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Mountain lions fear humans, fleeing when they hear human voices. New study of mountain lion behavior suggests that the big cats don\u2019t like their encounters with humans any more than we do. Researchers studied the behavior of pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains to see how the animals react to the sound of human voices. The team placed audio equipment at the puma kill sites; when a puma came to feed, a motion-activated technology would broadcast recordings \u2014 either of people talking at regular conversation volume, or Pacific tree frog vocalizations. A hidden camera then captured the puma\u2019s responses. The team discovered that, in the majority of cases,\u00a0pumas fled the site after hearing human voices. The noise also disrupted the predators\u2019 feeding routine: after being spooked by voices, pumas took longer to come back to their kill, and fed on their prey for shorter periods of time. These findings are particularly valuable in regions where puma\u2019s hunting grounds overlap with residential areas, and as human and mountain lion encounters increase \u2014 especially on parts of Vancouver Island.<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong><\/p>\n Smith JA, Suraci JP, Clinchy M, Crawford A, Roberts D, Zanette LY, Wilmers CC<\/p>\n Canadian authors:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Devin Roberts, Michael Clinchy, Department of Zoology, Western University, London, ON, Email:\u00a0mclinchy@uwo.ca<\/a>; Liana Zanette, Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Email:\u00a0lzanette@uwo.ca<\/a><\/p>\n
(Image by Sebastian Kennerknecht\/pumapix.com)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n