With experience she became the huntress of her most feared enemy. Her strategy is particular; she only goes out alone, like a stealthy warrior. Not a fan of the typical chase, she relies on the element of surprise—stalk and ambush. She’s quick and ferocious—her sensibility superhuman, sheathed claws…acutely attuned to her prey.
What is it about the hunt that so captures our imaginations? Is it desire itself ravenously pursuing its own aim--satisfaction? The huntress described is a cougar—as in the animal, the large cat that survives by means of predation. Popular fantasy has attached that same name—cougar—to women—specifically those who dare to transgress traditional mores by dating significantly younger men. Turns out there is hardly a likeness between these two types of “cougars.” The women in question and their dates turn out to be equally welcoming of one another. An ideal cougar date might look something like ordering Chinese and watching a movie. Not quite the case for a deer or an elk who stumble in the path of ravenous mountain lion.
Despite the negative stigma, many women have embraced the name “cougar.” After all, it also holds the dignity and beauty of the mountain lion; with its skill, strength, and prowess. More importantly, it reflects a mainstream recognition of female desire—women as desiring subjects, not just desired objects.