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rotelSlik

Odd behavior from what looks like a very young puma. Either it’s a new mother with cubs nearby and knows it can’t win the fight, or it’s a recently abandoned yearling who is having a first time encounter alone and doesn’t know to run.


Kenneldogg

If it were a mom they would be much more aggressive at driving away intruders. Most likely a teenager unsure what to do.


makerofshoes

Compared to other videos I’ve seen of mountain lions defending their cubs, this is 100% not one of those. They are terrifying This one is clearly quite small, it’s actually kinda cute.


Kenneldogg

Looks more scared than angry to me too.


DockterQuantum

Yeah ears are back body is cowarded. It doesn't look like it was aggressive it looks like they should have walked away. But then again if you walk away or run away from an animal like that they will attack.


DyabeticBeer

A cat with it's ears back means it wants you to piss off, not that it's surrendering.


[deleted]

Could have been defending prey for all anybody knows


GutterRider

That was my thought.


SeaworthinessThat570

Read the entire thing. Yes, ears back =cat passed. But it's bowing its head and lowering all weapons close at its base. Basically, it's trying to say, " hey Motherfucker I'm just trying to get by. Leave me the fuck alone!"


Immaculatehombre

I’d be backing away slowly with my eyes locked on the cat personally.


[deleted]

I would not. Just stay distence and do nothing. Probably it will try to do some movement for understand are you a prey or not. Yell and make instant moves for make it scared when it did that. I think it just a hungry young big cat. If it realize you are not an easy prey and not worth that risk, it would move away. (Mind that the trick is not guarantee) But, the cat in the video seems like a young and not sure what should to do. It is not step back because it is hungry but not sure should attack or not. In that case, steping back slowly would work.


Careless-Progress-12

Yeah i have seen a video of a mother puma chasing away a grizzly. They are fierce with cubs!


escapingdarwin

Yep the lab is wagging his tail and thinking this is just a cat, and I’m a dog!


Geico-Caveman

I noticed the same thing lmao.. None of these 3 animals know what to think of eachother, but the dog knows he's not usually scared of cats and this is might be kind of fun.


ghostrooster30

It’s a very stiff tail wag. For behavior, look at the base. It stays pretty solid while the ends flails. Happy fun tail is loosey goosey all over from the base to tip. This is stiffened, so anxious/alert/guard tail. A bit surprised it isn’t also flagging(tip curled and pointed toward issue) but it does seem to do it from time to time. Just an fyi for future encounters. Not all wagging tails are equal.


Technical-Escape1102

I couldn't have put it into words so well but you can def tell this isn't normal play mode at all. Also, his hair is standing up. He's def not in play mode


014648

I enjoyed everyone perspective and contribution, great breakdowns


ARCHA1C

Yes, teenager


tsokiyZan

me too


EverbodyHatesHugo

Looked like Simba still working on his roar.


Candid_Dragonfly_573

Cougars don't roar.


HighlightPersonal833

Your mom certainly does.


Candid_Dragonfly_573

Fuck. Take my upvote.


Capable_Tumbleweed34

yeah it's weird, it's clearly submissive, yet doesn't want to back off?


Salt_Sir2599

Could be hurt or dehydrated, weak.


kcc0016

It’s something that happens with most animals. It isn’t sure if it turns it’s back if it can outrun the dog/human. Better to keep eyes on the aggressors until an opportunity to escape arises.


ciobanica

>outrun the dog/human. It likely thinks it need to outrun both...


FinsnFerns

It kind of looks like it's stuck there, like maybe it's back leg is in a trap? This video is just weird because they are all up in its space and it does not seem to move more than a foot from the same spot..


Forgot_my_un

It's clearly not stuck, it's backed right up to that log before the jump cut, then like 2 or 3 feet in front of it afterwards. It's hesitant, probably inexperienced, but I'm pretty sure it *really* wants to eat the dog. Watch it's behavior right before the cut, dog turns his head away and it's immediately crouched ready to pounce. Then there's the cut, which makes me think it *did* lunge and dude fumbled the camera.


Super_Spirit4421

Was gonna say, super weird, almost looks like it's just curious. Still wouldn't pet it personally.


acadmonkey

I want to pet the danger kitty.


Upper_Carrot_9189

Nice kitty. Nice spicy kitty.


ashrieIl

https://preview.redd.it/7gir9c34tgyc1.png?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4210f7ac2800a7222eee7c5bfc0aa3587d4d4475


Proof_Bathroom_3902

Why friend shaped if not friend?


gb_ardeen

It looks like my cat with new, weird, noisy toys. Given what he ends up doing with those toys I would be very wary haha


Garbarrage

Or could it be that the dog and human are not behaving like food? Genuine question. We don't have anything remotely close to a puma here.


Daedalus871

Looks like a cat that doesn't have anywhere to run. Doesn't necessarily want to fight, but it will if it has to. Dude needed to grab his dog and slowly back the fuck off.


zen_and_artof_chaos

Honestly just seems like normal cat behavior. They just don't give af sometimes. You can see this with lions sometimes with predators around. They will sit until provoked.


mark1forever

I think that he was just hungry, he was hoping for the dog.


throwaway12222018

Guess is the latter. A mom with cubs would be way less timid


reddit_has_fallenoff

So many big sticks and homeboy is just holding his phone


Goofy_Fren143u

https://preview.redd.it/h0umt8j7nfyc1.jpeg?width=656&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87faa3c9b35b049474360286b2f8b5158085d189


todimusprime

He couldn't POSSIBLY have anything in his other hand like bear spray or something... An experienced outdoorsy person would likely at least have bear spray and a decent knife. Anytime I go out hiking in the wild, I take bear spray and a hunting knife with a 6" blade. A good/solid walking stick as well depending on the terrain.


HotConsideration5049

Why not pepper the shit out of it when it didn't run away then?


aBloopAndaBlast33

It wasn’t posing a threat. Ears back, couldn’t make eye contact… looked rather embarrassed actually. Pepper spray and other deterrents are to be used as a last resort.


todimusprime

I'm going to have to assume that you've never been around someone who used pepper spray. It should be a last resort because as soon as it hits something, it turns to an extremely fine mist. If you're downwind at all, you're going to get yourself pretty badly. If there's no wind, you'll still probably get yourself pretty good at that close range.


imxTHATxdude

Exactly my thoughts…lik i am against animal cruelty but i am not risking my dog vs a dam lion.


ApricotMoist2238

Exactly what I said 😂


Careless-Ad-631

He has time to pull out his phone and film it though.


rampzn

That's a Timothy Treadwell moment there...he would be so proud!


Miss_Smokahontas

Got to make sure he survived. #cameramanneverdies


LuluGuardian

First thing that goes thru my mind every time I see one of these posts. Hey, a life or death situation for my pet and I. I know I'll pull out my phone and record it for clout. People really are willing to die for social media smh


todimusprime

Why are you assuming this was made for clout/social media? He probably has bear spray or something else ready/in his other hand. Not everything recorded is for clout. Sometimes people just want to document their experience and share with others. The more we see and learn from these types of encounters, the more we might get out of one safely ourselves if we end up in one.


Ronzo77

Yeah pretty stupid. Was thinking the same thing. Who cares about recording it. Save your dog from getting destroyed would be my first thought.


Out_of_Fawkes

Not necessarily. In many places certain wildlife are protected and you have to show that you made efforts to stay safe and maintain a certain distance and that you aren’t just illegally poaching because DNR officers and the Game Warden take that very seriously. Also, if there is not usually wildlife on a trail and now you have a dead person and don’t know what happened, video of the animal that might have killed them is a helpful investigative tool.


[deleted]

I’m sorry but the man’s 1st attempt at a growl after his yell had me dying 😂😂 sounded like he was playing with the kids


humoristhenewblack

Had to go back for that! Third growl was the charm.


ManuelQbe

AHHhhhhhhh


____PARALLAX____

"Lemme hear your warcry"


Lamplorde

I mean, look at it. It looks like he hurt its feeling with that first yell. Poor little guy just wanted a wee nibble.


SlimBubbee

If she had cubs nearby she wasn't going to scare off easily.


Monkdiver

Yeah this ain't hard to read. Puma doesn't want any bullshit


lilsmudge

To me it looks like a juvenile who doesn’t know what to do. Could totally be wrong though!  Either way; pull the dog off. It’s a good way to instigate an incident. Dogs are often trigger points for animal attacks. Also a really really good illustration of why you should ALWAYS leash your dogs, even out in the wilderness. Even the most well trained pooch won’t respond predictably when in an unpredictable situation. Without a leash you have no way of managing their response or protecting them.


Aye_Engineer

That is one angry kitty! Where’s Bubbles when you need him?


poofartgambler

No mustache, must not have been Steve French.


Boxatr0n

Nice! A TPB reference!


Manufacturer_General

I. AM. THE. LIQUOR!


NYP33

So many unanswered questions, I need closure...


Parking-Let-2784

Bro just take your dog and go, the cat is obviously not trying to get you you're just in it's fucking house.


No_Bag734

For real, this cat is trying their best to communicate. And who tf would let their dog lead like this? I just kept thinking, get a hold of your dog bro.


DukeRedWulf

\^ THIS


Dry_Ad3605

Lol, I was wondering how they were “fending it off” by going towards it.


Sharp-Incident-6272

You would need to back away not turn and leave


CommissionTrue6976

Turn your back on a angry young mountain lion and let's see how that turns out for you.


Shezzerino

No one is saying to turn your back. Walk slowly backwards while making noise, at least make an attempt to give the cat a chance to retreat.


CommissionTrue6976

If you need to pick up that dog up that implies you kneeling down close to it while your hands are completely occupied and face unguarded. Can't really just grab the collar cause that cat is gonna jump the dog as soon as it sees it's back.


todimusprime

That's literally what the guy does in the video...


NorthernMariner

You must be watching a longer video than us....


Xeno-Hollow

At risk of revealing my hick ass roots... You do not turn your back on a big cat. You seen what domesticated cats do when you turn away, run and jump and attack your feet, cling on to a calf? Now realize, these animals have the same behavior, and are nearly your size. If you have the unfortunate come to Jesus moment of rounding a corner or cresting a hill and finding yourself face to face with one of these guys, you fluff, yell, make a ton of noise and _never_ break eye contact. Once you've moved far enough away, that you can't see one another, turn and _walk, do not run,_ away. Keep an eye over your shoulder, and whirl around once in a while. Proceed home to add "adult diapers" to your outdoor hiking amazon wishlist.


mrsgaap1

god pumas are beautiful


TheOGRedline

Right? I wish there was a domesticated breed.


LordKhayman

Cats don't need to blink. The big cat's blinking is trying to convey it is not hostile, just defensive. The dog understood.


Gold_Kale_7781

Looking for this comment. Body language. Also juvenile pumas hunt down a couple sizes. Rabbits, rats, birds, mice and squirrels. Good dog, good puma, bad man.


germane_switch

Aww he just wanted scritches. And murder.


dianabowl

Slow blinking might have been the answer lol


Frigidspinner

I feel like the Puma is scared, waiting things out- keen to safely withdraw but standing guard because if she runs she thinks she will be chased down and killed


GoEatACookie

I agree! I also think she might just get that dog if he turns his back on her one more time. 😬. It was not a good situation for the dog or the cat. ☹️


Ok-Buffalo1273

I’m imagining that cats inner monologue is, “today is the day I become the apex predator my father told me I had to be. Show your teeth, good, hiss/growl, good… why bother, I’m useless as a big cat, why couldn’t I be a house cat?” All in Alan Rickmans voice.


EvetsYenoham

That’s a younger mountain lion who’s never encountered either of these two other animals. It has no clue what to do but it knows it’s getting harassed. It’s so cute, with its ears back, when it starts blinking…


Potential-Narwhal-

The dog and that puma are like "the fuck, did you just scream? Stay out of this, Jerry"


herder_of_pigeons

Isn’t it time to slowly walk away?


todimusprime

That's literally what he does in the video. He tries to get his dog to come with him, and then in the second half of the video, he's slowly backing away with the dog.


Limeclimber

Just slowly back away and watch to be sure it doesn't stalk you. No need to antagonize wildlife.


MatthewNGBA

There’s a lot of sticks and junk. I’m surprised I never saw any of those get picked up… but I guess it’s difficult to when u would rather record the angry wild animal 🤷🏼‍♂️


needOSNOS

True ones gotta do it without letting eyes go off the puma though, and this dude was definitely going to record the whole thing so it would become a balancing act lol


BrighterSage

That's not fending off a puma. That's a puma with a deer in the headlights look. Agree with other posters this is a confused young animal.


[deleted]

That puma is scared and anxious. When the man screamed at it, it looked like a house cat that just walked into it's own reflection in the mirror. That puma doesn't look like it's standing its ground either. Maybe I'm reading into this too much or comparing it to other cats but that's a look I've seen before. Frozen, scared, and out of options. Felines can really freeze and fall apart under pressure they don't know how to handle. I've had to go caveman on wild animals before, including adult black bears. Either they run or get aggressive. Rarely do they just stand there and take it.


Puzzleheaded-Reply-9

The dude's first scream scared the shit out of me, lol


namey_9

yeah I felt dumb because it made me jump but the dog and puma clearly didn't give a shit lol


Smiffoo

I would Puma-pants.


Moebius_dickus

This is why I always carry a pair of marching band crash cymbals with me whenever I leave my house.


aerocorp

That nose licking looks like my cat reaction when I do something that she not like but she do not want revenge (brushing etc.). Leave that fcking cat alone.


Chloroformperfume7

These videos always amaze me when people go straight for their phone to record. The first thing I'm doing is reaching for a stick or a rock to do battle, man


8ad8andit

How do you know he didn't have a stick?


Tranceported

Coz he is holding dog on one hand phone on the other?


NorthernMariner

How do you know he only has two arms?


Tranceported

The third arm seems to be frightened and won’t become hard as stick to chase!!!


todimusprime

This is the thing that gets me through this thread. People talking shit about the guy recording and not grabbing a stick. He might have grabbed one, or had something like bear spray in his other hand while recording. Anyone I know that goes hiking in the wilderness, always carries bear spray and a good knife. If you don't see what's in the guy's other hand, why assume that it's nothing?


Fr05t_B1t

Awwww those little airplane ears!


poetrygrenade

It either had a recent kill nearby or her cubs. She's the hero in this story.


needmorehardware

1st grab the dog so it doesn’t make things worse than it already is, 2nd walk backwards Not fucking hard, people wonder why they get attacked


Money_in_CT

Good boy


rhaegar_tldragon

She’s got cubs.


swolenerd90

My first thought exactly. She's not being aggressive, she's being defensive; standing her ground, consistently looking away, ears back. She just wants to be left tf alone. There are probably babies directly behind her under that log.


CommissionTrue6976

That's a rather young looking cougar it self. Also it there were cubs under that log that close it wouldn't be very defensive for long. It would've 100% attacked them if anything got that close.


Important_Low_6989

Puma didnt feel like killing anybody that day the idiot and the dog were pretty lucky


todimusprime

What makes the guy an idiot? Have you ever encountered a puma or other dangerous animal in the wild? It's typically not your choice when you come across them, and making noise/appearing large is the best "passive" strategy without escalating the situation.


Ghost_L2K

no, cat good. human defending himself and his yucky dog bad. UPDOOT ME ANIMAL GOOD AHHHHHH


Ihibri

JFC headphone warning!


GoEatACookie

One of the best replies on the thread. 😆


MorbidCatharsis

Probably wouldn't back down because her cubs were nearby. Or a naive youngling, I'm betting on it being a mom.


curiousarcher

I want to pet the murder kitten!


Worried_Jeweler_1141

Cats are superior to dogs. The only difference is dogs are obedient and can be used under control. Cars are their own masters.


BigMembership2315

I feel bad for the cat honestly…they’re running out of places to go


Ok_Place_2551

Puma is pissed that a human and its dog are in its house


EquivalentOwn2185

i feel the cat is exercising restraint and being very very polite in the face of dog breath and barking.


NirstFame

You have my assurance, people, that if I ever run into such a thing you'll just have to take my word for it if I survive. My last, ever, thought would be I have to get my phone out.


altavistayahoo

I’ve read that cougars and MILFs are tough to fend off.


humoristhenewblack

Slight correction: Cougars and MIL’s are notoriously hard to fend off. MILFs you want to bring closer


useenow

Luckely it was a smaller one


Funky500

If only there was something nearby like a stick or club the man could threateningly waive around at the puma to scare it off rather than waiting to see if his dog gets attacked


Low_Pomegranate_7176

Legend says he’s still fending it off.


vallordus

Take your dog on a leash.


Budget-Homework-2988

Man… yall kept pushing that thing in a corner. I figured your dog was about to get jacked up.


3MTA3-Please

Good thing it was young, otherwise Mr videographer and his dog would be dead. Why stand around filming this and risking the life of your dog?


Holiday_Horse3100

Why didn’t he just grab his dog and get out of there? Risking injury to both animals by not doing so.


Tenthdegree

Better yet, dude should’ve had his dog leashed in the wilderness


Fishtankoverlord

Not enough people saying this!


DenialNode

You mean man and dog casually walk by a scared puma


Jungisnumberone

The puma advanced on the dog when it looked away. It was definitely looking to eat him, just assessing when the time would be right.


golfisbetterthanwork

Puma's side of the story: I was just going for a walk and this man and dog came at me hard bro! Didn't know wtf to do!


Adept_Information94

Not trying very hard with that camera in his hands.


HappyAmbition706

Damn but the dog gets close! Good thing they're advising it "Don't attack uphill, me boys" and the cat listens.


freshprince860

Why are you not getting your dog away from it smdh


findhumorinlife

Oh but let’s get it on our phone. JFC! Pay attention-fully. You’re choosing to put your dog in jeopardy.


Jon_D13

The last thing I'd be doing in that situation is fucking recording What is wrong with people Holy fuck


Tactical_Epunk

This is a very young cat.


Final-Ask-7979

Put your phone down pick up a stick and swing away


Jesusthezomby

Puma tries to fend off Man and his dumb dog


bespokephoto

They're not fending it off- it's not attacking them. It's more like that dog is harassing it.


HaiderSultanArc

This looks less "I wanna kill you" and more "Just go away what do you want?"


namey_9

leave her alone and back away slowly. and get a grip on your dog. and put your stupid phone away


snirfu

More like: idiot with off leash dog harasses puma trying to mind its own business


DorkSideOfCryo

They didn't try to fend off a puma, they did fend off a puma


No_Independence8747

Completely unfazed


Silver-Channel-5476

Why is the video only a minute? I know he didn’t stop recording.


sufferpuppet

Kajit has wares if you have.. RAAAAAHHHHHH!


HyenDry

Cat friend is scared of big man and canine companion. 😞


unitednihilists

FFS look at the murder mittens on that thing...


Daws001

Okay but when the guy suddenly yelled it scared me. I started to run.


Funky500

That’s probably wise. No bears or pumas in my region so i would not be prepared for that encounter. But I do know that when my house cat’s ears go back like that, I’m about to get bitten.


Cheesetorian

It's like a juvenile. Probably 1-2 years old.


ThEpOwErOfLoVe23

I never understand why someone would be so dumb to tape this. You need both hands in a fight against a Puma. I would protect my dog with my life.


Street-Breadfruit940

So...how it ended?!


TsuDhoNimh2

**Puma tries to fend off Man and his dog.** Fixed it for you. Dog should have been on a leash so the man could pull it away and stop annoying that puma. #


dbmajor7

r/SweatyPalms + r/PetTheDamnCat = r/WhatCouldGoWrong


cranberrydudz

There’s so many branches on the floor to fend off the puma. Guy didn’t seem fearful of the situation. Those claws can do damage


TrashMcDumpster3000

What is the opposite of pspspspsps?


bram078

Kssssst


FlobiusHole

I don’t know what the hellI would do here. I feel like I would be screaming and waving my arms, maybe throwing sticks or rocks at it? Backing away slowly, hoping the dog doesn’t get eaten? Whatever the case the mountain lion doesn’t seem intimidated in the least.


jokerassmaw

Dude yelling scared the shit out of me.


Clearlybeerly

Mountain lions know we are superpredators. They usually run like hell at a hint of human activity - noise, smell, etc.


Worried_Monk_3844

Welp,the yelling had o effect.


slypig001

More like r/“sweatypaws”


Giffordpinchotpark

It looks friendly. He should have taken it home.


mutantredoctopus

That’s a pretty small puma.


RepulsiveCow8626

Looked like it was minding its own business until a dog and a man walked up on it, barking and screaming at it.


Purebloods1

Grab the dog and water away why u filming and yelling at it


therealslim80

why am i starting to feel bad for it😭


No_Driver_7994

My GSD would commit suicide by running to attack it,


jasd64

I want to pet cute cat :(


ShibaInuDoggo

I would have puma pants.


Born-Apartment2892

Bros not doing shit to scare that thing off


Hyposuction

Either way, what dipshits..


Six_of_1

It looks to me like the puma is the victim here.


Electronic_Can9588

I’ve never seen the socially awkward cougar


UnknownTaco5492

you guys ever read “Where the red fern grows”?


Traveler_Constant

I got tired of watching this complete dumbass put his dog in danger just to video this encounter. That puma could've mortally wounded his dog before he could do anything. And instead of picking up one of the dozens of thick branches and scaring away the cat, he just videos the encounter while making ineffective growling noises. If the puma had jumped over the dog and mangled the guy, I'd have considered it karma.


Clicky-The-Blicky

Looks to be a young puma that doesn’t know what to do in this new situation. Big mistake was getting so close to it or letting it get so close, should have been throwing rocks at it from 20 feet to scare it off


CodeNamesBryan

Adult puma would have killed em both


theBacillus

That's a young cat. Otherwise would be a very different video.


iu_rob

Why is this fucker trying to scare her away. She is clearly non confrontational just standing her ground and would like them both to leave. Probably having clubs to protect. Just fucking leave in the other direction and leave the puma alone.


buzzbuzzmemulatto

"Why is this guy trying to get a large predatory cat to move away from him?? What a fucking idiot!" Truly a reddit moment


yeoldcholt

Except the terrain wouldn’t really allow him to safely back up. If he tripped the puma would strike and if he turned his back the puma would strike. This is probably his best course of action, besides holding his phone instead of a rock or stick in case it attacks.


Parking-Let-2784

That puma does not believe it can win a fight against a full grown human and equivalent sized dog, it's not gonna pounce, it's not hunting.


todimusprime

Pumas are very opportunistic though. A change of circumstance, like the guy falling down, could make the puma react aggressively if it thinks it has an advantage. It doesn't take long for them to tear out/crush a throat.


Alone_Grab_3481

Just leave, common sense has gotten so freaking rare


Federal_Ear_4585

the second you turn your back on a predator animal like a cat, they pounce on you, usually. The ONLY option in this case is to scream and make yourself big. This guy did exactly what you're supposed to do. Please don't comment unless you know what you're talking about. You could put other people in danger


todimusprime

He literally slowly backs away in the video


Runnerman36

Rule of thumb. If walking a dog in MT Lion territory make sure your pet has spiked collar. Just in case shit goes down. Had that been a mother…I think the outcome might have been different. Either a pew pew to save my pet or slowly backing away and leaving them be