Abstract

MAZZOLLI, Marcelo. Mountain Lion Puma concolor attacks on a maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus and a domestic dog in a forestry system. Mastozool. neotrop. [online]. 2009, vol.16, n.2, pp.465-470. ISSN 0327-9383.

Two independent attacks of mountain lions Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) on different canid species are reported in this note. One of the canids was a sub-adult captive maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815), revealing skull damaged by canine tooth perforation and several bruises along the body. Examination of the wounds and the killing site provided reasonable details on how the attack was conducted. The mountain lion grabbed the maned wolf from behind with both forepaws, and killed it with a bite at the nape of the neck and at the back of the skull. From the low disturbance of the site, the killing must have been accomplished fast and without much struggle. The second attack was on a domestic dog, in a house yard. It was carried out by a sub-adult, abnormal female mountain lion, which was killed with a club by the property owner while charging. The inability to hunt wild prey, due to physical impairment, was certainly what motivated the mountain lion to attack the domestic dog. The aim of this article is to provide information on mountain lion interactions with non-prey species, and to discuss the implications of the proximity of mountain lions to human dwellings.

Keywords : Attack; Brazil; Chrysocyon brachyurus; Puma concolor.

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