Dangerous Creatures: Cougar

(North and South America)

   The ocelot and the Geoffroy’s cat. Here are two beautiful relatives of the cougar – that prefer a warmer climate.
   The spots on a cougar cub are camouflage, to help protect it while it’s growing up.
   Cougars used to roam all over North America. Now they’re found only in remote locations.
   It lives in the snow and looks like a bobcat. Meet the lynx – before they’re all gone!
   The wild cat, also known as the bobcat, hunts at night. However, whatever you choose to call it, there are not many left.
   Video: If wild animals held athletic contests, a cougar would enter many of the jumping and sprinting events. This agile cat can easily leap distances many times its own length. When bounding after prey, it can switch directions quickly. Even in the snow.
   Advice: If you see a cougar, do not approach it. Remember that you’re in its territory. And it may treat you as badly as you would treat an intruder in your own home.

Next: Cougars are the biggest wild cats in the United States. But the jaguar is the biggest cat in the Western Hemisphere.