MONTANA – If you’re out in the Montana woods and you hear a high pitched, blood-curdling scream, you might be hearing a mountain lion. Really this goes for anywhere in the Western Untied States. The big cat’s vocalization is not exactly what you’d expect. There’s no growl like a stereotypical African Lion. Instead, it sounds quite a bit like a shout.
“Field biologists were retrieving trail cameras for a lynx and fisher research project when they were fortunate enough to hear a rare occurrence: the distinct vocalizations of mountain lions echoing through the wilderness.“
According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, mountain lions, or cougars, can produce a whole host of purrs, chirps, hisses, growls, and snarls. You may have seen a video of a cougar chirping like a bird, a sound that’s typically used to communicate with kittens, or a forceful scream known as a caterwaul, used to signal that a female is ready to breed.
According to the National Park Service, if you’re hiking or recreating in mountain lion territory, make sure you aren’t doing so alone and keep any children close by. If you see one of the big cats, stay calm, do not approach the animal, do not run from the animal, and do not crouch or bend over. If the animal starts to approach, do your best to appear intimidating.
“If looking bigger doesn’t scare the mountain lion off, without crouching or turning your back, start throwing stones, branches, or whatever you can reach in its direction (i.e., toward it, but not directly at it). Aim for the ground in front of it; don’t throw things directly at it just yet. Think of these as warning shots. You aren’t wanting to hit and unnecessarily injure the mountain lion, but you do want to show it that you can defend yourself and potentially injure it. And that will hopefully deter it from approaching any closer.“