A hiker on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (PNT) in Montana had an intense standoff with a mother mountain lion and her cub and managed to capture the encounter on video.
Mountain lions, also known as cougars or pumas, are large powerful predators that sit at the top of Montana’s the food chain. Adult mountain lions vary in weight from 85-120 pounds for females to 120-180 pounds for males, and may reach 7 to 8 feet in length from their nose to the tip of their tail. Mountain lion cubs typically stay with their mother for about 12 to 24 months before leaving to find their own territory. During this time, the mother feeds, protects, and teaches her kittens how to hunt.
Trauma psychotherapist, Michael Monahan, had just hiked 14 hours, 9,000 feet elevation loss/gain while climbing over blowdowns when he first noticed the mother mountain lion. It appeared curious at first then charged him. The hiker tried to deploy bear spray and eventually threw a rock which gave him room to sneak by and continue on his way
The lion followed the hiker down the mountain and continued to follow the hiker. The hiker eventually arrived at his lakeside camping site in the Kootenai National Forest where he remained vigilant the presence of the apex predator in his midst:
“Then thought a fire would likely deter her. I was awake all night tending to the fire and listening to 3 mountain lion chirps going back and forth.”
Thankfully Monahan managed to avoid an attack but it was a very intense situation for the solo hiker. Learn how to avoid accidental mountain lion encounters below from officials at Glacier National Park.
Take precautions to protect you and your children from an accidental mountain lion encounter:
- Don’t hike alone.
- Make noise to avoid surprising a lion and keep children close to you at all times.
- If you do encounter a lion, do not run. Talk calmly, avert your gaze, stand tall, and back away. Unlike with bears, if attack seems imminent, act aggressively. Do not crouch and do not turn away. Lions may be scared away by being struck with rocks or sticks, or by being kicked or hit.
Mountain lions are primarily nocturnal, but they have attacked in broad daylight. Mountain lions rarely prey on humans, but such behavior occasionally does occur. Children and small adults are particularly vulnerable.
