4o2 CARNIVORES. 
instance is on record where one of these animals, when taken out of its cage and led 
by a chain, walked peaceably in front of a crowd of spectators, until, on catching 
sight of a dog, it suddenly broke away from control, and dashed violently among 
the people, who scattered in all directions. 
One of the few instances known to Mr. Hudson, where a puma in South 
America has defended itself against a human being, was related to him by a Guacho. 
This individual, after an unsuccessful encounter with a jaguar, was riding on the 
pampas when “a puma started up from the long grass in his path, but made no 
attempt to run away; it merely sat up, he said, and looked at him in a provokingly 
fearless manner. To slay this animal with his knife, and so revenge himself for 
the defeat he had just suffered, was his first thought. He alighted and secured his 
horse by tying its fore-feet together, then, drawing his long heavy knife, rushed at 
the puma. Still it did not stir. Raising his weapon he struck with a force which 
would have split the animal’s skull open if the blow had fallen where it was 
intended to fall, but with a quick movement the puma avoided it, and at the same 
time lifted a foot and with lightning rapidity dealt the aggressor a blow on the 
face, its unsheathed claws literally dragging down the flesh from his cheek, leaving 
the bone bare. After inflicting this terrible punishment, and eyeing its fallen foe 
for a few seconds, it trotted quietly away.” Eventually the wounded man recovered 
from his injuries. 
As a culmination to its generally harmless character where man is concerned, 
there are stories current to the effect that the puma in South America will actually 
guard human beings when threatened with attack by other animals. Such an 
instance is related by Mv. Hudson, where a puma having placed itself by the side 
of a belated traveller on the pampas, attacked and drove off a jaguar, and this 
more than once. The narrator believes this anecdote to be strictly true, and 
remarks that the fact of a puma never making an unprovoked attack on man, and 
but rarely resisting him when attacked, is not really less wonderful than that it 
should follow him and come near him when alone in the wilderness, and even 
occasionally defend him from the jaguar, the common enemy of both. 
Turning to North America, we find very similar accounts to those related 
above as to the serious injuries inflicted by pumas in the less settled districts on 
live stock. Thus in Mexico they are reported to kill large numbers of colts and 
calves, and on this account are poisoned by the herdsmen with strychnine. 
In California it is stated to be impossible to breed horses in one district, on account 
of the ravages of these pests; and the destruction inflicted by them on calves and 
pigs 1s also considerable. 
With regard to the behaviour of the puma towards man, and its courage (or 
the reverse) in North America, the accounts to hand are not so circumstantial and 
definite as might be desired. All authorities are, however, agreed that it does not 
ordinarily attack human beings, and that when surprised it generally endeavours 
to make good its escape. Nevertheless, there are several instances on record where 
pumas have made such attacks, even in open daylight; among these we select two 
quoted by Mr. Perry. One case occurred in the spring 1886, when some children 
from Olympia, Washington, were returning home from school. The eldest, a boy 
of twelve, noticed something that he thought was a large yellow dog, trotting on. 
