Cougar

It's one of the relatively unknown predators. The reason is simple: You won’t see a cougar that easily. You have to be lucky to see one. Its prey is mainly deer, rabbits, and different other animals. The mountain lion has to surprise these animals and overpower them with great violence in order to get them on the ground. 

The English name for this animal is a bit confusing. He is called both mountain lion and puma, but also known as a cougar. Its Latin name is Puma concolor.

In recent years, the cougar has become more dangerous to humans. Mainly because people move more into their habitat. People are rarely attacked by cougars, but it does happen occasionally. Rarely with a deadly ending, but people do get hurt. These kinds of attacks usually make it to the media.

This predator lives in a striking number of different places from the United States and Canada to the very tip of  Chile and Argentina. In those countries the much larger guanaco is also on its menu.

You can find them in the mountains, but also in the rainforest, for example. Also in deserts. Cougars are opportunists, they adapt to the environment, as well as their prey.

The puma is the largest predator in many places. It is therefore affectionately known as Lord of the Andes in South America. Although it also lives in the rainforests together with the larger jaguar, for example. According to biologists, Torres del Paine in Chile is one of the best places to bump into a cougar, although you should be very lucky.

The best chance to see this animal is early in the morning when the first morning light dissipates the darkness. Then many cougars are still hunting and you can spot these felines.