What To Do if You Encounter a Wild Cat

If you're reading this blog, you probably love wild cats as much as we do, but we would never encourage seeking out a face-to-face interaction with a wild cat. While visiting a protected area or ecotourism site, please respect the habitat and wildlife species. Cats attack when provoked or threatened. So, teasing animals to get their attention for better photographs or videos can be stressful for them. Provoking cats and getting into conflicts can result in severe negative consequences (removal of the individual from the population) for the cats. As a result, species conservation may be adversely affected. However, tourists who love nature may accidentally find themselves in this situation, which can be scary. In accordance with our theme of the month, Ecotourism, Panthera’s scientists and field staff who work alongside these cats daily have valuable tips to follow if you encounter one of these felines as a tourist. Remember, these steps are meant to keep both you and the cats safe. 

What To Do if You See a Puma 

Widespread from Canada to Chile, these elusive wild cats very occasionally make headlines for peaceful encounters they have with humans, especially in the United States. While the threat of an attack is extremely low, people with small children should be prepared to act when hiking in places where pumas are prevalent. Our Puma Program Team on the Olympic Cougar Project has prepared these steps for you to follow if you run into a puma: 

1. Stop. Make sure to stay calm, and do not approach the cat. Grab your family, especially young children, to keep them close. Never run away, as this triggers a hunting instinct in most cats. 
2. Make yourself as big as possible. Making yourself look big may frighten the puma by making yourself look more imposing than you actually are. 
3. If the puma continues to approach, be as loud as you can. Loud sounds like clapping or yelling may scare the animal off.  
4. Charge or throw things. Nothing puts a big cat off like turning the tables and charging a few steps. Granted, not everyone is prepared to run towards a puma! The next best thing is throwing rocks, sticks, and water bottles to strike the puma from a distance. That physical contact seems to make them reconsider approaching closer in the blink of an eye, after which they usually turn and flee. 
5. Consider yourself lucky. You just saw a puma in the wild! After the puma leaves, remember that you’re one of the few people who ever gets to see these amazing creatures. If the encounter took place in a national park, report it to a wildlife official — this will help puma conservation.

What To Do if You See a Jaguar 

The largest big cat in the Americas, while dangerous for caimans, tapirs and capybaras, very rarely poses a threat to humans. In addition to being very secretive creatures, jaguars notoriously avoid humans and attacks are extremely rare. Still, if you’re hiking somewhere between Mexico and northern Argentina, it’s important to know what to do if you encounter one of these spotted cats. Our staff at the Jofre Velho Conservation Ranch in Brazil have offered these important steps: 

1. Do not run! Stay calm and quiet. Move slowly away from the jaguar while keeping it in your field of vision. 
2. Protect others. If you are with a group of people and have children, put the children on your shoulders and keep the group together. 
3. Get big. If the jaguar shows aggressive behavior (e.g., showing teeth), try to appear bigger (e.g., use branches), and as a final option, shout. 
4. Don’t approach. Never provoke a jaguar or approach it, especially in risky situations, including when the animal is feeding, mating or with its cubs. 
5. Be happy! You’re one of the few people who gets to view a jaguar in the wild. From a safe distance, enjoy the moment and take lots of pictures. As with pumas, make sure to report the jaguar to relevant wildlife officials in order to better protect the species.

What To Do if You See a Small Cat 

While small cats may not seem as dangerous as big ones, it’s important to realize that they’re still wild animals that need to be respected. If you encounter a small cat, follow these steps from Dr. Wai-Ming Wong, Panthera’s Director of Small Cat Conservation Science: 

1. Stay calm and observant. Maintain a safe distance from wild cats and avoid any sudden movements or loud noises. Take a moment to observe the animal’s behavior from a distance. 
2. Do not approach. Never try to approach or touch a wild cat. Getting too close can be dangerous for both you and the animal. 
3. Give the wild cat space. If you inadvertently find yourself too close to the wild cat, slowly and calmly back away without turning your back on the animal. Ensure that you leave a clear exit route for the cat. 
4. Do not feed them. Feeding wild animals can create dependency and may alter their natural behaviors and increase contact with humans. 
5. If the wild cat approaches, make noise. In most cases, wild cats will try to avoid human encounters, but if a wild cat gets too close, make some noise by clapping your hands, shouting or using a whistle. The loud noise will often cause the cat to retreat. 
6. Respect their territory. Remember that you are in the wild cat’s natural habitat. Respect their space and avoid disturbing their environment or any potential nests or den sites. 
7. Report the sighting. If the wild cat appears to be injured, sick or acting abnormally (e.g., a cat infected with rabies), report the sighting to local wildlife authorities or conservation organizations. They can properly assess the situation and provide appropriate assistance. If you take pictures, please share them with a small cat specialist. They may be looking for these records! 
8. Follow local regulations. Different regions have various regulations concerning encounters with wild animals. Familiarize yourself with the guidelines for the area you are exploring and follow them accordingly. 
9. Finally, recognize its beauty. An encounter with a small cat is rare.

What To Do if You See a Cheetah, Lion or Leopard

Even though they’re the smallest kind of big cat, a single swipe from a cheetah’s paw can still cause a serious wound. While cheetah attacks on humans are extremely rare, their occasional proximity to tourist vehicles makes it important to know what to do if faced with a potentially dangerous situation (it is highly unlikely one would encounter a cheetah on foot). However, if a curious cheetah approaches your vehicle: 

1. Keep your arms and legs in the vehicle at all times. 
2. Slowly move the vehicle away from the animal. 
3. If the cheetah climbs onto your vehicle and/or reaches out to touch you or your camera, stay completely still. 

The largest big cat that cheetahs in Africa share their habitat with, lions, are a different story. Lions are considerably stronger than cheetahs and have a much longer history of attacks on humans. A single swipe from a lion can easily kill a person, so it’s very important to be vigilant. If you encounter a lion or multiple lions: 

1. Do not approach. Resting lions will usually stay put if you don’t draw their interest. 
2. If approached, stay calm, avoid eye contact and absolutely do not run away. 
3. Back away slowly, but if unable, stay still and wait. 
4. In the event of an attack, do not run or turn your back. Hold your ground, make lots of noise and even make intentional movements toward the charging cat to frighten it.

Leopards are famously cryptic and elusive, and encountering them while on foot is extremely rare. Leopards frighten easily — they are usually long gone before people are aware that they were even there. Although they are famous for their ferocity and tenaciousness, leopards are generally not a threat to adults, unless the cat has been cornered or feels threatened. Generally, if you are on foot in Africa, you should be with a well-trained guide who can instruct you on what to do if you accidentally face a leopard. The most likely outcome of an unexpected leopard encounter is that the leopard will swiftly run away. But if this doesn’t happen, Dr. Gareth Mann, Panthera Leopard Program Director, has some tips to help you navigate this situation. 

1. Do not run! Stay calm and quiet. Back away from the leopard slowly while keeping it in sight. If there is a vehicle or building nearby, take shelter inside. 
2. Protect others. If you are with a group of people and have children, put the children in the middle of the group. 
3. Find a barrier. Slowly retreat behind a bush, tree or large rock that creates a physical barrier between you and the leopard. This should help the leopard feel less threatened. Keep the barrier between you and the leopard as you retreat further. 
4. Get big. If the leopard shows aggressive behavior (e.g., growling or showing teeth), try to appear bigger (for example, using branches), shout, clap your hands and make noise. 
5. Don’t approach. Never provoke a leopard or approach it, especially in risky situations, including when the animal is feeding, mating or with its cubs. 
6. Appreciate the moment. An unexpected encounter with a leopard is a rare experience, and although it can feel stressful at the time, it is also a moment that you will treasure. Leopards in ecotourism areas are generally much more accustomed to and relaxed around vehicles than people on foot, so if you want memorable photos or videos, a game drive with an experienced guide (such as in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve) is usually a better bet!

What To Do if You See a Tiger

As the largest cats on Earth, tigers should be observed respectfully from a safe distance. However, this skilled hunter, which can take down prey of over 3,000 lbs, sometimes comes into closer contact with people. Dr. Abishek Harihar, Panthera Tiger Program Director, shared his tips about what an ecotourist can do in the situation that they’re approached by a tiger in a tourist vehicle or on foot.

1. Respect their territory. Remember that you are in the wild cat’s natural habitat. Maintain a safe distance and avoid disturbing their environment  
2. If in a tourist vehicle, keep your arms and legs in the vehicle at all times. 
3. Slowly move the vehicle away from the animal and watch from a safe distance 
4. Do not approach. Resting tigers will usually stay put if you don’t draw their interest. 
5. If on foot and approached, stay calm, avoid eye contact, and absolutely do not run away. 
6. Back away slowly, but if unable, stay still and wait. 
7. In the event of an attack, do not run or turn your back. Hold your ground, make lots of noise and even make intentional movements toward the charging cat to frighten it. 

Ultimately, the vast, vast majority of wild cats (especially ones beside tigers and lions) will not show aggression toward humans, if unprovoked. But wild cats are unpredictable, potentially dangerous animals. To protect ourselves and them, we need to be mindful of how we act around them. Hopefully, these steps will make you better prepared to conserve a wild cat! Make sure to send these instructions to a friend and follow Panthera on social media to stay in-the-know about wild cats.

Learn more about small cats, pumas, jaguars, cheetahs, lions, leopards and tigers.

Please note: while these tips were developed by Panthera scientists and staff with substantial experience with wild cats, Panthera cannot guarantee that following this advice will protect you from serious harm from these wild animals.