How living near mountain lions might actually make you safer
Mountain lions (also known as cougars or pumas) make roads safer by scaring deer and elk that can cause collisions with cars into more remote areas
Living close to mountain lions may actually enhance personal safety, according to recent research. These large predators, also referred to as cougars or pumas, can decrease the frequency of hazardous vehicle-deer collisions by altering the behavior of their prey. Kaitlyn Gaynor, a wildlife ecologist at the University of British Columbia, notes that coexistence with large carnivores can be challenging, but this study reveals that these animals can reduce conflicts with their prey species through intricate ecological pathways.
In the United States, deer are involved in over 1.5 million vehicle accidents annually, leading to over 200 deaths, tens of thousands of injuries, and billions of dollars in damages each year. To investigate the potential role of mountain lions in mitigating these incidents, scientists analyzed data from 503 camera traps and 59 GPS collars tracking pumas on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula between 2020 and 2025.
They also examined data on black-tailed deer and elk distribution, behavior, and vehicle-deer collisions. Over five years, deer and elk were involved in more than 950 collisions with vehicles, resulting in two human deaths and over 80 injuries. The analysis demonstrated that a high presence of pumas resulted in a 76% reduction in deer-vehicle collisions compared to areas with lower puma presence.
This decrease was not due to pumas preying on deer, but rather because of the mountain lions' fear-inducing presence, which influenced the deer's movement patterns. The research indicates that the presence of pumas pushes deer into more remote areas, reducing their likelihood of being in road-heavy zones by 15%. This behavior may be attributed to the deer finding cover from predators in the denser vegetation in these remote areas.
Additionally, pumas have caused deer to remain more active during the day, when predators are less active, making them more visible to drivers and potentially reducing collision risks. While living alongside large predators can be difficult, Mark Elbroch, a mountain lion biologist and director of the Puma Program at Panthera, a conservation organization, hopes that this research will help people appreciate the benefits these animals bring to human communities.
Elbroch emphasizes that these predators save lives, reduce infrastructure damage, and save millions of dollars, demonstrating their value in cohabiting spaces.
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