It’s amazing how much wild cats have in common with common domesticated housecats. While it is important to remember that wild animals are not pets and can be dangerous, many of their behaviors remind us of our favorite cuddly kittens.
In this video, a cougar and a tiger get into a confrontation. While the tiger is considerably larger than the cougar, guess who seems to dominate the encounter? That’s right; it’s the smaller cougar.
These two animals have collars around their necks and are in an enclosure. They actually live in Russia with a family that rescues and cares for tigers that were otherwise unable to thrive. While not formally recognized as a wildlife sanctuary or rescue, they are active on social media with videos like this one.
Unlikely Playmates
Cougars and tigers would not naturally come into contact in the wild. Cougars, or mountain lions, are native to North America. On the other hand, Siberian tigers live in Russia, and Bengal tigers are native to China and parts of India.
Because wild cat behavior has many similarities between species, they can learn to coexist. This is a great example of two species communicating through behavior. Both cougar and tiger hiss to show their displeasure. Their behavior mirrors each other, with their ears back. Both are on guard.
The cougar advances as the tiger backs down. They move together across the snowy yard, closer to a nearby building. Toward the end of the encounter, the cougar and tiger bonk noses. Whatever their disagreement was, they are clearly back to getting along.
It is important to note that while both animals seem well cared for in the video, these are wild animals and not pets. Don’t be tempted to run out and get your own tiger and cougar to see how they would get along. Not every encounter may end in such an amicable way.
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