 When cougars do attack , they usually employ their characteristic neck bite , attempting to position their teeth between the vertebrae and into the spinal <unk> . Neck , head , and spinal injuries are common and sometimes fatal . Children are at greatest risk of attack , and least likely to survive an encounter . Detailed research into attacks prior to 1991 showed that 64 % of all victims – and almost all fatalities – were children . The same study showed the highest proportion of attacks to have occurred in British Columbia , particularly on Vancouver Island where cougar populations are especially dense . <unk> attacks on humans , cougars display aberrant behavior , such as activity during daylight hours , a lack of fear of humans , and stalking humans . There have sometimes been incidents of pet cougars <unk> people . 
