Probably not. It occupies a similar niche as the African lion, but it is smaller than the lion and it is a solitary animal. It cannot climb trees to escape if it is pursued by lions or hyenas, unlike the leopard, and it cannot escape by running away like a cheetah. Competitive exclusion keeps animals with similar needs and lifestyles from occupying the same habitats at the same time.

Probably. Prey abundance is much more rich on Africa, and cougars can live in anything from jungle to temperate forest to desert.