What We Can Do

Do not feed deer or other wildlife. Animals attracted to food can draw mountain lions closer to homes.

• Feed pets indoors.
• Keep pets inside from dusk through dawn.
• Walk dogs on a leash.
• Secure garbage and animal feed.
• Remove dense brush near homes and children’s play areas.
• Install motion-activated outdoor lighting.

Preventing conflict protects domestic animals and reduces the likelihood that a mountain lion will be killed afterward.

• Bring vulnerable animals inside at night.
• Shelter chickens, goats and other small livestock in secure, roofed enclosures at night.
• Use strong fencing.
• Remove carcasses promptly.
• Consider motion lights or other nonlethal deterrents
• Invest in a Livestock Guardian Dog to protect your flock or herd.

A kitten found alone is not necessarily an orphan. Mother cougars leave their young in protected places while they hunt and may remain away for many hours.

Never pick up, feed or move a cougar kitten. Keep your distance and contact wildlife professionals. In Oregon, removing a young wild animal without authorization is illegal and can greatly reduce its chance of survival.

What to do if you find young wildlife.

Share trustworthy information about mountain-lion behavior and their ecological importance. Avoid spreading unconfirmed sightings, sensational images or claims that portray every cougar as a public-safety threat.

Mountain lions influence prey behavior, provide food for scavengers and help sustain complex ecological relationships.

Learn about the ways mountain lions benefit our world.

Hunting mountain lions causes territorial instability and increases conflicts with humans. Young cougars that lose their mother to a hunter's bullet often prey on pets and livestock.

Read science-backed information about the effects of hunting.

You can contribute through education, public outreach, community science, habitat restoration, advocacy or financial support.

Volunteer with the Mountain Lion Foundation

Volunteer with the Cougar Conservancy