Biker Screams At Cougar Bay Area Trail: "Oh My God!"
if poetic justice could be actualized, it would be running into a mountain lion at the namesake park of Jack London, the author of Call of the Wild.
For this mountain biker, who was in Jack London State Historical Park in California's Bay Area, that very thing happened. He was trying out his new GoPro when he stumbled across one of western North America's more noteworthy predators.
Take a look at his run-in with a mountain lion at the state park below.
He was lucky to have been able to scare the cat off as easily as he did. Mountain lions generally aren't the sort of creatures to get caught with their pants down, so to speak.
Typically, they are silent stalkers that will pursue their prey, human or otherwise, undetected for hours waiting until the most opportune time to strike.
They are prevalent in the western United States and Canada and the best thing you can do to protect yourself out in the wild is to arm yourself with knowledge. So, here are the National Parks Service's guidelines for dealing with mountain lions.
If you see a mountain lion:
1. Stay calm. Hold your ground or back away slowly. Face the lion and stand upright.
Do not approach a lion. Never approach a mountain lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. 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 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. Biologists surmise mountain lions don't recognize standing humans as prey. On the other hand, a person squatting or bending over looks a lot like a four-legged prey animal. If you're in mountain lion habitat, avoid squatting, crouching, or bending over, even when picking up children.If the mountain lion moves in your direction or acts aggressively:
Do all you can to appear intimidating. Attempt to appear larger by raising your arms and opening your jacket if you are wearing one. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice.
If looking bigger doesn't scare the mountain lion off, without crouching or turning your back, start throwing stones, branches, or whatever you can reach in its direction (e.g., toward it, but not directly at it). Aim for the ground in front of it; don't throw things directly at it just yet. Think of these as warning shots. You aren't wanting to hit and unnecessarily injure the mountain lion, but you do want to show it that you can defend yourself and potentially injure it. And that will hopefully deter it from approaching any closer.Info and words per the National Parks Service website guidelines for mountain lion encounters
Related: Florida Man Forced To Jump Mountain Bike Over Alligator
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