 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 <unk> 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 . 
