Like all cats, cougars are curious. They’re attracted to movements, noises and objects they haven’t seen before. But a curious cougar can quickly become a dangerous one if something triggers its chase and kill instinct.
The most common triggers are quick, erratic actions such as jogging or children playing, high-pitched, prey-like sounds or an animal or person appearing vulnerable because they are alone, seem injured or are small, which includes crouching or squatting.
The young adult cougar shown here was photographed staring in a Manitou Springs, Colorado home. At one point the cat stood up and put its paws on the window and the owners worried the glass would break.
Luckily, the cougar decided it had seen enough and sauntered away. And tracks in the snow revealed that it wasn’t travelling alone. The size of the paw prints indicated it was accompanied by its mother and a sibling.