commander of an irregular state militia in South Dakota during the Ghost Dance War. During the lead-up to what is now known as the Wounded Knee Massacre, "Col. Day" was issued hundreds of rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition by the state governor, which he distributed to the 60 to 200 men of the Spring Creek Volunteers. These civilians are estimated to have killed between 12 and 18 Lakota in mid-December 1890, "kinsmen, brothers, or sons of the Lakota seeking refuge on Stronghold."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P-22</span> Wild animal in Los Angeles (d. 2022)

P-22 was a wild mountain lion who resided in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California, on the eastern side of the Santa Monica Mountains. P-22 was first identified in 2012 and was the subject of significant media attention, including numerous books, television programs and other works of art. P-22 was often recorded prowling in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was monitored by a radio collar. P-22 remained in Griffith Park for ten years until he was captured on December 12, 2022. He was then euthanized on December 17, 2022, after examinations revealed he was suffering from traumatic injuries consistent with being hit by a car, in combination with several longer-term health issues.

References

  1. ↑ "Cougar | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife". wdfw.wa.gov. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  2. ↑ "Lightning Victims". National Weather Service. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  3. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions About Venomous Snakes". Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation | University of Florida. 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  4. ↑ "Citation for claim about bees and wasps". MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 68 (29): 649. 2019. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6829a5. PMC   6660102 . PMID   31344022.
  5. ↑ Subramanian, Sushma (14 April 2009). "Should You Run or Freeze When You See a Mountain Lion?". Scientific American. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "Remember the Fort Collins trail runner who killed an attacking mountain lion? Here's what his life has been like since". 18 July 2019.
  7. ↑ McKee, Denise (2003). "Cougar Attacks on Humans: A Case Report". Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. 14 (3). Wilderness Medical Society: 169–73. doi: 10.1580/1080-6032(2003)14[169:CAOHAC]2.0.CO;2 . PMID   14518628.
  8. ↑ "Safety Guide to Cougars". Environmental Stewardship Division. Government of British Columbia, Ministry of Environment. 1991. Archived from the original on 23 August 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2007.
  9. ↑ "Idaho Semi-Weekly World. (Idaho City, Boise County, [Idaho Territory], Image 1)". 2 September 1868. Retrieved 12 December 2020– via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
  10. ↑ "The Salt Lake herald. (Salt Lake City [Utah) 1870-1909, November 12, 1901, Image 1". 12 November 1901. Retrieved 22 April 2017– via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
  11. ↑ "The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, March 02, 1904, Image 2". The Indianapolis Journal. 2 March 1904. p. 2. ISSN   2332-0974 . Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  12. ↑ "Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, March 01, 1904, Image 2". 1 March 1904 – via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
  13. ↑ "The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1892-1980, March 01, 1904, LAST EDITION, Image 5". 1 March 1904. p. 5 – via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
  14. ↑ "The commoner. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, March 11, 1904, Image 7". 11 March 1904. p. 7 – via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
  15. ↑ Humanities, National Endowment for the (23 March 1904). "Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, March 23, 1904, Image 3". Der Deutsche Correspondent. ISSN   2372-2894 . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  16. ↑ "Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, March 04, 1904, Image 4". Semi-Weekly Interior Journal. 4 March 1904. ISSN   1941-3009 . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "The Deseret News - Google News Archive Search" . Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  18. ↑ "Aspen Democrat February 2, 1909 — Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection" . Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  19. ↑ Cheek, Martin (10 November 2006). "Local Heroine Isola Kennedy Sacrificed Life". The Morgan Hill Times. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  20. ↑ Times, Special to The New York (21 August 1911). "STABS A MOUNTAIN LION.; Texas Farmer Kills Beast That Killed His Child". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  21. ↑ Lowe, Cara Blessley (30 November 2008). Listening to Cougar. University of Colorado Press. p. 177. ISBN   9781607320364.
  22. ↑ "Cougar Trapped, Slain After Killing Boy, 7". The Reading Eagle . 21 June 1949. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  23. 1 2 "Mountain Lion Kills Girl On Mexico Ranch". The Deseret News . 20 June 1953. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  24. ↑ Lowe, Cara Blessley; Bekoff, Marc (2008), "Deaths by Cougar Attack, 1890-Present", Listening to Cougar, University Press of Colorado, pp. 176–189, ISBN   978-1-60732-036-4 , retrieved 7 August 2024
  25. ↑ "MOUNTAIN LION KILLS BOY, 8, ON A HIKE". The New York Times. 22 January 1974. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  26. ↑ "Ottawa Citizen - Google News Archive Search" . Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  27. ↑ "The Province from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada". Newspapers.com. 18 May 1988. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  28. ↑ Dickson, Louise (30 March 2019). "Young B.C. boy attacked by cougars expected to recover". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  29. ↑ "On Mountain Lions, and the Forgotten Story of the 1909 Church Women Mauled by a Rabid Cougar". HuffPost. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  30. ↑ "Jogger Apparently Killed By A Cougar". St. Petersburg Times. 18 January 1991. Retrieved 15 August 2010.[ dead link ]
  31. ↑ Deurbrouck, Jo (2007). Stalked by a Mountain Lion: Fear, Fact, and the Uncertain Future of Cougars in America. Globe Pequot. p. 171. ISBN   978-0-7627-4315-5.
  32. ↑ Raia, James (27 April 2004). "Athletics: Death by Cougar - Remembering Barbara Schoener". RunnersWeb.com. Retrieved 15 September 2007.
  33. 1 2 3 4 Wildlife Health Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (2025). "Verified Mountain Lion-Human Attacks". Mountain Lions in California. Rancho Cordova, California: California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  34. ↑ Deegan, Joe (9 September 2004). "Mountain Lion Hype". San Diego Reader. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  35. ↑ Zaidle, Don (18 September 2007). "Killer Cougars". Outdoor Life .
  36. ↑ "Mountain Lion Kills Boy Hiking in Colorado Park". New York Times . 19 July 1997. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  37. ↑ "There are cougars around: Attack a stark reminder for Alberta family". CBC.ca. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  38. ↑ "Man killed by mountain lion; cyclists also attacked in California". Associated Press. 11 January 2004. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  39. ↑ Search continues for mountain lion that killed Pinos Altos man Archived 20 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine , New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, press release 23 June 2008
  40. ↑ Wounded mountain lion captured, killed near Pinos Altos Archived 20 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine , New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, press release 25 June 2008
  41. ↑ Second mountain lion captured near Pinos Altos Archived 20 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine , New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, press release 1 July 2008
  42. ↑ "Cyclist who died in Seattle cougar attack remembered in Montreal as pioneer for inclusive biking" . Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  43. ↑ Stevens, Matt (20 May 2018). "Cougar Attacks Two Bicyclists in Washington State, Killing One". New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  44. ↑ "Former-Topekan-SJ-Brooks-killed-by-cougar-in-Seattle-area". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  45. ↑ "Cougar apparently killed Oregon woman missing for nearly 2 weeks, investigators say". Fox News. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  46. ↑ Ayestas, Jonathan. "Brothers identified after El Dorado County mountain lion attack that left 1 dead, the other injured". KCRA 3 .

Notes

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.