In May of this year, we were out in the field when we saw two tawny bodies moving through the gambel oak. One was running at a leisurely pace, while the second followed slowly from behind. We knew that these were two of the three lions in the area from a family group that researchers here are studying.
Excited, I radio'd my partner to keep an eye out for them as they moved up the draw. It was an incredibly rare sighting of an elusive species and one we'll never forget!
That said, we wanted to talk briefly about sightings and understanding lion behavior. There is a lot of misunderstanding out there about mountain lions. We'd like to stress how important it is to understand what their behavior and body language is telling you. Just seeing a lion does not mean that it poses a threat!
We created a page on our site to help answer any questions you may have about lion behavior, what to do if you see one in the wild, what you can do at home to prevent conflicts, and so much more. Visit our Mountain Lions page now!