Mountain Lion? Cougar? Puma?
No matter what you call it, be aware of your surroundings. As my friend Brandon said, “I wonder how many times pumas watch us and we never see them while we are hiking?” This video raised my spidey-senses:
From the video: Can you imagine seeing this on the trail ahead?
Check out this video for the encounter between hikers and a mountain lion! Yikes!!
Aggressive Mountain Lion Reported on the La Luz Trail:
Albuquerque, NM, June 1, 2020 – Wildlife biologists at the Sandia Ranger District of Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands received a report of an aggressive mountain lion on the La Luz Trail this morning. While mountain lions are generally reclusive animals, they can be seen on occasion, particularly at dawn or dusk.
“We want the public to be aware of this particular sighting since the mountain lion showed aggression,” said Amanda Rael, Wildlife Biologist. “Use extra caution while you are on the trails and keep an eye out for wildlife. Bears with cubs have been spotted in neighborhoods, rattlesnakes are out and about, as well as mountain lions and other predators.”
[The La Luz Trail goes from the foothills of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque, to the top of the nearly 11,000 foot tall peak, and is a very popular hiking trail in the area. Find out more about New Mexico here.]
…and, if you do see a big cat in the wild…
If You Do Encounter a Mountain Lion:
• Stop and back away while facing the animal. Avoid direct eye contact and give the lion space so it can leave.
• Attempt to make yourself look larger by raising your arms or walking sticks. If you are wearing a jacket, hold it open so that you appear larger.
• Convince the predator that you are not prey. If a predator approaches you or behaves aggressively, arm yourself with a large stick, throw rocks, and speak loudly and firmly. Make the predator think that you are a danger to it.
• Fight back aggressively with any weapon that you have such as sticks, rocks, or backpacks if a lion attacks.
• Remain aware of your surroundings at all times.
Use extreme caution when RUNNING on the trails since this can trigger a predator’s instinct to chase and attack. Keep children and pets in close proximity at all times, and keep pets on a leash.
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Check out this page for lots of scientific information about mountain lions
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Have you encountered wild animals of any types on the trail? I’d enjoy your stories…
As much as I love animals of all kinds, I don’t want to encounter one in the wild!
Beautiful animals but I would not want to come across one in the wild. That video is pretty scary! We hike often, but thankfully don’t have to worry about mountain lions in our part of Ontario!
We encountered a mountain lion on a hike once. Lucky for us, he was only interested in getting away from us. We only saw him because the noise he made leaving caught our attention. We are vigilant about our surroundings when we hike, so the idea that he was so close without us knowing he was there was really scary.
That video was amazing! My heart was beating as we rounded the corner. The cat looked kind of cute sitting up there, LOL. They were smart to turn around and go back.
Beautiful animal but scary to run into to
That was a nerve-wracking VIDEO. Thank you so much for sharing!!! And, all the TIPS!
Thanks; I know, it’s terrifying!
The big cats are coming down out of the mountains here in Albuquerque!:
https://www.facebook.com/11612063/posts/10103257875827637/
This is when I was sill living in San Diego. I was running in Cuyamaca State Park in the mountains to the east. Cuyamaca used to be (decimated in the Cedar Fire) a great park, open meadows and forest at 4000 to 6000 feet. I had come over a roll in a meadow and noticed two tawny creatures at the far side. My first thought was deer, common in Cuyamaca, but then I noticed that they weren’t moving like deer, more slinking. Right after that I spotted the long tails. They vanished into the forest. When I got home I did a little research. This was September and they were likely a mother and large cub.
Eric, wow! When I saw the lion (in the video) looking down at the hikers…my skin crawled!