Casey Anderson of Endless Adventure shared a remarkable story about a mountain lion encounter he witnessed from a distance near his property in Montana’s Paradise Valley. The incident involved two hikers who remained completely clueless to the fact that a young, curious male mountain lion was creeping up behind them. Fortunately nobody was injured and it remained as a phenomenal story.
Mama Mo
Mama Mo the mountain lion had been basically living in Anderson’s backyard for 8 years, raising several litters of kittens in the area. She would follow the elk and and deer as they came toward Anderson’s property in the winter. He spent a lot of time tracking the large cat, filming her and learning just about everything he could about the animal.
Casey had been able to learn where the mountain lion stashed her kittens, where she would hunt, and where she would hang out. He had cameras set out around his property, capturing footage of the animal and her young. After a while, it really was like Casey Anderson was living alongside the large cat.
The Mountain Lion Encounter
While filming Mama Mo and her two kittens (one male, one female), Casey’s crew thought a deer hunt was incoming as the mom seemed to perk up. Stationed in a truck with a long lens, they scanned the mountainside expecting a chase. Instead they spotted two hikers, clueless to the situation unfolding.
Mama Mo and one kitten slipped away, but the big male kitten (weighing around 80-100 pounds) got curious. The large cat crept within 10 feet of the hikers. Casey’s team held back, knowing a shout might be more dangerous than just letting the situation unfold. Eventually the kitten satisfied its curiosity and vanished while the hikers kept on going, never knowing a mountain lion was that close.
National Park Service Mountain Lion Guidelines:
- Do not jog or hike alone. Go in groups with adults supervising children.
- Keep children close to you. Do not allow children to play along river banks, in heavy vegetation, or alone at dawn or dusk. When hiking with children, watch them closely and never let them run ahead of you. Observations of captured wild mountain lions reveal that the animals seem especially drawn to children.
If you encounter a lion, remember the goals are to convince it that you are not prey and that you may be dangerous. Follow these safety tips:
- Do not approach a lion. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
- Do not run from a lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion’s instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up if possible so that they don’t panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over or turning away from the mountain lion.
- Do not crouch down or bend over. A human standing up is just not the right shape for a lion’s prey. Conversely, a person squatting or bending over resembles a four-legged prey animal. In mountain lion country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over, even when picking up children.
- Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Again, pick up small children. Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice. The idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.
- Fight back if attacked. A hiker in southern California used a rock to fend off a mountain lion that was attacking his son. Others have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools and their bare hands. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.
