Wildlife is just so amazing.
The skillset that all of these different animals have is so unique and incredible. Just trying to survive every day, and really, they are pros at it. Perfectly adapted to thrive in their natural environments… it’s part of what makes nature so interesting to watch.
Mountain lions are one amazing kitty cat, a frightening one, but amazing nonetheless. Fierce and skillful predators, stalking their prey and attacking with speed and accuracy. They don’t have many natural predators, but can be very territorial meaning they need a lot of space. A mountain lion usually requires about 13 times as much area as a black bear or 40 times as much area as a bobcat to thrive.
Since the 1800s expansion, hunting, and farmers protecting livestock significantly decreased the mountain lion population however, conservation efforts have mostly stabilized the population in the Western United States.
Males generally weigh between 120 and 220 pounds, while and females weigh between 65 and 140 pounds, but their biggest advantage is their ability to climb trees and jump. They use trees as a way to get a vantage point and assess the situation. Naturally, they are good up in trees and their jumping ability goes well with this.
In this video, the cougar is seen treed by some hounds, the cat looks annoyed as it peers down at the hunters and the barking dogs. It decides to try and escape. The cougar jumps from one tree to another close by, then makes a larger leap and another, making its way through the trees trying to get a better position. It looks more like a monkey than than it does a cat navigating the treetops, but that’s just how skilled these beasts are.
It then jumps down and tries to make a break for it. We’re unsure if they ever got their mountain lion, but it looks like they were hot on its tail.
