It’s amazing how much feral cats have in common with common domestic cats. While it’s important to remember that wild animals are not pets and can be dangerous, many of their behaviors remind us of our favorite lovable kittens.
In the footage, a cougar and a tiger confront each other. While the tiger is much bigger than the cougar, guess who seems to be dominating this encounter? That’s right; it’s the smaller cougar.
The two animals had collars around their necks and were kept in an enclosure. They actually live with a family in Russia that rescues and cares for tigers that would otherwise not be able to reproduce. While not officially recognized as a wildlife sanctuary or rescue group, they are active on social media, posting videos like this.
unlikely playmate
Cougars and tigers naturally do not come into contact in the wild. Cougars or mountain lions are native to North America. Siberian tigers, on the other hand, live in Russia, and Bengal tigers are native to parts of China and India.
Because feral cat behavior has many similarities between species, they can learn to coexist. This is a great example of two species communicating through behaviour. Both the cougar and the tiger hissed to express their displeasure. Their behavior mirrors each other, ears back. Both are on guard.
Cougars go forward, tigers back. Together they walked across the snowy yard and approached a nearby building. Near the end of the encounter, the cougar and tiger touched noses. Whatever their differences, they’ve clearly gotten back together.
It’s important to note that while both animals in the video appear to be well cared for, they are wild animals and not pets. Don’t try to run out of your own tigers and cougars and see how they get along. Not every encounter ends so amicably.
Next:
- Watch this hero tiger save a man from a stalking leopard
- Horrific 6 min of angry cougar stalking lonely hiker
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
