Big Cat Hunting behaviour

[horserider]

Just thought I'd make mention of an interesting point..

It appears that when Big Cats or eyeing up a kill, they usually go for what looks like the smaller or weaker / most vulnerable of the group... some of them also use a technique when hunting which is some will bolt suddenly into the herd to seperate the herd whilst some outsider(s) Big Cat(s) single out one who is far apart from the rest & take it down...

They are prone to hunting sole bodies, ie. they find a loner roaming in the bush who has become seperated from its herd for one reason or the other & take it down. Easy target when the loner has lost one of its best weapons: safety in numbers.

Just makes you wonder if any of the people who have gone missing in the bush fell under this category.. out alone lost & confused, weak & without a group of people with them ... & how a Big Cat might see it, without its herd.
I would think that these predators through survival of the fittest, have a built in instinctive tool to recognize the hungry, weak, afraid, lost dehydrated, disorientated etc. And what better if the person is alone without their 'herd' to protect.
One would think a Big Cat would find a lost person in the bush & instantly see it as an easy target/ easy feed. Scary or as sad or sickening as that sounds.. it may be the case.

It may also be why they 'haven't been known to take anyone yet'...
Because they simply haven't been game enough to take anyone in residential areas where they would know the rest of the 'herd' is?

Moral to the story is, in case the above should be correct, don' get lost in the bush alone & always carry pepper spray just in case!

[TwoCrows]

You make some good points.

There are stories of mountain lion attacks in the states that fit this profile.

Native americans say that mountain lions will indeed attack people out in the wild alone.

[horserider]

Thanks TwoCrows.

Are you from the states? Do you recall at all anywhere these stories came from? Like the reports or articles, something i could access easily? I would be really interested to read up on them.

Thanks again

[TwoCrows]

Here's one from just a couple of months ago:

http://fox8.com/2012/02/08/mountain-lio ... ly-outing/

I've been in the Big Bend park before, numerous mountain lion reports in that area.

A lot of areas in the states deny that lions are even around but there are lots of sightings. If you google mountain lion attacks you'll come up with others.

Some of the most interesting stories I've heard have come directly from native americans and those of course aren't on the net.

[horserider]

I have seen that one before, that boy was very lucky it didnt end worse or 'end' fullstop :/

Lucky they had that pocket knife with them too!

They seem pretty fearless attacking child in front of adult which makes me wonder what we truely have here because we havnt had reported attacks yet in America where they definately have confirmed mountain lions panthers etc, they DO have reported attacks

Makes you wonder what we have out there because it clearly couldnt possibly be the same thing

[forestguy]

I makes me wonder what we truely have here because we havnt had reported attacks

? - yes we have, that teenager at Kenthurst, mentioned in a Bulletin article. I think you posted a link to a site with a copy of the article last year.

[horserider]

I makes me wonder what we truely have here because we havnt had reported attacks

? - yes we have, that teenager at Kenthurst, mentioned in a Bulletin article. I think you posted a link to a site with a copy of the article last year.

Yeah i know but after speaking to a few people it appears that it may have just been a feral that did that one :/

[jesse]

Ohh horrible discussion!

[Tex]

That kid at kenthurst was definitely attacked by a cat not a panther.
I used to work at an animal park and a guy was clawed by a leopard which opened the back of his hand to the bone. Lots of stitches I can tell you. He got to close whilst feeding the leopard and it swiped his hand. He thought it tried to attack him but I believe it was going for the meat and his hand was covered in blood so easy mistake on the leopards part. So if that boy was attacked he would have been a lot worse off than the photos.