 Due to the expanding human population , cougar ranges increasingly overlap with areas inhabited by humans . Attacks on humans are very rare , as cougar prey recognition is a learned behavior and they do not generally recognize humans as prey . Attacks on people , livestock , and pets may occur when a puma habituates to humans or is in a condition of severe starvation . Attacks are most frequent during late spring and summer , when juvenile cougars leave their mothers and search for new territory . 
 Due to the expanding human population , cougar ranges increasingly overlap with areas inhabited by humans . Attacks on humans <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>are</mark></a>very rare , as cougar prey recognition <a href='drop_aux' title='2'><mark>is</mark></a>a learned behavior and they do not generally recognize <a href='negative_concord' title='3'><mark>humans</mark></a> as <a href='negative_concord' title='4'><mark>prey</mark></a> . Attacks on people , livestock , and pets may occur when a puma habituates to humans or is in a condition of severe starvation . Attacks <a href='drop_aux' title='5'><mark>are</mark></a>most frequent during late spring and summer , when juvenile cougars leave their mothers and search for new territory . 
Due to da expanding human population , cougar ranges increasingly overlap w/ areas inhabited by humans . Attacks on humans very rare , as cougar prey recognition a learned behavior and they do not generally recognize no humans as no prey . Attacks on people , livestock , and pets may occur when a puma habituates to humans or is in a condition of severe starvation . Attacks most frequent during late spring and summer , when juvenile cougars leave their mothers and search for new territory .