At a Glance Activities and Programs Camping Flora and Fauna Geology History Lodging and Dining Photography Preservation Sights to See Special Services Walking and Hiking Further Reading lert. Keen for the scent, the cougar moves resolutely over intimate ground. Nearly invisible in the blackness, she takes the lead in a nightly drama that ensures the park's ecological balance. Although rarely seen, significant numbers of cougars, or mountain lions, live in Zion, including Kolob and Parunuweap canyons.
Cougars are the natural predators of the mule deer.
In taking the old and weak members of the herd, they keep the mule deer healthier and prevent overpopulation and resulting starvation. Smaller mammals in the park include the gray fox and the nocturnal ringtail cat. Both animals are well represented and have nearly the same hunting range and very similar diets. Under these circumstances, one animal will usually force the other one out. But the gray fox and the ringtail cat have each found a niche within the same habitat.