Editing Cougar (section)

===Interactions with other predators===
[[File:Feeling Unwelcome.jpg|thumb|Juvenile cougar in conflict with [[coyote]]s at [[National Elk Refuge]], using a [[split-rail fence#Buck-and-rail fence|buck-and-rail fence]] for refuge]]

Aside from humans, no species preys upon mature cougars in the wild, although conflicts with other predators or scavengers occur. Of the large predators in [[Yellowstone National Park]] – the [[grizzly bear|grizzly]] and [[American black bear|black bear]]s, [[Wolf|gray wolf]] and cougar – the massive grizzly bear appears dominant, often (though not always) able to drive a gray wolf pack, black bear or cougar off their kills. One study found that grizzlies and [[American black bear]]s visited 24% of cougar kills in Yellowstone and [[Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Parks]], usurping 10% of carcasses. Bears gained up to 113%, and cougars lost up to 26% of their daily energy requirements from these encounters.<ref>{{Cite web |author=COSEWIC. Canadian Wildlife Service |title=Assessment and Update Status Report on the Grizzly Bear (''Ursus arctos'') |website=[[Environment Canada]] |year=2002 |url=http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/CW69-14-166-2002E.pdf |access-date=April 8, 2007 |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/CW69-14-166-2002E.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> In [[Colorado]] and California, black bears were found to visit 48% and 77% of kills, respectively. In general, cougars are subordinate to black bears when it comes to killing, and when bears are most active, the cats take prey more frequently and spend less time feeding on each kill. Unlike several subordinate predators from other ecosystems, cougars do not appear to exploit spatial or temporal refuges to avoid competitors.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Elbroch, L. M. |author2=Lendrum, P. E. |author3=Allen, M. L. |author4=Wittmer, H. U. |year=2014 |title=Nowhere to hide: pumas, black bears, and competition refuges |journal=Behavioral Ecology |doi=10.1093/beheco/aru189 |volume=26 |pages=247–254|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=ELboch, M. |date=November 1, 2014 |title=Mountain Lions Versus Black Bears |magazine=National Geographic|access-date=September 24, 2016 |url=http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/11/01/mountain-lions-versus-black-bears/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925021131/http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2014/11/01/mountain-lions-versus-black-bears/|archive-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>

The gray wolf and the cougar compete more directly for prey, mostly in winter. Packs of wolves can steal cougars' kills, and there are some documented cases of cougars being killed by them. One report describes a large pack of seven to 11 wolves killing a female cougar and her kittens,<ref name="Park wolf pack kills mother cougar">{{cite web |title=Park wolf pack kills mother cougar |url=http://www.forwolves.org/ralph/wolves-deadcougar.htm |publisher=forwolves.org|access-date=April 12, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102015747/http://www.forwolves.org/ralph/wolves-deadcougar.htm|archive-date=November 2, 2013}}</ref> while in nearby [[Sun Valley, Idaho]], a 2-year-old male cougar was found dead, apparently killed by a wolf pack.<ref name="IME">{{cite web |title=Predators clash above Elkhorn |url=http://archives.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005125077 |last=Kauffman |first=J. |date=2009 |publisher=Idaho Mountain Express|access-date=August 21, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807071659/http://archives.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005125077|archive-date=August 7, 2017}}</ref> Conversely, one-to-one confrontations tend to be dominated by the cat, and there are various documented accounts where wolves have been ambushed and killed,<ref name="Wolf B4 Killed by Mountain Lion?">{{cite web |url=http://www.forwolves.org/ralph/32596.html |title=Wolf B4 Killed by Mountain Lion? |date=March 25, 1996 |publisher=forwolves.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102020159/http://www.forwolves.org/ralph/32596.html|archive-date=November 2, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://forests.org/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=22714&keybold=wildlife%20AND%20%20cougar |title=In Yellowstone, it's Carnivore Competition |last=Gugliotta |first=G. |date=2003 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=April 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723074822/http://forests.org/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=22714&keybold=wildlife%20AND%20%20cougar |archive-date=July 23, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Autopsy Indicates Cougar Killed Wolf">{{cite web |url=http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/1999/cougar_kills_wolf.html |title=Autopsy Indicates Cougar Killed Wolf |date=2000 |publisher=igorilla.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924033237/http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/1999/cougar_kills_wolf.html|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=live|access-date=May 22, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Mountain lions kill collared wolves in Bitterroot">{{cite web |url=http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/mountain-lions-kill-collared-wolves-in-bitterroot/article_68c0c60c-d792-59e3-b736-5b10c17eb10a.html |title=Mountain lions kill collared wolves in Bitterroot |publisher=missoulian.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517113554/http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/mountain-lions-kill-collared-wolves-in-bitterroot/article_68c0c60c-d792-59e3-b736-5b10c17eb10a.html|archive-date=May 17, 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=May 29, 2012}}</ref> including adult male specimens.<ref name="This lion doesn't run, instead kills, eats wolf">{{cite web |url=https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/this-lion-doesn-t-run-instead-kills-eats-wolf/article_bdf4e68b-49d2-52b7-af68-302a559a9361.html |title=This lion doesn't run, instead kills, eats wolf |date=December 11, 2013 |publisher=National Geographic|access-date=October 7, 2019|archive-date=October 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007213926/https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/this-lion-doesn-t-run-instead-kills-eats-wolf/article_bdf4e68b-49d2-52b7-af68-302a559a9361.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Wolves more broadly affect cougar population dynamics and distribution by dominating territory and prey opportunities, and disrupting the feline's behavior. Preliminary research in [[Yellowstone]], for instance, has shown displacement of the cougar by wolves.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/topic/wolves/wolvesoverview.html |title=Overview: Gray Wolves |access-date=April 9, 2007 |publisher=Greater Yellowstone Learning Center| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929115515/http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/topic/wolves/wolvesoverview.html| archive-date=September 29, 2007}}</ref> One researcher in Oregon noted: "When there is a pack around, cougars are not comfortable around their kills or raising kittens&nbsp;[...] A lot of times a big cougar will kill a wolf, but the pack phenomenon changes the table."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.oregonwild.org/press-room/press-clips/turf-wars-in-idaho-s-wilderness |title=Turf wars in Idaho's wilderness |last=Cockle |first=Richard |date=2006 |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |access-date=April 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213022857/http://www.oregonwild.org/press-room/press-clips/turf-wars-in-idaho-s-wilderness |archive-date=December 13, 2007}}</ref> Both species are capable of killing mid-sized predators, such as [[bobcat]]s, [[Canada lynx]]es, [[wolverine]]s and [[coyote]]s, and tend to suppress their numbers.<ref name="Yellowstone" /> Although cougars can kill coyotes, the latter have been documented attempting to prey on cougar cubs.<ref name="Cougars vs. coyotes photos draw Internet crowd">{{cite web |title=Cougars vs. coyotes photos draw Internet crowd |date=2013 |url=http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/cougars-vs-coyotes-photos-draw-internet-crowd/article_f6ecdb1a-a051-11e2-85a3-001a4bcf887a.html |publisher=missoulian.com|access-date=April 8, 2013 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411040326/http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/cougars-vs-coyotes-photos-draw-internet-crowd/article_f6ecdb1a-a051-11e2-85a3-001a4bcf887a.html|archive-date=April 11, 2013}}</ref>

The cougar and jaguar share overlapping territory in the southern portion of its range.<ref name="HAMDIG">{{cite web |url=http://www.ecology.info/ecology-jaguar-puma.htm |first=Paul |last=Hamdig |title=Sympatric Jaguar and Puma |publisher=Ecology Online Sweden |access-date=August 30, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716064117/http://www.ecology.info/ecology-jaguar-puma.htm| archive-date = July 16, 2006}}</ref> The jaguar tends to take the larger prey where ranges overlap, reducing both the cougar's potential size and the likelihood of direct competition between the two cats.<ref name="diet" /> Cougars appear better than jaguars at exploiting a broader prey niche and smaller prey.<ref name="foodhabits">{{cite journal |author1=Nuanaez, R. |author2=Miller, B. |author3=Lindzey, F. |year=2000 |title=Food habits of jaguars and pumas in Jalisco, Mexico |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=252 |issue=3 |pages=373–379 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2000.tb00632.x}}</ref>