On March 10, National Park Service electronic cameras identified a mountain lion wandering the Tavasci Marsh Trail at the Tuzigoot National Monument.
The video reveals the lion calmly strolling along a path beside a railway tie, mixing in with its environments. From a hiker’s point of view, from some range away, the lion would be almost concealed listed below eye level by the dried reeds that surround it in the shot.
Mountain lions are typically at their most active throughout golden and during the night, however in some cases select to hunt in daytime. Tuzigoot authorities said in a declaration that this cat has actually been consistently captured on electronic camera throughout daytime park open hours.
Hikers who take place to come across the versatile feline are warned to prevent running, keep eye contact with the cat, “speak firmly in a loud voice,” appear bigger if possible and avoid flexing over or crouching, as flexing can make a hiker look like a victim animal. Mountain lions choose privacy, even from other members of their own types, and seldom attack human beings.
The look of a lion at Tuzigoot is not a brand-new event.
“There is a healthy population [of mountain lions] in the Verde Valley,” the National Park Service’s website warns potential visitors. “Especially if you are heading down into Tavasci Marsh, be aware of mountain lions while on-trail.”
Mountain lions are not the just huge cats to keep an eye out for while treking the Southwest. Although uncommon, jaguars are likewise routinely tape-recorded in Arizona and have actually been identified as far north as Colorado. The Journal of Wildlife Management discovered that as much as 30% of Arizona appropriates jaguar environment, and in 2021, the Wildlife Conservation Society proposed the prepared reintroduction of the jaguar to Arizona and New Mexico.
