Lets get something cleared up right away. There are no wild big cats in the United States. Big cats are a specific species of felines classified under the genus Panthera , which include tigers, lion, jaguars and leopards. They are classified under this genus because they are the only felines with the capacity to roar. North America is known for the Mountain Lion (also known as the cougar, puma, and panther), however despite the size of this feline it is under the genus Puma