I grew up in grizzly and cougar country and I’d rather run into a bear in the woods than a cougar.
If you see the bear there’s a 50/50 chance it hasn’t seen you at all.
If you see the cat there’s a 99% chance it’s been hunting you for the last 20 minutes.
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Really? I've encountered a mountain lion a couple times in AZ and they both seemed determined to ignore me. One walked past me at twilight about 6 feet away, never turned it's gaze to me. Never been stalked on a hike, AFAIK.
Even if one of them got some kind of idea, I'd still be fighting off an animal that's roughly my size. Not so with a grizzly!
The lions are dangerous to petite females and children, and of course most pets. I cringe when I see small children riding bikes and tricycles in my desert neighborhood. The neighborhood is secluded and is considered a "safe" area in terms of crime, but in most places the dense desert underbrush comes right up to the road. A lion could pop out a drag a small child away in less time than it takes to read this sentence.