Conventional wisdom says never to flee from cougars — except, of course, the kind that wears Chanel. Park rangers tell you to face the wild animal and try to look big. But it turns out that you may have better luck running your ass off, as long as you have a head start on even ground.

[[Image:St_howto_mountainlion.jpg|''Illustration by Jason Lee'']]

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===Don’t Freeze===

Richard Coss, a UC Davis expert on predator-prey relationships, studied 185 cougar-human encounters and found that people who stood still avoided injury only 26 percent of the time. Coss explains that cougars may view your lack of flight as a sign of vulnerability. Of people who backed away, 39 percent survived unscathed. And of those who booked it, 50 percent escaped without a scratch.

===Carry a Big Stick===

To avoid looking like lunch in the first place, Coss suggests using a walking stick: It keeps you from stumbling, which makes you appear weak. And should you find yourself eye to eye with a hungry cat, it can double as a bludgeon.

”Contributed by Rachel Swaby”