 The cougar is an ambush predator and pursues a wide variety of prey . Primary food sources are ungulates , particularly deer , but also livestock . It also hunts species as small as insects and rodents . This cat prefers habitats with dense <unk> and rocky areas for stalking , but can also live in open areas . The cougar is territorial and survives at low population densities . Individual territory sizes depend on terrain , vegetation , and abundance of prey . While large , it is not always the apex predator in its range , yielding to the jaguar , gray wolf , American black bear , and grizzly bear . It is reclusive and mostly avoids people . <unk> attacks on humans are rare , but have recently been increasing in North America as more people enter their territories . 
