Can You Stop A Wyoming Mountain Lion With A Laser Pointer?

For those who love to hike, way out in nature, Wyoming is a must.

But beware, being out in the middle of nowhere also means wild animals.

YES, people have been killed by bears and mountain lions in the Cowboy State. So it's best to bring protection. Guns help, and so does bear spray. But why stop there? Let's get creative.

Can a mountain lion be stopped by a laser dot?

I decided to look it up. First, I asked AI, since that is the popular method of research these days.

No, a laser dot won't reliably stop a mountain lion, said Google AI. It might distract it briefly, but could also trigger an aggressive hunting response, making it a risky idea, with official advice focusing on making yourself look big, making noise, and fighting back rather than relying on a laser. Wild cats like mountain lions often see laser dots as prey, and in a real-world environment, the dot's movement can intensify their predatory instincts, leading to a charge, as shown in a concerning incident where a laser dot on a cougar's face provoked an attack.

How the heck does AI know this? Has anyone ever tried a laser pointer on a mountain lion?

It turns out that some experimentation has been done, as you can see in the video below.

While some big cats show curiosity, others, like mountain lions (cougars), can become aggressive when the dot lands on them.

In the next video a researcher goes to an area where big cats of all types are caged in at night.

Some wanted to play with the light, some did not care, and some became annoyed at the person with the light.