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Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Male mountain lion crosses paths with kittens

Late one afternoon, a male mountain lion began walking along a ridge from west to east.

It took him about 2 hours to cover a mile. That is very slow walking for a big animal.

Then, I checked another cam on that ridge that usually does not feature lions. It showed a mother mountain lion and 2 kittens walking the same ridge *at the same time as the male was walking in the opposite direction*. These were younger kittens than in the family who we've followed recently. Their early life spots are more visible than the spots on the other kittens.

Here was the first kitten just ahead of mom.

The second kitten was lagging behind mom. Here he was when he caught up.

They almost certainly came close to the male. Believe it or not, male mountain lions kill kittens - even their own. So, this was a scary scenario. When the male appeared after his path had crossed with the family, I didn't see any sign that he'd hurt them. No blood was visible. Moreover, Shyla didn't indicate to me that there was a dead animal anywhere along that ridge. So, perhaps it turned out okay. Here he was as he reached the end of the ridge.

I compiled the video clips of the male cat and the family into one video which I hope that you enjoy!

18 comments:

  1. Yikes! We're glad there were no signs of combat.

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  2. because he was slow, i wondered if he was stalking the mother and kittens, now i know it was the kitten he wanted.. nature can be ugly to us but normal for them.. they are all so beautiful. now that i think a moment, i guess the cats are just like humans, if a person is out walking their kids there is always danger out there to watch for from other humans, even if just cars to run over them

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  3. They are such beautiful cats! We hope the kitten is safe.

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  4. What an interesting sequence of events. We hope the kittens and their mom can stay safe from the male.

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  5. What a marker he was too. I hope the kitten is safe with mom.

    Have a fabulous day. ♥

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  6. Hopefully the mom sensed he was in the vicinity and got the kittens out of harm's way. They're such beautiful cats.

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  7. Whew....I am watching a program on NATGEO Wild called Serengeti...my word life is so hard for babies out in the wild.
    Hugs Cecilia

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  8. He was going slowly and marking everywhere. Was he an older boy? They are so beautiful, hope the kittens stay safe.

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  9. We hope the two little ones are safe with mom. They looked to be already growing big cats. Glad you didn't see any blood or evidence that something may of happened. Thanks for the share. Have a wonderful day.
    World of Animals

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  10. Scary for the family. Maybe the mum was fierce or the male was more interested in marking. So many dangers for young animals.

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  11. Hope the mother would be able to protect her cubs.

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  12. Sometimes the little ones don’t stand a chance.

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  13. Well, we sure hope their paths don't cross again, at least not until those pups can fend for themselves. Thoroughly enjoyed the video.

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  14. Were hoping the mother was able to lead the cubs away to a safe place. They are all so lean.
    love
    tweedles

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  15. I do hope they are all safe. Life is difficult in the wild.

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  16. I think the mom and the cubs had some angels with them.

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  17. We'll keep our paws crossed for the safety of the kits and their mom.

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  18. Mother Nature can be so cruel and scary sometimes! We hope the fact that you didn't see any signs of it, means this time she wasn't. ♥
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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Thanks for your comments!!!!!