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Grand Canyon National Park
Ranger Minute - Mountain Lions (mov)
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Ranger Minutes are short audiocasts or videocasts in which a park ranger shares interesting stories and information about Grand Canyon National Park.
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| NPS Photo by Elaine Leslie | | Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) |
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March 2007 - 3:26
Mountain lions (Puma concolor, also called cougars or pumas) inhabit the canyons and forests of Grand Canyon National Park and are the region's only remaining large predator. Surprisingly, very little is known about this secretive animal’s behavior, range, and habits.
In this Ranger Minute, Park Ranger Lori Rome shares some interesting facts.
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If you have a Mac or PC Computer with Quicktime installed, you should see a Quicktime Media Player on the right. Click on the player to activate it, then, press the play button. It may take a few seconds for the video to start.
If your connection is slow, and you would rather download the file to your computer,
this is a direct link. |
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Mountain Lion Kittens Tagged
On July 26, 2007, three five week old mountain lion kittens were captured and tagged within Grand Canyon National Park by park researchers. An attempt will be made in a year to recapture these kittens after they have grown large enough to wear a radio collar. These kittens will provide important information on dispersal and movements of mountain lions with origins inside of the park.
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If you encounter a mountain lion:
The Arizona Department of Game and Fish says:
- Do not approach the animal. Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
- Stay calm and speak loudly and firmly.
- Do not run from a mountain lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion’s instinct to chase. Stand and face the animal. Make eye contact.
- Appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. Wave your arms slowly. The idea is to convince the lion that you are not easy prey and that you may be a danger to it.
- Maintain eye contact and slowly back away toward a building, vehicle, or busy area.
- Protect small children so they won’t panic and run.
- Fight back if attacked. Many potential victims have fought back successfully with rocks, sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools, their bare hands, and even mountain bikes. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the animal.
- Report all mountain lion attacks to 911.
For more information, visit the Arizona Game and Fish webpage:
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Did You Know?
There are 3 different river trip opportunities through Grand Canyon National Park, including professionally guided raft trips, available to the public and often reserved a year or two in advance; and self-guided, or "private" river trips, made available to the public through a weighted lottery.
more...
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Last Updated: August 01, 2008 at 14:05 EST |
